Bad Bunny used his acceptance speech at the 2026 Grammys as an opportunity to speak out against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
“Before I say thanks to God, I’m gonna say ICE out,” the Puerto Rican singer, 31, said as he accepted the award for Best Música Urbana Album for Debí Tirar Más Fotos at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Sunday, February 1. “We’re not savage, we’re not animals, we’re not aliens. We are humans and we are Americans.”
Bad Bunny (real name Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio) continued, “I want to say to people, I know it’s tough not to hate in these days, and I was thinking we get contaminados — I don’t know how to say that in English.” (The English translation of “contaminados” is “contaminated.”)
“The hate gets more powerful with more hate,” he added. “The only thing that is more powerful than hate is love. So, please, we need 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.”
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Bad Bunny concluded, “Thank you God, and thank you to the Academy.”
The rapper also took home the award for Best Global Music Performance for “EoO.”
Bad Bunny was also nominated for Best Album Cover, Song of the Year and Record of the Year for “DtMF” and Album of the Year for Debí Tirar Más Fotos. His Best Música Urbana win marks his third time winning the award.
Bad Bunny’s acceptance speech comes one week before he’s set to perform the halftime show at the 2026 Super Bowl, which is reportedly expected to have an ICE presence.
The National Football League announced in September 2025 that the “Tití Me Preguntó” singer would be taking the stage at the big game on February 8, which will see the Seattle Seahawks face off against the New England Patriots.
Bad Bunny said in a statement at the time, “What I’m feeling goes beyond myself,” Bad Bunny said in a statement. “It’s for those who came before me and ran countless yards so I could come in and score a touchdown … this is for my people, my culture and our history. Ve y dile a tu abuela, que seremos el HALFTIME SHOW DEL SUPER BOWL.”
The NFL’s decision to pick Bad Bunny as the halftime show performer caused a wave of backlash among conservative politicians and public figures, including Homeland Security Secretary and former South Dakota governor Kristi Noem, who promised to send ICE agents to the game.
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“There will be ICE enforcement at the Super Bowl. There will be, because the Department of Homeland Security is responsible for keeping it safe, so I have the responsibility for making sure everybody who goes to the Super Bowl has the opportunity to enjoy it and to leave, and that’s what America is about,” Noem, 53, told right-wing podcast host Benny Johnson.
She continued, “We’ll be all over that place … We’re going to enforce the law. So I think people should not be coming to the Super Bowl unless they’re law-abiding Americans who love this country.”
Bad Bunny was quick to address the backlash during his Saturday Night Live hosting gig in October 2025.
“You may not know this but I’m doing the Super Bowl Halftime Show. I’m very happy and I think everyone is very happy about it! Even Fox News,” he joked. “Really, I’m very excited to be doing the Super Bowl and I know people all around the world who love my music are also happy.”
