The 68th annual Grammy Awards was held on Feb. 1, 2026 at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California, and it was a ceremony to remember. With performances by KATSEYE, Sombr, Addison Rae and Justin Bieber with his return to the Grammy’s main stage with his first performance at the award show since 2022, we know It’s a lot to keep track of, but don’t worry— VALLEY has your back.
Wear or Tear?
For the viewing of any award ceremony, half of the fun is lounging around at home in sweatpants with your friends and critiquing millionaires red-carpet looks— whether those looks are stunning or questionable. Between the pre-show red carpet, performance outfits and the ceremony outfits, these ones stood out to us— for better or for worse? You tell us:
Tate Mcrae was definitely ‘greedy’ with her food this year at the Grammy’s, because the consensus is that: she ate. In a stunning Balenciaga black gown complete with a fringe skirt, it’s clear that she was going for something timeless.
Lana Del Rey and her polarizing husband Jeremy Dufrene were photographed at the Pre-Grammy party, with Rey opting for a timeless black gown herself. What sparked the most buzz around her outfit was the introduction of her new “LDD” monogram necklace, signifying a change from “Rey” to “Dufrene.” Controversy was sparked when fans reminded everyone that “Lana Del Rey” is a stage name, so why would getting married spark a change in her stage name?
Chappell Roan strutted the Grammy’s red carpet in a flowing dark-red custom Mugler gown, complete with the ultimate accessory— nipple piercings that held her gown up. Her recognizable red curly mermaid hair matches the dress perfectly, completing the monochromatic look. Even if you don’t like Roan, it’s safe to say that you will remember what she wore to the 68th Annual Grammy Awards.
Performances to Remember
Sabrina Carpenter opened the ceremony with the first performance of the night, singing her hit song “Manchild” while dressed in a vintage pilot uniform. Her performance sparked discourse online and outrage from animal rights activist group PETA for her inclusion of a live white dove in her performance. Other conversation between fans of the singer was sparked when taking a closer look at the dates on the flight information display behind Carpenter— is this her cheeky way of announcing tour dates?
The highlight of the Grammy’s for me was the cinematic switch between Addison Rae and KATSEYE’s performances. Rae began the slew of the performances put on by the nominees for the best new artist category with her hit song “Fame is a Gun,” wearing a bedazzled purple trench coat that was then removed to reveal a matching bikini underneath. Controversy online over her live singing abilities after her performance have been plaguing my timeline, but one thing you can always count on Rae for is her spell-binding stage presence and impressive dance breaks. After Rae finished performing, viewers were immediately met with KATSEYE’s opening line of their hit song “Gnarly,” with member Yoonchae popping up in front of the camera. Their performance started in the backstage area where Rae’s ended, and followed them as they danced out to the Grammy’s main stage.
Justin Bieber returned to the Grammy’s stage for the first time since 2022, wearing nothing but boxing shorts, socks and his guitar strapped around his shoulder. He performed “Yukon” from his recent 7th studio album titled “Swag” and served pure vocals, complete with an unapologetically distant stage demeanor— spending most of the performance looking down at his guitar and drum pad.
The Winners
The undeniably sexy Bad Bunny won album of the year with “DeBí TiRAR MáS FOToS,” a record that experiments with and mixes different sounds like reggaeton, hip-hop and pop. When accepting his award, he began his speech with a kairotic message: “ICE out,” following this statement with “We are not savage, we are not animals, we are not aliens, we are humans and we are Americans.” The rest of his powerful speech was spoken mostly in Spanish, alluding to his Puerto Rican heritage.
Though the category often receives backlash online for the inclusion of “new” in the title, Olivia Dean took home the Grammy for best new artist this year despite mentioning in her speech that she is 10 years into her career. She performed her hit song “Man I Need” in a beautiful sparkly red mini-dress. When accepting her award, she calls herself a “product of bravery,” while offering a powerful personal anecdote of being the daughter of an immigrant.
Kendrick Lamar and SZA won record of the year with “Luther,” a tribute to the late singer Luther Vandross. Presented by the iconic Cher, the award brought us a chaotic moment to remember when she misread the title of the song, instead announcing that Luther Vandross himself won the Grammy.
Other notable winners of the night include Lady Gaga’s win for best pop vocal album with her bewitching record “MAYHEM,” Lola Young’s win for “Messy” that was presented by fellow Brit Charli XCX and FKA Twig’s deserved win in the best dance/electronic album category with her critically-acclaimed record “EUSEXUA.” At this year’s Grammy’s alone, Billie Eilish became the first artist to win the song of the year category three times, and “Golden” from the popular show “KPop Demon Hunters” became the first K-pop song to win a Grammy.
Did you watch The Grammy’s this year? Post your favorite look of the night on X and tag us @VALLEYmag
