From Bad Bunny's disbelief to an 8-year-old winner: Behind the scenes at the Grammys

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History was made astatine the 68th Grammy Awards.

Kendrick Lamar, Bad Bunny, Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell and Huntr/x were among the artists with grounds wins. And artists utilized their acceptance speeches and platforms to denounce migration raids. Even with each the action, there’s a batch audiences didn’t spot connected TV. Here’s what Times reporters caught down the scenes.

Bad Bunny and Trevor Noah astatine  the Grammy Awards.

Bad Bunny and Trevor Noah astatine the 68th Grammy Awards.

(Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)

Bad Bunny successful disbelief

After making past for winning medium of the year, Bad Bunny sat banal inactive astatine his array connected the level of the arena — with his caput successful his hands. What registered arsenic a tiny intermission connected TV felt similar a monolithic soundlessness wrong the venue, arsenic the assemblage collectively held its breath, staring down astatine the solitary victor — frozen successful a reverent tableau of disbelief — earlier helium yet gathered himself to attack the signifier and assertion his trophy. — Jessica Gelt

Kehlani holds a Grammy successful  each   hand.

Kehlani holds the Grammys for R&B show and R&B song.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Kehlani says artists pb revolutions

Sporting an “ICE Out” pin, Kehlani spoke to reporters Sunday successful the Grammys property country astir artists’ work to beryllium vocal astir societal justness issues. In the past, the vocalist has had performances canceled due to the fact that of her governmental stances. Kehlani called retired Immigration and Customs Enforcement during her acceptance code earlier successful the afternoon.

“An artist’s occupation is to bespeak the times,” the Grammy victor said. “I deliberation we’re often what leads oregon immunodeficiency gyration oregon provides a lens for radical who volition recognize definite things amended via art.”

“People each implicit the satellite tin spot adjacent conscionable erstwhile we unfastened our mouths 1 time,” she added, “so I deliberation we person an accidental to usage it wisely.”

Kehlani won her archetypal Grammys connected Sunday for R&B show and R&B song.

“When God says yes, can’t cipher accidental no, and erstwhile it’s God’s clip and it’s your time, past he’ll pave the mode for everything other to conscionable wide itself,” she said.

Even if she’d mislaid today, the creator said, “it would person been a blessing for maine and a blessing for each of us.” — Malia Mendez

Trevor Noah talks into a microphone astatine  the Grammys.

Trevor Noah hosted the Grammys for the sixth and last clip connected Sunday.

(Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)

Take your spot ... oregon else

People truly could not get to their seats connected time. While viewers astatine location ticker an onslaught of commercials during breaks successful the show, the assemblage wrong the venue makes a huffy dash to bathrooms, bars and concession stands. A elephantine integer surface onstage features a countdown timepiece and a loudspeaker on the main thoroughfare besides keeps guests appraised of however overmuch clip they person the get backmost to their seats. Miss the buzzer and you’re locked retired of the auditorium until the adjacent commercialized break. You’d deliberation the thought of losing retired connected a show by Lady Gaga would thrust radical to beryllium connected time, but no. No substance what came next, dozens of radical remained locked retired betwixt numbers and others virtually walked successful beforehand of cameras aft the amusement had gone live, a authorities of affairs that promoted big Trevor Noah to jokingly admonish offenders connected air. — J.G.

Shaboozey holds his Grammy and delivers an acceptance speech.

Shaboozey won the Grammy for state duo/group performance.

(Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)

Shaboozey honors his Nigerian migrant parents

Country creator Shaboozey fought backmost tears arsenic helium addressed the Grammys property country Sunday.

The “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” hitmaker became affectional arsenic helium spoke astir his Nigerian migrant parents and the sacrifices they made to travel to the United States.

“To cognize that I’m an illustration of that, and I’m from that lineage, and I’m inspiring people, hopefully, and trying to conscionable unrecorded up to my fullest potential. I’ve had truthful galore dreams of being capable to bash thing similar this,” helium said.

The Grammy victor went connected to notation his small-town upbringing, saying, “I wasn’t the astir talented kid successful immoderate respect, but I conscionable had dreams,” earlier becoming overwhelmed with emotion.

As helium stepped backmost to hitch distant tears, the country erupted into applause, with 1 newsman shouting, “You merit this!” — M.M.

Heidi Klum wore a skin-tight nude gown to the 2026 Grammy Awards, captivating gawkers up of the show.

Heidiween astatine the Grammys?

Supermodel Heidi Klum turned heads wrong the arena arsenic she tottered on similar an unsteady kid wrong a unusual nude-colored latex formal that resembled a bare assemblage with nipples and pronounced buttocks. The garment did not crook oregon move, which greatly reduced Klum’s quality to get around. It was much similar a suit of armor than a dress, and the parade of onlookers pursuing down her made a crippled of guessing however Klum mightiness beryllium down during the ceremony. The reply soon arrived erstwhile Klum swapped the formal for a slinky achromatic number. — J.G.

Aura V and Fyütch clasp  their Grammy.

Aura V and Fyütch won the Grammy for children’s euphony album.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

The purple “princess of the Grammys”

After father-daughter duo Fyütch and Aura V clinched their triumph for champion children’s euphony medium with the exceedingly wholesome “Harmony,” the 2 took their matching purple outfits for a rotation successful the Grammys property room.

While Fyütch lauded their “whimsical stylist” for fashioning his girl arsenic “the princess of the Grammys,” Aura V took recognition for the colour selection.

“I picked retired this lavender colour due to the fact that it’s chill, it’s relaxing, it helps maine settee in,” explained the 8-year-old — present the youngest individually named Grammy victor successful history.

Besides, she added, a reddish formal would person blended into the reddish carpet, and “I gotta basal out.” — M.M.

Remy Le Boeuf, not to beryllium confused with his twinner

As Santa Cruz-born composer Remy Le Boeuf celebrated his triumph for instrumental creation successful the property room, helium took attraction to clarify wherefore helium mightiness look acquainted to the assemblage — contempt Sunday marking his archetypal Grammy win.

That’s due to the fact that past year, his twin, composer Pascal Le Boeuf, received the aforesaid award. But not to worry, the erstwhile Le Boeuf said, the 2 are not truthful competitory with each other.

The Grammy victor besides gave an earnest mentation for wherefore AI has nary spot successful his originative process.

“Jazz contented is precise overmuch astir being precise contiguous and successful the infinitesimal and interacting with different members of the set and creating abstraction successful the euphony for that benignant of interaction,” helium said.

“So AI doesn’t truly use to what I bash truthful much.” — M.M.

Bruno Mars performs connected  signifier    astatine  the Grammy Awards.

Bruno Mars performs astatine the 2026 Grammy Awards held astatine Crypto.com Arena.

(Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times )

A maze of a venue

You wouldn’t cognize it from the telecast, but Crypto.com Arena is simply a monolithic venue. The Grammys are, by far, the biggest and astir sprawling awards amusement of the season. The venue feels much similar a stadium than an auditorium due to the fact that that’s truly what it is. Vending stations for wildly overpriced nutrient and portion ($15 blistery dogs and $23 cocktails) ringing the auditorium, and a impermanent tin locomotion successful a 365-degree ellipse to get to their seat. It’s the cleanable spot to get mislaid successful a assemblage and radical watch. Guests volition spot celebrities mixed successful with regular euphony manufacture folks and perchance people a bath selfie with a model. Still, determination is simply a stiff, astir firm consciousness to the spot that adjacent the wildest amusement can’t escape. — J.G.

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