The 2026 GRAMMYs took place last night (February 01), and rock and alternative culture was well represented and celebrated with some big names picking up awards.
First up, YUNGBLUD picked up his first-ever award for Best Rock Performance. That was for ‘Changes’ (Live From Villa Park) featuring Nuno Bettencourt, Frank Bello, Adam Wakeman and II from Sleep Token, a cover of the classic Black Sabbath song performed at last year’s Back To The Beginning concert. Amyl and The Sniffers’ 'U Should Not Be Doing That’, Linkin Park’s 'The Emptiness Machine’, Turnstile’s 'NEVER ENOUGH’ and Hayley Williams' ‘Mirtazapine’ were also nominated.
Dom had this to say as he accepted the award, with Sharon Osbourne by his side, stating, “We fucking love you Ozzy…I deeply love this genre, it’s all I’ve ever known. I wanna dedicate this to everyone in the guitar shop I grew up in and everyone in a guitar shop or a bedroom with a dream. Rock music’s fucking coming back, watch out pop music we’re gonna fucking get ya.”
Turnstile were also big winners on the night. Hardcore’s biggest exports picked up two awards, Best Rock Album for ‘NEVER ENOUGH’ and Best Metal Performance for ‘Birds’. When it came to Best Rock Album, they were up against, Deftones’ ‘Private Music’, Haim’s ‘I Quit’, Linkin Park’s ‘From Zero’ and YUNGBLUD’s ‘Idols’
Whilst collecting the statue, vocalist Brendan Yates celebrated the community that raised them, saying, “The community we found through punk and hardcore music has given us a safe place to swing in the dark and land somewhere beautiful. So to our family, our friends, our partners, our peers, to Baltimore – thank you, we love you.”
‘BIRDS’ was up against Spiritbox’s ‘Soft Spine’, Sleep Token’s ‘Emergence’, Ghost’s ‘Lachryma’ and Dream Theater’s ‘Night Terror’.
The Cure were also winners in the Best Alternative Music Album for 'Songs Of A Lost World’, coming out on top over Bon Iver’s 'Sable, Fable’, Tyler, The Creator’s 'Don’t Tap the Glass’, Wet Leg’s 'Moisturizer’ and Hayley Williams’ ‘Ego Death At A Bachelorette Party’.
They also picked up Best Alternative Music Performance for ‘Alone’, a category also featuring Bon Iver’s ‘Everything Is Peaceful Love’, Turnstile’s ‘Seein’ Stars’, Wet Leg’s ‘Mangetout’ and Hayley Williams’ ‘Parachute’.
Whilst Nine Inch Nails’ ‘As Alive As You Need Me To Be', taken from their soundtrack to Tron: Ares, picked up Best Rock Song. It was up against Sleep Token’s ‘Caramel’, Hayley Williams’ ‘Glum’, Turnstile’s ‘NEVER ENOUGH’ and YUNGBLUD’s ‘Zombie’.
