Halle Bailey caught up with Billboard’s Tetris Kelly and Leila Cobo on the 2026 GRAMMYs red carpet.
Shaboozey caught up with Billboard’s Tetris Kelly and Leila Cobo on the 2026 GRAMMYs red carpet.
Justin Bieber performed his hit R&B “Yukon” at 2026 Grammys on Sunday night (Feb. 1) at the Crypto.com arena in Los Angeles, in his first TV performance in years.
Coming on wearing an electric guitar — at not much else, as he went shirtless with just shorts — he built up the groove to “Yukon” on loop pedals (à la his “I Don’t Care” collaborator Ed Sheeran at the 2017 awards), then delivered a vulnerable solo rendition of the Swag ballad. The performance was met with a strong audience reception, including from his wife Hayley, who applauded directly to the camera.
Bieber is up for four awards at this year’s awards, including album of the year and best pop vocal album for his 2025 set Swag, and best pop solo performance for “Daisies.” He was also up for best R&B performance (for “Yukon”), which he lost during the pre-telecast awards to Kehlani for “Folded.”
Bieber has a long history with the Grammys, having been nominated 23 times dating back to 2011, and winning twice, though neither in the most predictable categories: best dance/electronic recording for “Where Are Ü Now” with Jack Ü, and best country duo/group performance for “10,000 Hours” with Dan + Shay. The album of the year nod for Swag is his third, having previously been nominated in 2017 for Purpose and in 2022 for Justice (Triple Chucks Deluxe).
Both of Bieber’s nominated songs for this year’s Grammys are still in the top 40 of this week’s Billboard Hot 100 (dated Jan. 31) — “Daisies” at No. 15 (after previously peaking at No. 2) and “Yukon” at No. 31 (No,. 17) peak — over half a year after first debuting on the chart in July. Swag also still ranks at No. 88 on this week’s Billboard 200, after bowing at No. 2.
The Grammys category for best new artist was absolutely stacked in 2026, as showcased in the knockout medley of performances executed at the award show by the category’s nominees this year: KATSEYE, Olivia Dean, Alex Warren, Addison Rae, Leon Thomas, Lola Young, sombr and The Marías.
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The Sunday (Feb. 1) segment began with The Marías performing while washed in moody blue lighting and gentle smoke as lead singer María Zardoya softly crooned 2025 single “Nobody New.” Addison Rae then appeared on screen, hitching a ride on the back of a truck in a theatrical purple coat before switching to the floor of the arena’s load-in area for a sensual dance number set to her Addison fan-favorite “Fame Is a Gun.”
KATSEYE was up next, with the sextet bringing the energy as the group performed elaborate choreography and sang “Gnarly,” one of the rapidly rising global girl group’s three Billboard Hot 100 hits to date. “What’s up!” Thomas then yelled out to the crowd, signifying the next switch-up. He proceeded to shred on guitar while singing his breakout hit, “Mutt,” belting out silky riffs with ease.
While that was happening, Warren was apparently out buying popcorn; cameras cut to him at a snack cart in the concession area of the arena before following him out into the crowd and up on stage. There, he handled a timing snafu like a pro, taking out his earpiece and getting back on track with the accompaniment with plenty of time before he was lifted out by a suspended platform, after which Young slowed things down on piano. The British star delivered a more emotional, stripped-down version of her breakthrough hit “Messy,” one of her first performances since taking a break from music after collapsing on stage at All Things Go in September.
After that, the scenery opened on Dean, who looked radiant against a gold backdrop and horn line, dancing to her smash “Man I Need” in a glittering red dress while effortlessly hitting every jazzy pop note. Finally, sombr descended on a lowering platform, commanding, “Grammys, get up!” in a spangly, angular suit. Rather than his breakthrough smash “Back to Friends,” the singer-songwriter played another of his viral I Barely Know Her hits, “12 to 12,” closing out by walking into the audience and dancing with the crowd just moments before the best new artist winner — Dean, who tearfully accepted — was announced.
This year’s Grammys took place at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, with Trevor Noah returning as host. Kendrick Lamar was the most nominated artist in 2026, picking up nine ahead of the ceremony, while Lady Gaga, Jack Antonoff and Cirkut followed close behind with seven apiece.
Beyond the best new artist recognition, a few of the nominees in that category — which each year recognizes emerging talent in the music industry, with Chappell Roan taking the prize in 2025 and presenting the award in 2026 — also earned spots in other races. KATSEYE picked up a nod for best pop duo/group performance for “Gabriela,” which ultimately went to Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo for Wicked duet “Defying Gravity,” while Young scored a nomination for best pop solo performance thanks to “Messy.” Thomas was recognized in a total of six categories thanks to his breakout year with album Mutt.
Many of the best new artists have spent the last year dominating on Billboard‘s charts as well. Warren, for instance, ruled at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for 10 weeks with “Ordinary,” while Dean’s The Art of Loving climbed to a new peak of No. 3 on the Billboard 200 in January.
The Grammys started broadcasting live on CBS at 8 p.m. ET. The ceremony is also available to stream on Paramount+.
SC Airlines is clear for takeoff. Sabrina Carpenter earned her pilot’s license to perform her Man’s Best Friend smash “Manchild” at the 2026 Grammy Awards on Sunday (Feb. 1).
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The pop star left her emotional baggage at baggage claim and took flight out of the terminal at Los Angeles’ Crypto.com Arena in her pearly white SCA pilot’s cap.
Carpenter was surrounded by a male dance crew representing various professions, ranging from a firefighter to a priest and an astronaut, who wheeled her across the airport stage in a luggage cart.
Sabrina dropped the mic to briefly speak over the makeshift intercom system, adding some playful showmanship to the performance. “It’s your captain, Sabrina, speaking. If you came here tonight because you need a little validation, stand up and I want you to put your hands together,” she told the crowd.
After playing air traffic controller, the Grammy-winning singer showed off her talents as she tapped into being a bird whisperer while holding a dove before heading to the cockpit.
“Manchild” landed on Carpenter’s 2025 Man’s Best Friend album. The sassy anthem topped the Billboard Hot 100, and earned nominations for best music video and best pop solo performance, as well as Big Four categories song of the year and record of the year.
Carpenter has 12 Grammy nominations to date in her meteoric career. The pop star is coming off wins at the 2025 Grammys for best pop vocal album behind Sweetener and best pop solo performance for her “Espresso” bop.
Man’s Best Friend arrived in August and debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with 366,000 total album units earned. Carpenter’s seventh LP is nominated for best pop vocal album and album of the year.
K-pop was a winner at the Grammy Awards for the first time Sunday (Feb. 1), as “Golden,” the Billboard Hot 100 hit from Netflix’s KPop Demon Hunters (performed in the film as girl group HUNTR/X, aka vocalists EJAE, Audrey Nuna and REI AMI), triumphed in the best song written for visual media category.
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The award was announced during the pre-telecast section of the 2026 Grammys, where EJAE was among the group of songwriters to accept the win. Also credited on the track are Park Hong Jun, Joong Gyu Kwak, Yu Han Lee, Hee Dong Nam, Jeong Hoon Seo and Mark Sonnenblick, who gave an acceptance speech on behalf of the group.
“Golden” received a total of four nominations in the 2026 awards: best song written for visual media song of the year, main-event categories song of the year and best pop/duo performance, and best remixed recording (by David Guetta).
Additionally, the Kpop Demon Hunters soundtrack album, a Billboard 200 chart-topper, was nominated for best compilation soundtrack for visual media.
The 2026 Grammys broadcast kicked off at 8 p.m. ET on CBS (also streaming on Paramount+).
K-pop representation at the Grammys has historically been limited, with BTS being the first K-pop act nominated for a Grammy, at the 2021 ceremony. The superstar group’s been nominated five times, but they’ve yet to win. BTS was also the first K-pop act to ever perform at the Grammys.
Sunday night, BLACKPINK member ROSÉ — nominated for three awards at this year’s ceremony — became the first solo K-pop artist to perform at the Grammy Awards. She kicked off the show alongside Bruno Mars with a performance of the pair’s hit collab “APT.”
Last summer, the Recording Academy highlighted 10 names from the K-pop industry — artists, producers and songwriters — who were added to its New Member Class. (Recording Academy membership includes eligibility to vote in the Grammy Awards.)
“Golden” won the award for best original song at the 2026 Golden Globes, and is nominated for best original song at the upcoming Oscars ceremony in March. It spent a total of eight weeks at No. 1 on the Hot 100 in 2025.
Summer Walker caught up with Billboard’s Tetris Kelly and Leila Cobo on the 2026 GRAMMYs red carpet.
Trevor Noah hosted the Grammys for the final time this year — and he made sure to milk every second of his last opening monologue on Sunday night (Feb. 1).
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Following a fiery rendition of “APT.” from record and song of the year nominees ROSÉ and Bruno Mars, Noah took the stage for his sixth consecutive stint as Grammy host on Sunday (Feb. 1), donning a snazzy black tuxedo and bow tie.
Always good for some crowd work, he began his opening monologue gushing over the year in music — Doechii and Jelly Roll, both already winners tonight, got shout-outs — and greeting famous friends in the audience such as Miley Cyrus, and album of the year nominees Clipse, Justin Bieber and Bad Bunny.
Despite the overflow of starpower in Los Angeles’ Crypto.com Arena, the climax of his opening monologue came by way of two celebrities who were notably not in attendance: Nicki Minaj and Donald Trump. Joking that the two controversial figures missed the ceremony due to a “very important” White House meeting, Noah began imitating Trump, cracking, “Actually, Nicki, I have the bigger a–!”
Naturally, the zinger landed perfectly in the room, drawing raucous laughter from the star-studded crowd. On Jan. 28, Minaj met the president for the first time, holding hands with her fellow Queens mogul at the Trump Accounts Summit in Washington, D.C. The Billboard Hot 100-topping rapper also received a Trump Gold Card-themed memento from the President. The pair’s meeting comes after a drastic public conservative shift for Minaj, who has frequently used her X account to voice her support for President Trump and his administration.
Minaj, who has yet to win a Grammy despite 12 career nominations, wasn’t the only rapper to get burned by Noah at the 2026 Grammys. Shortly before his presidential quip, Noah joked that 2026 was starting to feel like 1999 because of a “presidential sex scandal,” everyone being “scared of computers” and Diddy being arrested. (The disgraced Bad Boy mogul and three-time Grammy winner was sentenced to four years in prison on Oct. 3 for violating federal prostitution laws.)
With Sunday night’s ceremony, Noah becomes the first person to host six consecutive Grammy telecasts since Billboard 200 chart-topper Andy Williams hosted the first seven live telecasts from 1971 to 1977.
Lainey Wilson caught up with Billboard’s Tetris Kelly and Leila Cobo on the 2026 GRAMMYs red carpet.
