Editor’s Note: Grace Chaves is a third-year multimedia journalism major and co-editor-in-chief of The Point. The opinions expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of The Point.
The Grammy Awards are the biggest night in music. This year, 14.4 million people tuned in from all over the world to watch their favorite artists accept those iconic gramophone-shaped awards.
The 2026 show was full of surprises. Sabrina Carpenter and Chappell Roan lost “Best Pop Solo Performance” to Lola Young, and the fictional band Huntr/x from “KPop Demon Hunters” made history with their song “Golden,” becoming the first K-pop song to win a Grammy. But perhaps my favorite surprise was Bad Bunny (Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio) winning “Album of the Year.”
Bad Bunny’s record “Debí Tirar Más Fotos” is the first Spanish-language album to win this award, causing Martínez Ocasio to tear up as everyone’s attention turned to him.
“Thank you, Mom, for giving birth to me in Puerto Rico. I love you,” Martínez Ocasio said. “I want to dedicate this award to all the people who had to leave their homeland to follow their dreams — to all the people who have lost a loved one and, even so, have had to move forward with a lot of strength. This award is for you.”
While Bad Bunny’s “Album of the Year” win was a surprise to me, it also felt fitting for the underlying theme of the Grammys this year. Many musicians walked the red carpet with “ICE OUT” pins on their clothes, and most winners expressed the nation’s need for unity.
“I’m up here as the granddaughter of an immigrant,” Olivia Dean said during her “Best New Artist” acceptance speech. “I’m a product of bravery.”
Micaela Gates, a fourth-year environmental studies major at Point Loma Nazarene University with a Spanish certificate, said they believe celebrities have a responsibility to be vocal about social issues.
“I think it’s really cool that a lot more people are speaking out, but I also think this should have been happening [sooner],” Gates said. “I think the people with more prestige, with more privilege, definitely should have a higher responsibility to … use the resources they have to help support communities.”
Gates said that Bad Bunny’s win is well deserved, especially in light of the controversies surrounding immigration.
“[Bad Bunny] winning right now is a really clear sign, especially in the United States, that Latino culture and Latinos themselves are valued and have value [even] when we have a government that is trying to tell us that they don’t,” Gates said.
Following the announcement that Bad Bunny would be performing at the Super Bowl LX halftime show, many Conservatives responded with backlash, including Kid Rock, who performed at Turning Point USA’s alternative halftime show.
“[Bad Bunny] said he’s having a dance party, wearing a dress, and singing in Spanish? Cool,” Rock said, according to Fox News. “We plan to play great songs for folks who love America.”
However, Scott Bennett, PLNU professor of Spanish, said that Bad Bunny’s music is important for everyone to listen to.
“If you learn some of the lyrics, he talks about tradition and culture, but he also talks about social issues, injustices [and] politics,” Bennett said. “It’s very direct. It’s very in your face. But isn’t that what art’s for? … He’s honest in the sense that he brings out those themes or topics, but it’s also done with cariño, like affection, love.”
Bennett believes that Bad Bunny’s Grammy win is the result of a rise in the popularity of Spanish-language music and a testament to his talent.
“The world and the music industry can’t deny how attractive and how catchy and how authentic this album was,” Bennett said.
Perhaps this “Album of the Year” award and Bad Bunny’s upcoming Super Bowl performance are exactly what America needs right now. In a time of political unrest, this artist is standing up for what he believes in and isn’t shying away from difficult topics.
