Entertainment鈥檚 awards season has coincided with the Trump administration鈥檚 in Minneapolis, forcing artists to decide whether and how to join the against immigration crackdowns.
Pushback from music鈥檚 biggest stars was visible Sunday from the Grammys red carpet and throughout the telecast. Activists spent the week pressing celebrities to don pins protesting the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement presence in cities, working with their teams to spread the message and circulating them at the many events leading up to the ceremony.
Billie Eilish, Finneas and Carole King wore pins while appearing onstage. Even Justin and Hailey Bieber, who don鈥檛 normally address American politics, had them. Eilish began her song of the year speech by professing that 鈥渘o one is illegal on stolen land.鈥� British soul pop singer Olivia Dean, recognized as best new artist, shared that she is the granddaughter of an immigrant 鈥� people who she said 鈥渄eserve to be celebrated.鈥� Expletives flew as ICE got cursed multiple times by winners including Kehlani.
鈥淏efore I say thanks to God, I鈥檓 gonna say: ICE out,鈥� Bad Bunny said to great applause while accepting the award for best m煤sica urbana album. 鈥淲e鈥檙e not savage, we鈥檙e not animals, we鈥檙e not aliens. We are humans and we are Americans.鈥�
The frequent pushback and buttons鈥� prevalence marked a much stronger showing of support than organizers saw at . Public backlash has grown since a Border Patrol officer shot and killed 37-year-old nurse and federal agents detained 5-year-old . The recent , who attended Sunday鈥檚 ceremony, only added to the outcry.
Plus, as one organizer noted, the Grammys tend to draw a less risk-averse crowd than Hollywood鈥檚 shows.
鈥淭hese are folks who are known for six-stage shows, crazy costumes, being kind of rebellious, punk rock 鈥� like that鈥檚 the music industry. And so, I think it makes sense that we would see good support,鈥� Maremoto Executive Director Jess Morales Rocketto said ahead of the show. 鈥淭hese pins are about so much more than a red carpet moment. It鈥檚 about people taking a stand and doing what they can to show up to say that ICE should be out of our communities.鈥�
Protest pins on the red carpet
Jason Isbell, Margo Price, Kehlani and Rhiannon Giddens were among the other artists wearing protest apparel on the Grammys red carpet.
Justin Vernon, whose band Bon Iver is up for best alternative music album, said he wore a whistle to honor the legal observers who are documenting federal agents鈥� actions on the streets.
鈥淚 think there鈥檚 a reason that music exists and it鈥檚 to heal and to bring people together,鈥� he told The Associated Press. 鈥淏ut the real work are those observers on the on the ground in Minneapolis. We just want to want to shout them out.鈥�
Earlier in the week, Mexican American singer had an explicit message for ICE on the nails she wore to the MusiCares Person of the Year gala. And at the Sundance Film Festival, several celebrities wore pins saying 鈥淚CE OUT鈥� during their red carpet appearances, including Natalie Portman, Olivia Wilde and Zoey Deutch, who also wore a 鈥淏E GOOD鈥� pin, referencing Renee Good, who was killed by an ICE officer last month.
Wilde told the AP that she was 鈥渉orrified by this string of murders that we are somehow legitimizing and normalizing.”
鈥淚t鈥檚 really difficult to be here and to be celebrating something so joyous and beautiful and positive when we know what鈥檚 happening on the streets,” she added. “Americans are out on the streets marching and demanding justice, and we鈥檙e there with them. And if we can do anything with our platforms, you know, we can speak out and demand that ICE get out.鈥�
Portman got emotional when asked about her 鈥淚CE OUT” pin at the premiere of her new film, 鈥淭he Gallerist.鈥�
鈥淚鈥檓 so lucky to be here in a joyful, creative community celebrating a movie we鈥檙e really proud of. But it鈥檚 impossible to ignore what ICE is doing to our country. And I鈥檓 very inspired, though, by all of the amazing, amazing Americans who are coming out and supporting each other and being there in communities. It鈥檚 beautiful,鈥� the actor said as she teared up.
Reasons celebrities may not speak out
As far as the Grammys go, Morales Rocketto, the community organizer who founded the Latino advocacy group Maremoto, said it’s 鈥渒ind of a crapshoot鈥� as to which entertainers actually wear the pins.
She described a range of industry forces working against artists’ political expression. Objections could come from record companies, managers or corporate partners.
鈥淢aybe the design house that did their fashion deal for the red carpet didn鈥檛 want them to literally poke holes in the dress,鈥� she said. “There鈥檚 like a million reasons for people not to do it.鈥�
Artists might also face personal dangers themselves. Morales Rocketto pointed to the Trump administration’s threats to place ICE agents at the upcoming , 鈥渙ne of the most invincible鈥� entertainers in her view.
鈥淚 wouldn鈥檛 be surprised if we see some Latino artists wearing them,” she said of the pins. “But the reality is that just because Latino artists are rich and famous, doesn鈥檛 mean that they are exempt from the lack of safety that permeates so many Latinos and Latino families. They themselves may be undocumented or only have a green card or have mixed status families.”
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AP Film Writer Lindsey Bahr and AP journalist Brooke Lefferts contributed reporting from Park City, Utah.
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