Dalai Lama wins first Grammy; K-pop makes history as Steven Spielberg joins EGOT club

The 68th annual Grammy Awards got off to a historic start on February 1, with a series of firsts at the Premiere Ceremony, including debut wins for the Dalai Lama and K-pop, and filmmaker Steven Spielberg achieving coveted EGOT status.

The Dalai Lama won his first Grammy in the audiobook, narration and storytelling recording category, surpassing nominees including US Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson. Singer Rufus Wainwright, who participated in the project, acknowledged the moment with humour during the acceptance speech.

In another milestone, “Golden” from KPop Demon Hunters won song written for visual media, marking the first-ever Grammy win for a K-pop act. The songwriters delivered their acceptance speech in both English and Korean, underscoring its bilingual appeal.

The award for music film went to Music for John Williams, earning Spielberg his first Grammy and completing his EGOT, an elite status for artists who have won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony.

The Premiere Ceremony, held at the Peacock Theater ahead of the televised broadcast, was hosted by Darren Criss and featured the presentation of most of the 86 awards handed out before the main show. The first award of the day, best pop duo/group performance went to Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande for Defying Gravity, though neither was present to accept it.

Several artists claimed their first Grammy wins. British musician Yungblud won best rock performance for his live cover of Black Sabbath’s Changes, recorded during Ozzy Osbourne’s final show. Hardcore band Turnstile won best rock album and later best metal performance, with frontman Brendan Yates thanking their hometown of Baltimore.

FKA twigs won her first Grammy for best dance/electronic album (EUSEXUA), becoming only the second Black woman to win in the category. Rapper Lefty Gunplay also secured his first Grammy for rap performance for his role in Kendrick Lamar’s TV Off.
In the Latin categories, Natalia Lafourcade won best Latin pop album, while CA7RIEL & Paco Amoroso took home best Latin rock or alternative album on their first nomination. Carín León won best Música Mexicana album, marking his second Grammy win.

The Cure won alternative music performance, but were absent due to the funeral of longtime band member Perry Archangelo Bamonte, who passed away last month.

Artists also used the platform to voice political messages. Country duo Shaboozey and Jelly Roll, first-time winners for country duo/group performance, delivered pro-immigration remarks during their acceptance speech. Several artists, including Amy Allen and Kehlani, wore anti-ICE symbols, while Gloria Estefan expressed concern over the US immigration situation backstage.

The ceremony opened with a high-energy performance by Earth, Wind & Fire, joined by several guest artists. Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. described the opening as a statement of “joy and resilience.”

The main televised ceremony at the Crypto.com Arena will be hosted by Trevor Noah for the sixth and final time. Leading the nominations is Kendrick Lamar with nine nods, followed by Lady Gaga, Jack Antonoff and Cirkut with seven each.