The 68th Grammys and a lesson in celebrity activism
The 68th Grammy Awards celebrated a past year in music and culture. Justin Bieber’s underwear serenade, Katseye’s Grammy debut, and an electric performance of “APT” by Bruno Mars and Rosé were among the night’s key highlights. Meanwhile, Chappell Roan took over fashion headlines with her daring, topless red-carpet look. On the award side of things, notable winners include Kendrick Lamar, who now has 27 Grammy wins, Bad Bunny, who won album of the year for “Debí Tirar Más Fotos,” and Olivia Dean, who snagged the best new artist honors.
But beyond song, dance, and the night’s best dressed, several artists also used the 68th Grammy Awards as a platform to speak out against the Trump administration’s mass deportation campaign—more specifically, the unjust killings and arrests conducted by the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
The icing on the cake
Following the recent killing of 37-year-old nurse Alex Pretti, the illegal detainment of 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos, and several other arrests and deportations, including that of a 70-year-old Filipina woman, notable celebrities such as Billie Eilish, Finneas, and Kehlani wore “Ice Out” pins on the Grammy red carpet.
The pins were first worn on the 2026 Golden Globes red carpet, and are part of the “Be Good-Ice Out” campaign led by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).
Bad Bunny took it a step further in his acceptance speech. “Before I say thanks to God, I gotta say: ‘Ice Out,’” he says. “We’re not savage. We’re not animals. We’re not aliens. We are humans, and we are Americans.”
“The hate gets more powerful with more hate. The only thing that is more powerful than hate is love,” he continues. “We need to be different. If we fight, we have to do it with love. We don’t hate them, we love our people, we love our family, and that’s the way to do it. That’s the way to do it. With love.”
Billie Eilish joined Bad Bunny by also echoing a similar sentiment, saying, “No one is illegal on stolen land,” during her acceptance speech for her Song of the Year win.
A question on celebrity activism
Celebrity activism has always been characterized by a careful, but often lopsided, balancing act—damned if you do, damned if you don’t.
Taylor Swift, who has spoken out on gender rights, voter registration, artists’ rights, and racial equality, among others, received criticism for keeping silent on the war in Gaza. Meanwhile, Emma Stone, at the 2018 Oscars, criticized the lack of female representation in the best director nominees, calling it “four men and Greta Gerwig.” The attempt ultimately fell flat, with onlookers pointing out how the statement dismisses the racial representation that the selection does uphold.
More locally, Kathryn Bernardo‘s Most Influential Celebrity honors at the 11th EdukCircle awards were met with similar criticism, with various netizens pointing out a lack of action on government corruption. Bernardo’s family was present during the September Trillion Peso March. She’s also a known animal welfare activist.
The necessity for celebrity activism hinges on the massive platforms of celebrities. Essentially, bigger follow counts and vocalized advocacies equal increased awareness and change.
But, although it can prove effective, such as when Swift encouraged her fans to vote via an Instagram story, which led to over 35,000 voter registrations in a single day—more often than not, these are but empty words that appease a crowd that’s more interested in optics than genuine change.
Just look at the recent Grammy acceptance speeches. No shade to Billie Eilish, but right as she’s going through her speech, the camera cuts to a few celebrities in feathers and jewelry. Who is she really talking to? What good will talking to a crowd that would never understand the reality on the ground do?
But hey, at least they got that snide remark off.
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