Powerhouse performances, cringe-worthy moments: The highs and lows of the 2026 Grammy Awards
The biggest night in music did not disappoint, showcasing a dazzling array of talented artists, yet also leaving some jaws on the floor.
While many praised the electrifying opening performance by Rosé and Bruno Mars, their show-stopping act was soon followed by another notable high: Olivia Dean took home the Best New Artist award, an honor that seemed particularly well-deserved given her impressive competition.
The late music icon Ozzy Osbourne also made his presence felt at the ceremony. A heartfelt tribute led by Post Malone, Guns N' Roses’ Slash and Duff McKagan, The Red Hot Chili Peppers’ drummer Chad Smith, and producer Andrew Watt paid homage to the Black Sabbath frontman who passed away earlier this year.
However, not all moments were as triumphant. Justin Bieber's performance was met with confusion, particularly when he only wore a pair of sparkly shorts and socks for his rendition of "Yukon." The singer then suddenly walked off the stage mid-performance, leaving viewers on the edge of their seats wondering what had just happened.
In another awkward moment, Trevor Noah struggled to engage with Bad Bunny during an audience segment. When attempting to chat up the Latin superstar about various topics, the comedian seemed to forget that "dumb bits rarely work at award shows."
Cher's announcement of Record of the Year winner Luther Vandross was marred by a major mistake – she instead announced Kendrick Lamar as the winner. Lamar, SZA, and the song's producers took the stage to accept the award, with Cher awkwardly standing by their side.
Despite some cringe-worthy moments, there were also some truly memorable performances throughout the night. Sabrina Carpenter gave a sultry pilot-inspired performance of her hit single "Manchild," while Alex Warren showed remarkable composure despite a sound malfunction during his Best New Artist medley set.
A heartwarming moment saw Olivia Dean give a shoutout to immigrants after accepting the Best New Artist award, stating that she's a product of bravery and deserves to be celebrated.
The biggest night in music did not disappoint, showcasing a dazzling array of talented artists, yet also leaving some jaws on the floor.
While many praised the electrifying opening performance by Rosé and Bruno Mars, their show-stopping act was soon followed by another notable high: Olivia Dean took home the Best New Artist award, an honor that seemed particularly well-deserved given her impressive competition.
The late music icon Ozzy Osbourne also made his presence felt at the ceremony. A heartfelt tribute led by Post Malone, Guns N' Roses’ Slash and Duff McKagan, The Red Hot Chili Peppers’ drummer Chad Smith, and producer Andrew Watt paid homage to the Black Sabbath frontman who passed away earlier this year.
However, not all moments were as triumphant. Justin Bieber's performance was met with confusion, particularly when he only wore a pair of sparkly shorts and socks for his rendition of "Yukon." The singer then suddenly walked off the stage mid-performance, leaving viewers on the edge of their seats wondering what had just happened.
In another awkward moment, Trevor Noah struggled to engage with Bad Bunny during an audience segment. When attempting to chat up the Latin superstar about various topics, the comedian seemed to forget that "dumb bits rarely work at award shows."
Cher's announcement of Record of the Year winner Luther Vandross was marred by a major mistake – she instead announced Kendrick Lamar as the winner. Lamar, SZA, and the song's producers took the stage to accept the award, with Cher awkwardly standing by their side.
Despite some cringe-worthy moments, there were also some truly memorable performances throughout the night. Sabrina Carpenter gave a sultry pilot-inspired performance of her hit single "Manchild," while Alex Warren showed remarkable composure despite a sound malfunction during his Best New Artist medley set.
A heartwarming moment saw Olivia Dean give a shoutout to immigrants after accepting the Best New Artist award, stating that she's a product of bravery and deserves to be celebrated.
walking off mid performance is just too much 
i feel bad for rosé and bruno mars tho, their collab was EVERYTHING 
butchered by jstn bieber's weird choice of outfit 
cher's mistake was lowkey relatable though... at least she owned it afterwards 
anyway i loved the heartfelt tribute 2 ozzy 
and olivia dean's message about immigrants was so beautiful 
can't wait for next year's grammys! 
, it's crazy how much he means to people now. I'm surprised Post Malone didn't just give an acoustic set like they did at his tribute concert last year... anyway, that Justin Bieber performance though 
. but, I gotta give it up for Olivia Dean - she's definitely the real MVP 
I'm telling ya, something fishy went down at those Grammys... like, have you noticed how Justin Bieber just up and walked off stage? What was that all about? 
Was it some kind of ploy to generate buzz for his next album or something? And what's with Cher's mistake? Did she really not double-check the winner? It seems too convenient. 
Also, Trevor Noah seemed way out of his depth with Bad Bunny... maybe they were just trying to distract us from the real issue: the lack of representation for newer artists in that Best New Artist category. 
. Like that Justin Bieber performance - what was he thinkin'? Sparkly shorts and socks? 
.
. And Cher... well, even when things went wrong (which they did 
. That shoutout to immigrants and talkin' about bein' a product of bravery... it was so pure and inspiring 
... but Justin Bieber? What was he thinking, walking off mid-song 
. I mean, Cher announcing the wrong winner 
... what's going on?!
? Olivia Dean's acceptance speech about immigrants. It was so heartfelt and inspiring. That girl is a shining star, and we need more people like her in this world 
. And Alex Warren, wow! Despite the sound malfunction, he still managed to rock that stage 
.
... it's always great to see them do their thing on a big stage like that. All in all, the Grammys were a wild ride, but I'm glad there were some amazing moments to make up for the cringe 
also loved that Cher messed up big time and Kendrick Lamar ended up winning - that was soooo awkward 
. Like, what even is up with that sparkly shorts and socks combo? And walking off mid-performance? Talk about a mood killer 
. I was really looking forward to seeing some epic performances, but more often than not, it felt like the hosts were just trying too hard to be cool 
. I swear, some of these hosts need to take a few (dozen) acting lessons before they can even attempt to be entertaining on live TV 
.
. And kudos to Olivia Dean for speaking her heart out about immigrants – that was truly inspiring 
anyway, so many amazing performances tonight! sabrina carpenter's pilot-inspired performance was EVERYTHING 
and alex warren's composure despite the sound malfunction is goals 
. It was a pretty wild night overall, but some of the cringe-worthy moments kinda made me feel for him 
.
?!
omg i was literally on the edge of my seat when justin bieber walked off stage mid perf 
especially loved olivia deans shoutout to immigrants, so inspiring & empowering 
! That was such an awkward moment, especially since Chad Smith from Red Hot Chili Peppers was standing right there with her. It's like she had the wrong script or something 
...Justin Bieber's sparkly shorts & socks combo was, um, interesting 
...some cringe-worthy moments, but also some seriously unforgettable performances 
it gave me chills