The 2026 Grammys finally gave Billie Eilish her flowers and a platform to speak out after the talented young artist went home empty-handed in 2025.
On Sunday, Feb. 1, Eilish’s “Wildflower” won Song of the Year, marking the artist’s third time winning that particular award. In this category, “Wildflower” was up against “Abracadabra” by Lady Gaga, “Anxiety” by Doechii, “APT.” by ROSÉ and Bruno Mars, “DtMF” by Bad Bunny, “Golden [From KPop Demon Hunters]” by HUNTR/X, “Luther” by Kendrick Lamar and SZA and “Manchild” by Sabrina Carpenter.
“Wildflower” was originally released as part of Eilish’s 2024 album “Hit Me Hard and Soft.” The melancholic ballad became a single in 2025, reaching No. 4 at its peak on Billboard’s weekly chart.
Eilish accepted her Grammy alongside her brother and collaborator Finneas O’Connell. The pair sported “ICE Out” pins while Eilish used her time on stage to speak out against ongoing deportations facilitated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and ICE’s treatment of immigrants. In her acceptance speech, Eilish said, “I feel like we just need to keep fighting and speaking up and protesting, and our voices really do matter and the people matter, and f— ICE is all I want to say.”
Eilish’s speech received lots of attention on the internet, both positive and negative.
O’Connell took to Threads to show support for his sister’s speech. “Seeing a lot of very powerful old white men outraged about what my 24-year-old sister said during her acceptance speech,” O’Connell said. “We can literally see you in the Epstein files.”
This is not the first time Eilish has used her platform to speak up on cultural or political issues, as the singer called out billionaires just a few months ago. When Eilish spoke at the Wall Street Journal Innovator Awards in late 2025, she said “If you’re a billionaire, why are you a billionaire? No hate, but yeah, give your money away, shorties.”
Besides Eilish, other artists have been using their platform to speak up on political issues. Fellow 2026 Grammy winner Bad Bunny also used his acceptance speech to speak out against ICE and advocate for immigrants. Much like Eilish, Bad Bunny made a point of using his time on stage for advocacy, rather than focusing solely on the award itself.
“Before I say thanks to God, I’m going to say, ‘ICE out,’” Bad Bunny said.
Other artists, such as Olivia Rodrigo and Ariana Grande, have taken to social media to speak on ICE.
On her Instagram Stories, Rodrigo said “ICE’s actions are unconscionable but we are not powerless. Our actions matter. I stand with Minnesota.” Meanwhile, Grande used her platform to post links to resources in support of Minnesota.
As shown on stage and on social media, Eilish and many of her fellow singers are very outspoken advocates for their beliefs. Despite backlash, these artists continue to speak up on issues they care about, placing the joy of music side-by-side with broader world issues.
Kaitlyn Saperstein can be reached at [email protected].
