Trevor Noah at The 67th Annual Grammy Awards. Photo: Sonja Flemming/CBS via Getty Images
Celebrity A-listers took not-so-subtle jabs at President Trump‘s controversial policies during the 67th annual Grammy Awards Sunday night.
Why it matters: The Grammys marked the first award show to air since Trump’s inauguration last month, and the first since deadly wildfires upended life in the Los Angeles area.
- The performance-packed show was produced to honor California’s first responders and raise money for fire relief efforts.
- While the mood throughout the night was mostly energetic and festive, a few speakers took aim at Trump’s policies.
Zoom in: “There’s been a few changes in Washington. So I’m gonna enjoy tonight because this may be my last time I get to host anything in this country,” South African comedian and Grammy host Trevor Noah told an audience of thousands at the Crypto.com Arena in downtown Los Angeles.
- He later joked that the Recording Academy cast votes from “13,000 members” and “20 million illegal immigrants.”
- Shakira, who performed Sunday night, dedicated her Grammy win for best Latin pop album “to all my immigrant brothers and sisters in this country.”
Other artists expressed support for LGTBQ+ rights and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives — a frequent Trump target — in their speeches.
- “It’s such an honor to sing for all of you. I just want to say tonight that trans people are not invisible,” Lady Gaga said in her acceptance speech for best pop duo/group performance. “Trans people deserve love. The queer community deserves to be lifted up.”
- “This is not the time to shut down a diversity of voices,” said Alicia Keys, while accepting a global impact award. “We’ve seen on this stage talented, hard-working people from different backgrounds with different points of view, and it changes the game. DEI is not a threat — it’s a gift.”
Representatives for Trump did not immediately respond to Axios’ request for comment on Sunday,
The big picture: Award shows became overwhelmingly political during the pandemic era, isolating some viewers.