Post Malone, Slash, Andrew Watt, Chad Smith, And Duff Smashed A Tribute Cover Of Black Sabbath's "War Pigs" At Last Night's Grammy Awards, Olivia Dean Took Home "Best New Artist", And Bad Bunny Took Home The Night's Top Honor For Album Of The Year

CBS Photo Archive. Getty Images.

The Grammys happened last night. If you missed them, congrats on your peaceful evening, I watched so you don’t have to. I also know half of you didn’t watch, and the other half hate-watched like it’s cardio.

That Black Sabbath “War Pigs” tribute was the best part of the night, and it wasn’t close. Because for once, the show stopped trying to be a social studies class and remembered it’s supposed to be about the actual fucking music- played by humans, with sweat in it. 

Post Malone fronted it with Slash, Duff McKagan, Chad Smith, and Andrew Watt felt like somebody finally grabbed the wheel and said "this is how its done".

There was (thankfully) no overthought staging gimmick needed, no contrived “aren’t we wild?” energy. Just that doom march riff hitting the room like a steel door slamming shut.

And “War Pigs” is one of those songs where you can’t fake it. The tempo is a stomp, the pocket is unforgiving, and if the drummer isn’t laying that down with actual weight, it turns into cosplay immediately.

Slash did what Slash does, that tone that sounds like it’s been marinated in cigarette smoke and arena air for 40 years, cutting through without turning fizzy. The mix was punchy too, which matters on TV, you could actually feel the kick and the guitars didn’t turn into a blurry wall. I have a Sonos setup I was listening to the show on, and I was noticeably impressed by how good and clean the sound was.

And Post Malone, man, I don’t even care what any of the haters think about him as a “rock guy,” because he sang it like he respected it. 

He didn’t try to out-Ozzy Ozzy. 

And he didn’t wink at it. He just stayed in the lane and let the song do the heavy lifting, which is the only correct way to touch that catalog. It came off like a proper tribute. 

The only better choice to honor the late Prince of Darkness would have been Mr. Teddy Penderazdoun himself - 

You could tell the people in the room felt it too, because that’s the kind of performance where even the industry robots stop smiling for the camera and start nodding like, yeah, ok, this is actually happening.

That was the only time all night the Grammys felt dangerous in a good way. To be honest, the rest of the night was kind of a snoozefest.

The big headline is Bad Bunny winning Album of the Year for DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS, the first non-English album to ever take the big one. I’m not a fan, like at all, but I can still admit it was a real moment. 

He covered his face and cried in his seat, then got up there and dedicated it to people who had to leave their homeland to chase a dream. That landed because it actually sounded like a human being speaking from experience.

Record of the Year went to Kendrick Lamar and SZA for “Luther,” and the show immediately created an all-time awkward moment because Cher announced “Luther Vandross” by mistake. It was funny for about five seconds, then it was not, because the real story is they put an 80-year-old legend who clearly has lost her fastball in a teleprompter situation that can make anyone look lost and then just let it happen on live TV. That’s not “quirky,” that’s embarrassing her for content.

Song of the Year went to Billie Eilish for “Wildflower,” with Finneas up there too, and she made sure her speech didn’t stay polite.

The best win of the night for me was Olivia Dean taking Best New Artist.

That one made me genuinely happy. Like, ok sit up on the couch, actually pay attention, not just scroll and half-listen happy.

Because this girl is the real deal. 

She’s my favorite thing to come along in music in a long time, probably since Adele, and I don’t say that lightly. 

The last time I felt this way about a “new” artist, it was because the voice, the taste, and the song choices all lined up in a way that felt inevitable.

And it’s for all the right reasons. Not because she’s got the loudest marketing plan, or the most “viral” hook engineered in a lab, or because the internet decided it’s her turn.

It's because she has real, actual talent. In spades. And it’s because when she sings, it sounds like she means it. There’s restraint. There’s soul. There’s this calm confidence that doesn’t beg you for approval. She doesn’t over sing, and she doesn’t do the Olympic gymnastics thing just to prove she can.

She feels like an actual artist, not a content machine. Her songwriting is fucking amazing. I think this girl is going to be major, major. 

Jelly Roll walked out of the 2026 Grammys with multiple wins- Best Contemporary Country Album for Beautifully Broken, Best Country Duo/Group Performance for “Amen” with Shaboozey, and Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song for “Hard Fought Hallelujah” with Brandon Lake. 

As for the night's performance highlights- Rosé and Bruno Mars opened with “APT.” which was the right call because it woke everybody up fast.

Sabrina Carpenter did “Manchild” with the airport/pilot thing, very her, very polished. 

Justin Bieber came out for “Yukon” basically solo with a looper, in his boxers, which is either unhinged or iconic depending on your mood. Personally, I loved his two Swag albums, loved this song, and loved this performance. 

Lady Gaga performed her annual satanic ritual to “Abracadabra,” while acting and dressing weird for the sake of being weird- 

then won pop vocal album of the year. 

Tyler, the Creator did a medley that was pure spectacle. And the in memoriam stretch was the most “music-first” part of the whole night:

Bruno Mars came BACK out to do his new hit single "I Just Might", and crushed as always - 

Reba McEntire perforemd with Brandy Clark and Lukas Nelson, 

Then we were also treated to Lauryn Hill honoring D'Angelo and Roberta Flack and bringing out Wyclef Jean for the Fugees “Killing Me Softly” moment. This was pretty incredible - 

Also Lola Young winning Best Pop Solo Performance for “Messy” was a genuine “wait what?” surprise if you were half watching while scrolling.

Next year the Grammys air on ABC which means this was the final Grammys on CBS for a very long time. And somehow it still felt like the show was being run by a producer frantically searching “how to operate an awards show” in another tab. If you needed proof the Grammys are still the Grammys, they managed to make music’s biggest night about everything except running a clean show. And besides a couple of decent-to-really-good performances, this wasn't a show we will be looking back on.