'Before I say thanks to God, I’m gonna say: ICE out' - Bad Bunny gets a thundering standing ovation at Grammy Awards 2026
TOI GLOBAL | Feb 03, 2026, 21:13 IST
Bad Bunny received a standing ovation at the 2026 Grammy Awards after delivering a viral acceptance speech calling for love, unity, and an end to dehumanizing immigration rhetoric, making it one of the night’s most powerful moments.
Bad Bunny delivered one of the most politically charged and emotionally resonant moments of the 68th Annual Grammy Awards, using his acceptance speech to call for love, unity, and an end to dehumanizing rhetoric around immigration enforcement in the United States.
The Puerto Rican global superstar took the stage at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles after winning Best Música Urbana Album for Debí Tirar Más Fotos. Before offering traditional acknowledgments, Bad Bunny paused and addressed the audience with a direct message that immediately electrified the room.
“Before I say thanks to God, I’m gonna say: ICE out,” he said, triggering a thunderous standing ovation that rippled through the arena. The moment quickly spread across social media platforms, becoming one of the most widely shared clips from the night.
Bad Bunny, whose real name is Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, used the spotlight to emphasize humanity over hostility, urging audiences to reject labels that reduce people to stereotypes. Speaking calmly but with conviction, he framed his remarks around dignity, compassion, and collective responsibility.
“We are not animals. We are not aliens. We are humans,” he told the audience. “Hate only grows with more hate. The only thing stronger than hate is love.”
The artist went on to encourage peaceful resistance rooted in care rather than anger, emphasizing family, community, and empathy. His speech concluded with a plea for people to remember love as the foundation for meaningful change.
The remarks align with Bad Bunny’s long-standing criticism of U.S. immigration policies and enforcement practices, particularly those carried out by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). In recent interviews, the artist has spoken openly about how immigration raids and enforcement fears have shaped the lives of immigrant families and communities, including influencing his own decisions about touring and performing in certain regions.
Sunday night’s speech came at a particularly high-profile moment in Bad Bunny’s career. In addition to his Grammy win, he was recently announced as a headliner for the upcoming Super Bowl Halftime Show, further cementing his influence across music, pop culture, and global conversations beyond entertainment.
The Grammys ceremony itself featured a night of notable milestones and standout wins. Olivia Dean took home the Best New Artist award, marking a major breakthrough moment in her career. Trevor Noah returned to host the ceremony for the sixth consecutive year, signaling his final appearance as the show’s emcee.
At the Premiere Ceremony earlier in the day, history was made when “Golden” from KPop Demon Hunters won Best Song Written for Visual Media, becoming the first K-pop act to receive a Grammy in that category. The song’s creators accepted the award with a bilingual speech in English and Korean, underscoring the genre’s expanding global impact.
Kendrick Lamar, who led nominations with nine nods, secured Best Rap Album for GNX, adding to several wins he had already collected during the pre-telecast events. Meanwhile, music legend Joni Mitchell added another chapter to her storied legacy by winning Best Historical Album for Joni Mitchell Archives – Volume 4: The Asylum Years (1976–1980).
Yet amid the awards and celebrations, it was Bad Bunny’s words unscripted, unapologetic, and rooted in compassion — that defined the emotional core of the night. His speech transformed an acceptance moment into a broader cultural statement, reinforcing how music’s biggest stage can still be used to confront uncomfortable truths and spark meaningful dialogue.
Bad Bunny delivered one of the most politically charged and emotionally resonant moments of the 68th Annual Grammy Awards, using his acceptance speech to call for love, unity, and an end to dehumanizing rhetoric around immigration enforcement in the United States.
Bad Bunny received a standing ovation at the 2026 Grammy Awards after delivering a viral acceptance speech calling for love, unity, and an end to dehumanizing immigration rhetoric, making it one of the night’s most powerful moments.
The Puerto Rican global superstar took the stage at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles after winning Best Música Urbana Album for Debí Tirar Más Fotos. Before offering traditional acknowledgments, Bad Bunny paused and addressed the audience with a direct message that immediately electrified the room.
“Before I say thanks to God, I’m gonna say: ICE out,” he said, triggering a thunderous standing ovation that rippled through the arena. The moment quickly spread across social media platforms, becoming one of the most widely shared clips from the night.
Bad Bunny, whose real name is Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, used the spotlight to emphasize humanity over hostility, urging audiences to reject labels that reduce people to stereotypes. Speaking calmly but with conviction, he framed his remarks around dignity, compassion, and collective responsibility.
“We are not animals. We are not aliens. We are humans,” he told the audience. “Hate only grows with more hate. The only thing stronger than hate is love.”
The artist went on to encourage peaceful resistance rooted in care rather than anger, emphasizing family, community, and empathy. His speech concluded with a plea for people to remember love as the foundation for meaningful change.
The remarks align with Bad Bunny’s long-standing criticism of U.S. immigration policies and enforcement practices, particularly those carried out by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). In recent interviews, the artist has spoken openly about how immigration raids and enforcement fears have shaped the lives of immigrant families and communities, including influencing his own decisions about touring and performing in certain regions.
Sunday night’s speech came at a particularly high-profile moment in Bad Bunny’s career. In addition to his Grammy win, he was recently announced as a headliner for the upcoming Super Bowl Halftime Show, further cementing his influence across music, pop culture, and global conversations beyond entertainment.
The Grammys ceremony itself featured a night of notable milestones and standout wins. Olivia Dean took home the Best New Artist award, marking a major breakthrough moment in her career. Trevor Noah returned to host the ceremony for the sixth consecutive year, signaling his final appearance as the show’s emcee.
At the Premiere Ceremony earlier in the day, history was made when “Golden” from KPop Demon Hunters won Best Song Written for Visual Media, becoming the first K-pop act to receive a Grammy in that category. The song’s creators accepted the award with a bilingual speech in English and Korean, underscoring the genre’s expanding global impact.
Kendrick Lamar, who led nominations with nine nods, secured Best Rap Album for GNX, adding to several wins he had already collected during the pre-telecast events. Meanwhile, music legend Joni Mitchell added another chapter to her storied legacy by winning Best Historical Album for Joni Mitchell Archives – Volume 4: The Asylum Years (1976–1980).
Yet amid the awards and celebrations, it was Bad Bunny’s words unscripted, unapologetic, and rooted in compassion — that defined the emotional core of the night. His speech transformed an acceptance moment into a broader cultural statement, reinforcing how music’s biggest stage can still be used to confront uncomfortable truths and spark meaningful dialogue.
The Puerto Rican global superstar took the stage at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles after winning Best Música Urbana Album for Debí Tirar Más Fotos. Before offering traditional acknowledgments, Bad Bunny paused and addressed the audience with a direct message that immediately electrified the room.
“Before I say thanks to God, I’m gonna say: ICE out,” he said, triggering a thunderous standing ovation that rippled through the arena. The moment quickly spread across social media platforms, becoming one of the most widely shared clips from the night.
Bad Bunny, whose real name is Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, used the spotlight to emphasize humanity over hostility, urging audiences to reject labels that reduce people to stereotypes. Speaking calmly but with conviction, he framed his remarks around dignity, compassion, and collective responsibility.
“We are not animals. We are not aliens. We are humans,” he told the audience. “Hate only grows with more hate. The only thing stronger than hate is love.”
The artist went on to encourage peaceful resistance rooted in care rather than anger, emphasizing family, community, and empathy. His speech concluded with a plea for people to remember love as the foundation for meaningful change.
The remarks align with Bad Bunny’s long-standing criticism of U.S. immigration policies and enforcement practices, particularly those carried out by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). In recent interviews, the artist has spoken openly about how immigration raids and enforcement fears have shaped the lives of immigrant families and communities, including influencing his own decisions about touring and performing in certain regions.
Sunday night’s speech came at a particularly high-profile moment in Bad Bunny’s career. In addition to his Grammy win, he was recently announced as a headliner for the upcoming Super Bowl Halftime Show, further cementing his influence across music, pop culture, and global conversations beyond entertainment.
The Grammys ceremony itself featured a night of notable milestones and standout wins. Olivia Dean took home the Best New Artist award, marking a major breakthrough moment in her career. Trevor Noah returned to host the ceremony for the sixth consecutive year, signaling his final appearance as the show’s emcee.
At the Premiere Ceremony earlier in the day, history was made when “Golden” from KPop Demon Hunters won Best Song Written for Visual Media, becoming the first K-pop act to receive a Grammy in that category. The song’s creators accepted the award with a bilingual speech in English and Korean, underscoring the genre’s expanding global impact.
Kendrick Lamar, who led nominations with nine nods, secured Best Rap Album for GNX, adding to several wins he had already collected during the pre-telecast events. Meanwhile, music legend Joni Mitchell added another chapter to her storied legacy by winning Best Historical Album for Joni Mitchell Archives – Volume 4: The Asylum Years (1976–1980).
Yet amid the awards and celebrations, it was Bad Bunny’s words unscripted, unapologetic, and rooted in compassion — that defined the emotional core of the night. His speech transformed an acceptance moment into a broader cultural statement, reinforcing how music’s biggest stage can still be used to confront uncomfortable truths and spark meaningful dialogue.
Bad Bunny delivered one of the most politically charged and emotionally resonant moments of the 68th Annual Grammy Awards, using his acceptance speech to call for love, unity, and an end to dehumanizing rhetoric around immigration enforcement in the United States.
Bad Bunny received a standing ovation at the 2026 Grammy Awards after delivering a viral acceptance speech calling for love, unity, and an end to dehumanizing immigration rhetoric, making it one of the night’s most powerful moments.
The Puerto Rican global superstar took the stage at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles after winning Best Música Urbana Album for Debí Tirar Más Fotos. Before offering traditional acknowledgments, Bad Bunny paused and addressed the audience with a direct message that immediately electrified the room.
“Before I say thanks to God, I’m gonna say: ICE out,” he said, triggering a thunderous standing ovation that rippled through the arena. The moment quickly spread across social media platforms, becoming one of the most widely shared clips from the night.
Bad Bunny, whose real name is Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, used the spotlight to emphasize humanity over hostility, urging audiences to reject labels that reduce people to stereotypes. Speaking calmly but with conviction, he framed his remarks around dignity, compassion, and collective responsibility.
“We are not animals. We are not aliens. We are humans,” he told the audience. “Hate only grows with more hate. The only thing stronger than hate is love.”
The artist went on to encourage peaceful resistance rooted in care rather than anger, emphasizing family, community, and empathy. His speech concluded with a plea for people to remember love as the foundation for meaningful change.
The remarks align with Bad Bunny’s long-standing criticism of U.S. immigration policies and enforcement practices, particularly those carried out by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). In recent interviews, the artist has spoken openly about how immigration raids and enforcement fears have shaped the lives of immigrant families and communities, including influencing his own decisions about touring and performing in certain regions.
Sunday night’s speech came at a particularly high-profile moment in Bad Bunny’s career. In addition to his Grammy win, he was recently announced as a headliner for the upcoming Super Bowl Halftime Show, further cementing his influence across music, pop culture, and global conversations beyond entertainment.
The Grammys ceremony itself featured a night of notable milestones and standout wins. Olivia Dean took home the Best New Artist award, marking a major breakthrough moment in her career. Trevor Noah returned to host the ceremony for the sixth consecutive year, signaling his final appearance as the show’s emcee.
At the Premiere Ceremony earlier in the day, history was made when “Golden” from KPop Demon Hunters won Best Song Written for Visual Media, becoming the first K-pop act to receive a Grammy in that category. The song’s creators accepted the award with a bilingual speech in English and Korean, underscoring the genre’s expanding global impact.
Kendrick Lamar, who led nominations with nine nods, secured Best Rap Album for GNX, adding to several wins he had already collected during the pre-telecast events. Meanwhile, music legend Joni Mitchell added another chapter to her storied legacy by winning Best Historical Album for Joni Mitchell Archives – Volume 4: The Asylum Years (1976–1980).
Yet amid the awards and celebrations, it was Bad Bunny’s words unscripted, unapologetic, and rooted in compassion — that defined the emotional core of the night. His speech transformed an acceptance moment into a broader cultural statement, reinforcing how music’s biggest stage can still be used to confront uncomfortable truths and spark meaningful dialogue.