Anti-ICE Grammy Awards Tank In Ratings
The Grammys dropped 19% in key demographic.
In yet another example of why it is bad business to mix entertainment with social justice messaging, viewership for the 2026 Grammy Awards fell by double digits across key categories.
The show dropped 19 percent in the advertiser-coveted demographic of adults ages 18 to 49, 20 percent among viewers 18 to 34, and 13 percent among viewers 25 to 54.
Overall, the ceremony averaged 14 million total viewers, an 11 percent decline from last year and a 20 percent drop from 2024.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 01: (FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY) Billie Eilish attends the 68th GRAMMY Awards at Crypto.com Arena on February 01, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic)
Despite the awards and performances, this year’s broadcast became known primarily for its opposition to President Trump and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Several artists wore "ICE OUT" pins, including Billie Eilish, Justin and Hailey Bieber, Kehlani, Joni Mitchell, Carole King, and Brandi Carlile.
Most notably, Eilish declared the United States "stolen land" while accepting the Grammy for Song of the Year.
"No one is illegal on stolen land," Eilish said. "I feel really hopeful in this room, and I feel like we need to keep fighting and speaking up and protesting. Our voices really do matter, and the people matter."
"And f--- ICE, that’s all I’m gonna say, sorry," she added.
For reference, Eilish lives in a multimillion-dollar mansion in Los Angeles that also sits on, wait for it, stolen land. It is no wonder Americans are tuning out these celebrities.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 01: Bad Bunny accepts the Album of the Year award for "DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS" onstage during the 68th GRAMMY Awards at Crypto.com Arena on February 01, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for The Recording Academy)
As Bill Maher argued earlier this week, celebrities no longer make the Democratic Party cool. They make it unlikable.
"Hollywood is sort of the epicenter of the woke left. I don’t think they’re doing the Democratic Party any favors," Maher told the New York Post’s new offshoot, The California Post. "I think if Democrats want to win elections in the future, job one is to tell the celebrities to ‘Just shut the fuck up. You’re not helping. You don’t strike people in most of the country as sensible or in touch with reality.’"
This was the last year the Grammys will air on CBS after 54 years, as it moves to Disney networks and streaming services in 2027. Unfortunately, for Disney, the stock for the Grammys has never been lower.
These artists really should just shut up and sing.