LOS ANGELES, FEB 2 — The 68th annual Grammy Awards opened with a series of landmark victories during the Premiere Ceremony on Sunday, headlined by director Steven Spielberg achieving the rare EGOT status. Spielberg secured his first Grammy for the music film “Music for John Williams,” completing the quartet of Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony awards.
The ceremony at the Peacock Theater also saw the Dalai Lama earn his inaugural Grammy in the audio book, narration, and storytelling recording category. He emerged victorious over a field that included Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson. Representing the project during the acceptance, Rufus Wainwright quipped to the audience, “I am not the Dalai Lama. It was a privilege to participate on this project.”
History was further made when K-pop secured its first-ever Grammy win. The track “Golden” from “KPop Demon Hunters” was named the best song written for visual media. The songwriters delivered a bilingual acceptance speech, noting the cross-cultural appeal that defined the track’s success.
The event took on a political tone as several winners used the platform to address immigration. Shaboozey, who won for country duo/group performance alongside Jelly Roll, spoke emotionally about his mother’s legacy as an immigrant nurse. “Immigrants built this country, literally, actually. So, this for them,” he said. R&B winner Kehlani and songwriter of the year Amy Allen also voiced strong opposition to current immigration enforcement policies, with Kehlani stating, “I’ve never won anything before, this is a really crazy feeling,” before voicing her stance against ICE.
The atmosphere marked a return to musical celebration following the 2025 ceremony, which was dedicated to wildfire relief. Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason jr. noted the shift in energy during his opening remarks, stating, “That’s a statement. That’s joy. That’s resilience.”
