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The 2026 Grammy Awards wasn't just a celebration of hits — it also brought the hits all night.
Some of the biggest artists on the planet took the stage to perform, including Sabrina Carpenter, Lady Gaga and Justin Bieber — while even more superstars were honored with trophies or performed in the In Memoriam tributes. And all the while, Trevor Noah kept the jokes landing, the audience energy was high and Cher continued to demonstrate why she istheicon, even while delivering one of the more memorable bloopers in recent awards show history.
Read on for some of the highest highs, most full-body cringes and silly asides we'll still be talking about all day Monday: The best, worst and most oops moments of the Grammys.
Oops, Is This a Recession Indicator? Girl Group Dressing Is Back
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Get Tina Knowles on the phone, because we're reentering the era of girl groups in coordinating attire at big awards shows,à laDestiny's Child at the height of their powers. Katseye sported coordinating Georges Hobeika, whileHaim wore matching Louis VuittonandFlo wore three-of-a-kind cobalt get-ups. EvenMalice, Pusha T and Pharrell Williams all wore stylish pink velour suitsfor their walk together down the red carpet; could they be considering their own supergroup?
Best Way to Bring the Energy: Rosé and Bruno Mars
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Though (at least in my house) it seems "APT." has never gone off rotation, the two musicians made it feel brand-new with this revved-up version of their super-smash song. So nowthisversion will be the one on constant rotation.
Oops, She's a Meme Machine: Chrissy Teigen Does It Again
Not content to be only the go-to "yikes" reaction from a previous awards show appearance,Chrissy Teigen delivered a cheerful thumbs up to Trevor Noah's quip about Nicki Minaj's no-show— and added yet another gif to our arsenal.
Best Slutty Little Glasses: Kendrick Lamar
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By now, it seems almost a given that we're going to catch at least one hot guy wearing one adorable pair of spectacles at every major event. We hadAndrew Garfield, thenJonathan Bailey, and tonight, Kendrick Lamar made our own glasses fog up.
Oops, Is That My Hat?
When Jamie Foxx showed up wearing a version ofthe sculptural chapeau that was once Pharrell Williams' signature, we had to wonder what Pharrell was thinking from the row behind him. Maybe, "Hmm, was I blocking everyone else's view for all those years?"
Best Cute Conveyor Belt: Sabrina Carpenter
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"Manchild" is fun enough on its own — but Sabrina Carpenter keeps topping herself by performing it on increasingly inventive sets. Tonight's interactive airport gave us some ideas for how to pass the time on our next flight delay.
Best New Artists: The Best New Artists
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All eight nominees for Best New Artist (The Marias, Addison Rae, Katseye, Lola Young, Alex Warren and, pictured above from left, Sombr, Leon Thomas and Olivia Dean) got a moment to shine and show off just why they earned their nomination. Though Dean walked home with a trophy, all of the performances were winners.
Oops: Alex Warren's Earpiece Issues
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Of course, while the medley was a success, Alex Warren still looked visibly disappointed to have experienced sound issues that caused him to be singing out of sync with the chorus towards the beginning of "Ordinary." At least he still got to ascend at the end!
Worst Timing: The CBS Censors
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From silencing long stretches of "Manchild" despite the fact that Sabrina Carpenter was self-censoring, to completely missing the actual F-bomb in Lola Young's acceptance speech, whoever was manning the "bleep" button clearly didn't limber up ahead of time.
Loudest Audience Reaction: Bad Bunny's Speech
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Many artists took their moment onstage to acknowledge the tense political moment to cheers from the crowd, butthe standing ovation was deafening for Puerto Rican artist Bad Bunny,whose upcoming appearance at the Super Bowl has earned backlash in conservative media.
"Before I say thanks to God, I'm gonna say ICE out. We're not savage, we're not animals, we're not aliens—we are humans, and we are Americans. Also, I wanna say to the people: I know it's tough not to hate these days, and I was thinking sometimes we getcontaminado. I don't know how to say that in English. The only thing that is more powerful than hate is love. We have 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—with love. Don't forget that, please. Thank you. Thank you, God, and thank you to the Grammys," he said.
Worst Night to Try to Get to Sleep Early
Lady Gaga was back in fine form for her performance of "Abracadabra," which is to say, she was just as theatrical and unsettling as she ever has been. From under what one editor described as a Pier 1 (RIP) lampshade she sang directly into our souls ... and guaranteed we'll be seeing this picture when we close our eyes tonight.
Oops, Over Here! Justin Bieber
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No shirt, no shoes, no problem — we embraced this raw, stripped-down version of Justin Bieber's "Yukon." But for whatever reason, the camera seemed unable to capture an angle of the performance that wasn't either right up his nose or directly of his back.
Most Fun One Can Have Onstage: Tyler, the Creator
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Spanning multiple eras,getting a lecture from Regina Kingand putting himself through some serious onscreen pummeling, Tyler, the Creator's performance was artistic, humorous and had something for everyone.
Most Fun One Can Have, Period: Jelly Roll
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Meanwhile, nobody was happier to be in the room than Jelly Roll, who had a PDA-packed date night with wife Bunnie Xo, rejoiced in his three Grammy wins and was the most in-demand star for celebrities to snap selfies with, posing with everyone from Miley Cyrus to Pharrell Williams to Yungblud.
"I'm late to the carpet because it took me about 30 minutes to emotionally regulate," the musician said of his excitement for the evening onE!ahead of the show. "I haven't cried like that in a long time, happy tears. Just a cathartic cry."
The Best In Memoriam ... Ever?
FirstReba McEntire performed a touching tribute to music industry figures we have lost (including her own stepson, Brandon Blackstock)to the tune of her song "Trailblazer." ThenPost Malone led a team of rockers in an homage to Ozzy Osbourne while the late star's family sobbed in the audience. And finally,Lauryn Hill and pretty much everyone else famous in the room took the stagefor a spectacular medley of R&B hits that included songs from the late D'Angelo and Roberta Flack, finishing up with the Fugees' version of "Killing Me Softly," ending with one of the most amped-up crowds at an In Memoriam we've ever seen. The PEOPLE staff has sat through countless awards show memorial tributes at this point, and we all agreed: This one set a standard.
Oops ... If Only She Could Turn Back Time: Cher's Presenter Blunders
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Cher was onstage to present Record of the Year, but after Trevor Noah handed her a Lifetime Achievement Award while she was up there, she took a brief detour to deliver some motivational words reflecting on her own career ups and downs. Then she sauntered away, before Noah called her back to remind her why she was up there in the first place.
She read off the nominees, then paused for a moment ... before realizing the answer would be in her envelope, not on the teleprompter.
For the third act, she read off the name "Luther Vandross" — the artist sampled in Kendrick Lamar and SZA's "Luther," the Record of the Year winner — before giggling through her flubs and mouthing "I'm so sorry."
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