The 68th Grammy Awards, held Sunday at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, were marked by both musical accolades and political statements. The ceremony saw Billie Eilish's "Wildflower" win Song of the Year, Kendrick Lamar and SZA's "Luther" take Record of the Year, Olivia Dean named Best New Artist, and Bad Bunny's "DeBI TiRAR MaS FOToS" awarded Album of the Year, according to ABC News. However, the event also became a platform for protests against the Trump administration's immigration policies and drew criticism from China over an award given to the Dalai Lama.
Several artists, including Billie Eilish, used their time on stage to voice opposition to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Eilish, upon accepting her award, declared, "No one is illegal on stolen land," and added, "I feel really hopeful in this room, and I feel like we need to keep fighting and speaking up and protesting. Our voices really do matter, and the people matter. And f--- ICE, that's all I'm gonna say." Fox News reported on the celebrities using the platform to condemn ICE.
The Dalai Lama's win in the audiobook category for "Meditations: The Reflections of His Holiness the Dalai Lama" sparked a sharp response from Beijing. A Chinese foreign ministry spokesman, Lin Jian, stated, "We firmly oppose relevant parties using art awards as a tool for anti-China political manipulation, and this position is consistent," according to the BBC. The Dalai Lama, who has lived in exile since 1959, accepted the award with "gratitude and humility."
Adding to the controversies, former President Donald Trump threatened to sue comedian Trevor Noah over a joke made during the Grammy Awards. Noah, who hosted the event, quipped, "Song of the Year - that is a Grammy that every artist wants almost as much as Trump wants Greenland, which makes sense because Epstein's island is gone, he needs a new one to hang out with Bill Clinton." The BBC reported that Trump, who was known to be an associate of Jeffrey Epstein, claims he had no knowledge of Epstein's crimes and that they fell out around 2004.
The awards also come amidst a broader reshaping of Washington landmarks under the Trump administration. According to Fox News, the Trump Kennedy Center will close later this year for a two-year renovation following a year-long review involving contractors, arts experts, and other advisors.
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