Olivia Dean Wins Best New Artist at the Grammy Awards

British soul-pop singer Olivia Dean emerged as one of the biggest winners at the 68th Grammy Awards, taking home the prestigious Best New Artist trophy on Sunday night. The ceremony was held at the Crypto.com Arena in downtown Los Angeles and aired live on the CBS network.

The 26-year-old London-born singer edged out a competitive field of rising talents, including Leon Thomas, KATSEYE, The Marias, Addison Rae, sombr, Alex Warren and Lola Young, to claim the honour.

Emotional Acceptance Speech Highlights Immigration Roots

Accepting the award on stage, Olivia Dean delivered an emotional speech that resonated strongly with the audience.

"I must say I’m up here as a granddaughter of an immigrant," she said, drawing loud cheers.
"I am a product of bravery and I think those people deserve to be celebrated. We’re nothing without each other."

Dean paid tribute to her grandmother, who immigrated from Guyana to Britain as a teenager, highlighting themes of resilience and heritage that have shaped her journey.

Kendrick Lamar Wins Best Rap Album for ‘GNX’

Hip-hop icon Kendrick Lamar, 38, claimed the Best Rap Album award for "GNX," his sixth studio album and a chart-topping release. Lamar entered the night with nine Grammy nominations, reinforcing his reputation as one of the most influential rap artists of all time.

Album of the Year Contenders

Lamar’s "GNX" was also in contention for Album of the Year, competing against strong rivals:

• Bad Bunny – "Debí Tirar Más Fotos"

• Lady Gaga – "Mayhem"

If Lamar wins the top prize, he would become the first solo male rapper to win Album of the Year. So far, only Lauryn Hill and Outkast have won in the hip-hop category.

Bad Bunny’s Grammys Moment Carries Political Weight

Bad Bunny’s Grammy appearance was marked by political undertones. The Puerto Rican superstar won Best Latin Urban Album for "Debí Tirar Más Fotos."

"ICE out," he said on stage while accepting the award.

Bad Bunny previously skipped touring the continental United States, citing fears that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents involved in President Donald Trump’s deportation drive could target his fans.

Super Bowl Performance Controversy

His selection to perform at the upcoming Super Bowl halftime show sparked criticism from Trump and others, who argued that the NFL championship entertainment should be performed in English.

Lady Gaga Eyes First Album of the Year Win

For Lady Gaga, the Album of the Year category represented a major milestone opportunity. Despite a career spanning over two decades, she has never won any of the top four Grammy awards.

Her nominated album "Mayhem" has been described by critics as a return to her dark dance-pop roots, earning praise for both innovation and nostalgia.

K-Pop Makes Grammy History

The global rise of K-pop was further cemented as the genre earned a historic first Grammy win.

"Golden," from the Netflix animated film "KPop Demon Hunters," won Best Song Written for Visual Media. The track is performed by the fictional group HUNTR/X, whose real-life members are EJAE, Audrey Nun and Rein Ami.

The song was also nominated for:

• Best Record

• Best Song

Another K-pop crossover hit, "APT.", a duet between Bruno Mars and Rosé, was also among the top contenders.

Steven Spielberg Achieves EGOT Status

Legendary filmmaker Steven Spielberg, 79, achieved the rare EGOT status after winning his first Grammy Award for Best Music Film for "Music by John Williams," which he produced.

EGOT winners are artists who have won:

• Emmy

• Grammy

• Oscar

• Tony

This places Spielberg among a highly exclusive group in the entertainment industry.

Trevor Noah Hosts Grammys for Final Time

Comedian Trevor Noah returned as the Grammy host for the sixth time, announcing that this would be his final stint as host of the awards ceremony.

How Grammy Winners Are Chosen

Grammy winners are selected by approximately 15,000 voting members of the Recording Academy, including artists, producers, songwriters and engineers.

• 73% of current voters have joined since 2019

• About 1,000 Latin Grammy voters became eligible to vote this year

• The voting body has been revamped over the past seven years to improve diversity