2026 Grammys: Impact, Influence, and Inspiration

Graphic by Téa Sklar

No matter how long they have been in the industry, each 2026 Grammy winner, nominee, and performer who took the stage influenced the audience and shaped the future of the Grammy’s in some way. The awards did not just signify success in one’s career, but also represented progress in the music industry–showcasing more diverse winners and creating more hope for young aspiring artists.

“Voices that we don’t usually see get a spotlight, they finally did,” Syracuse University Senior Kennerly Klinger said.

The Grammy’s this year were held on February 1, and consisted of a plethora of career-defining performances and influential speeches. While a smaller category, the Best New Artist winner is the most impactful for the winners, Professor of Practice at the Setner School of Music Andy Gershon said.

“How much bigger can Billie Eilish get or Lady Gaga? The ones that really win are the ones like Olivia Dean for best new artist, or Lola Young–clearly a winner. So I think from that standpoint, some of the smaller categories or less important categories are where you find value in terms of how it can help a career,” Gershon said.

In terms of moving careers forward, Gershon said the most important part of the show are the performances–such as Lauryn Hill’s memorial tribute to Roberta Flack, or Justin Bieber’s vulnerable performance. While both of these artists have achieved plenty of success during their careers, audiences will not forget these performances.

Young aspiring musicians watching the Grammy’s can take a valuable lesson away from each winner–whether it be in the Best New Artist or Album of the Year.

“They’re all inspirations for young artists in terms of being patient in terms of fortitude. That’s a lot of it. You have to stay in the game long enough to get your opportunity,” Gershon said.

While the winners of the show are inspiring to all, this year we saw an emergence of women in the field of pop music. Gershon, as an industry professional who worked with legends such as The Smashing Pumpkins, Cindy Lauper, The White Stripes, Dave Chappelle, and was even nominated for a Grammy himself for best soundtrack on the movie “I am Sam”, highlighted that women have not been taken seriously as pop artists in the past.

Along with women getting more recognition, more people of color were nominees and winners this year as well. This is Bad Bunny’s first time being nominated in one of the major American categories, despite being popular since 2020.

“He was one of the biggest international streaming artists on Spotify. So to a certain degree, it’s a great reflection, but it took the Grammy’s six years before they got to a point where they could acknowledge Bad Bunny,” Gershon said.

Klinger described Bad Bunny’s win as political in itself in the context of today’s society, even disregarding his winning speech.

This year’s show was less about the music, Klinger said, and more about a celebration of diversity–specifically honoring people who are being impacted by ICE raids.

Almost every artist who won mentioned their distaste for ICE in their speeches, making a statement of how it is affecting people and families in this country.

“I think Olivia Dean winning was very inspiring and powerful for a lot of young people, especially [because] she mentioned that her mom was an immigrant,” Klinger said.

As a music industry minor who wants to work in the industry, Klinger said she hopes that artists will continue to be outspoken in their opinions–whether it be on the Grammy’s stage, on social media, or in their music.

Gershon says he thinks artists are obligated to recognize and bring to light injustices in society.

“One of the roles of the arts is to reflect society’s injustices and try to correct injustices whenever and wherever they see it,” Gershon said.