Musicians and other celebrities took the stage on Sunday night at the 68th annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, California. The event is traditionally hailed as “music’s biggest night,” honoring the year’s top musicians. As was the case at last month’s Golden Globe Awards, celebrities criticized Immigration and Customs Enforcement, illegal immigration enforcement operations, and President Donald Trump.
Former The Daily Show host and comedian Trevor Noah hosted the event for the sixth and final time. He took several jabs at Trump during the evening, including an unflattering impersonation of the president. Noah also took shots at hip-hop artist Nicki Minaj for being an ally of Trump’s and appearing with him at the White House last week.
“Nicki Minaj is not here,” Noah said. “She is still at the White House with Donald Trump discussing very important issues.”
Other celebrities made comments critical of illegal immigration enforcement operations, including the musician Bad Bunny, who won “album of the year” and is the headline performer at the Super Bowl 60 halftime show next Sunday.
“Before I say thanks to God, I’m going to say, ‘ICE out,’” Bad Bunny said during his acceptance speech for best música urbana album. “We’re not savage. We’re not animals. We’re not aliens. We are humans, and we are Americans.”
Singer Olivia Dean echoed Bad Bunny’s sentiments, citing her immigrant lineage in a rebuke of illegal immigration enforcement operations.
“I’m up here as a granddaughter of an immigrant,” Dean said during her acceptance speech for Best New Artist. “I wouldn’t be here – I’m a product of bravery, and I think those people need to be celebrated. So ya, we’re nothing without each other.”
Singer Billie Eilish also made comments critical of illegal immigration enforcement after winning an award.
“No one is illegal on stolen land,” Eilish said. “It’s just really hard to know what to say and what to do right now, and I just, I feel really hopeful in this room.”
“And I feel like we just need to keep fighting and speaking up and protesting and our voices really do matter, and the people matter,” she added.
Eilish and her brother, Finneas, also wore pins that read “ICE OUT.” They were joined by other celebrities wearing the pins to voice their objections to ICE, including Justin Bieber, Samara Joy, Kehlani, Lachi, Carole King, Joni Mitchell, and Teddy Swims also wore the pins.
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Justin Vernon, lead singer of the band Bon Iver, wore an orange whistle pinned to his lapel in honor of the “observers in Minneapolis.”
“The whistle is to honor all the observers in Minneapolis,” Vernon said when asked about it by Rolling Stone. “Family and friends, they’ve been out in the street in thirty below weather, using these whistles to make noise to alert them to ICE agents. And the danger is even more real than they’re saying in the news.”
“They’re saying it’s dangerous, but it’s so real out there, and this is to honor those people that are putting their own lives on the line to protect the people in their community, which is more real than anything,” he added.