The 68th Annual Grammy Awards

BY: JACKSON WELLS / STAFF WRITER

(Photo Credit: Grammy)

The 68th Annual Grammy Awards were on Sunday, February 1st, marking both the last hosting of Trevor Noah and the final airing on CBS, as Grammys are moving strictly to streaming next year. The program gave out many important awards, and in case you weren't able to tune in, it was an exciting night for music. 

Some long-overdue artists like FKA twigs, The Cure, and Kehlani took home their first-ever Grammy wins at this year's ceremony. Other artists had the pleasure of taking home multiple wins, such as Leon Thomas and Lady Gaga, dominating R&B & pop.

There was one artist in particular who not only took home five Grammys but became the most awarded rapper in history: Mr. Kendrick Lamar. JAY-Z held it previously, but Kendrick was able to dethrone his 30-year achievement in half the time. Drake may have been right about one thing in his ‘Family Matters’ diss track from 2024: "Kendrick just opened his mouth/Someone go hand him a Grammy right now"

Speaking of 2024, many of Kendrick's wins came from his 2024 album "gnx", which can feel a little odd at the 2026 Grammys. According to grammy.com, the time they take music under consideration spans August 31, 2024, to August 30, 2025. With the awards show in February, they could make the period whatever year they're representing, as a month gives time for voting to happen, especially considering you don’t have to vote in every category.

Having said that, there is also a deficit in genre representation, such as Turnstile winning best Metal Performance, yet with a quick Google search, you will not find a trace of Metal on "BIRDS", only new wave & hardcore punk, leaving a category or two to be desired. 

Looking to next year, the Grammys will only be available on Disney networks (Hulu, ABC & Disney+) in a 10-year deal. This also impacts the Super Bowl & the Oscars, showing how live television is dying, even within the most beloved of major events.

The Grammys is not just an award show, it's also a music festival. All nominees of the best new artists category performed (The Marias, Sabrina Carpenter, etc.) as well as iconic solo showcases from Tyler, The Creator & Lady Gaga. There were also some incredible tribute concerts: Lauryn Hill and a slew of guest appearances covering the late D'Angelo and Roberta Flack & Post Malone with his all-star band, giving Ozzy Osbourne a rockin' rest in peace, covering Black Sabbath's "War Pigs".

With awards came speeches, and some were your run-of-the-mill "I wanna thank my mom" monologues, but with America in such a time of turmoil came about really impactful stands of justice from artists like Kehlani, Bad Bunny & Billie Eilish. Bad Bunny, in particular, said, "Before I say thanks to God, I'm gonna say 'ICE out'. We're not savages, we're not animals, we're not aliens; we are humans and we are Americans." Truly, a man who deserved the biggest award of the night, Album of the Year.

With the Grammys being the most exciting night of the year for music fans, and 2026 already hitting the ground running with albums from A$AP Rocky, J. Cole & Joji, musicians can find comfort in the fact that no matter what pandemonium is occurring, there is always music to turn to.