After months of buildup, the 2026 Grammy for album of the year was finally awarded Sunday (Feb. 1) to Bad Bunny for Debí Tirar Más Fotos — and he used his speech to pay homage to his roots while giving a message of strength to all who’ve had similar experiences.
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In the moments after presenter Harry Styles read off his name, the Puerto Rican superstar needed several seconds to collect himself, covering his eyes with his hand as he stayed seated, visibly emotional, before making his way to the stage. After taking the golden gramophone from the British pop star, Benito delivered an emotional acceptance speech, mostly in Spanish, save for one sentence: “I want to dedicate this award to all the people who had to leave their homeland, their country, to follow their dreams.”
In his native language, the impassioned hitmaker declared, “Puerto Rico, I told you: We are much bigger than 100 by 35 [miles], and there’s nothing we can’t accomplish.”
“Thank God, thank you to the academy, thank you to the people who have believed in me throughout my entire career,” he continued in Spanish. “To everyone who worked on this album. Thank you, Mom, for giving birth to me in Puerto Rico. I love you … To all the people who have lost a loved one and have still moved forward with strength, with so much love, this is for you.”
Though Bunny was visibly at his most emotional while accepting album of the year, it wasn’t the only trophy he took home Sunday night. The star — who will headline the 2026 Super Bowl Halftime Show exactly one week after the Grammys — also won best música urbana album for DTMF and best global music performance for “EOO.” Going into the ceremony, he was nominated for a total of six Grammys, tying with Sabrina Carpenter, Leon Thomas and engineer Serban Ghenea for third-most overall.
Bunny’s win in the category with a fully Spanish language album comes at a crucial time in American politics for the Latin American community. When the musician was announced as this year’s Super Bowl performer in September, a wave of backlash from MAGA Republicans ensued, with Turning Point USA advertising an alternate halftime show featuring “anything in English” for entertainment shortly afterward. Elsewhere, immigrant communities across the country have been targeted by ICE, with outrage reaching a high point in January after agents shot and killed civilians on two separate occasions in Minnesota — both of which the Donald Trump administration claimed were the result of officers acting in self-defense, though many Americans think footage taken by eyewitnesses prove otherwise.
When accepting best música urbana album earlier in the night, Bunny made his stance on the matter clear. “Before I say thanks to God, I’m gonna say: ‘ICE out!’” he said on stage. “We’re not savages, we’re not animals, we are not aliens, we are humans, and we are Americans … The only thing that is more powerful than hate is love.”
The album of the year category was particularly stacked in 2026, with Benito beating out Justin Bieber’s Swag, Sabrina Carpenter’s Man’s Best Friend, Clipse’s Let God Sort Em Out, Lady Gaga’s MAYHEM, Kendrick Lamar’s GNX, Leon Thomas’ Mutt and Tyler, the Creator’s Chromakopia. It marks Bunny’s seventh Grammy win to date, taking home best música urbana album for Nadie Sabe Lo Que Va A Pasar Mañana, Un Verano Sin Ti and El Último Tour Del Mundo in previous years, as well as best Latin pop or urban album for YHLQMDLG in 2021.
The win also reflects Bunny’s success on the Billboard charts this past year. Debi Tirar Mas Fotos spent a full month atop the Billboard 200, while single “DTMF” reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Hosted again by Trevor Noah, this year’s Grammys took place at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. Reigning 2025 song and record of the year winner Kendrick Lamar went into the ceremony with the most nominations of any artist that night at nine total; Lady Gaga, Jack Antonoff and Cirkut followed closely behind with seven apiece.
