Trevor Noah, the South African comedian, did not hold back during his fifth consecutive year as host of the Grammy Awards on Sunday night, delivering pointed jokes about former President Donald Trump and his policies.
Noah kicked off the ceremony with an opening monologue that touched on some of music’s biggest stars, including Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, and Rihanna, while also making references to the new administration in Washington.
Trevor Noah took a jab at the Grammy voting process, which involves 13,000 members of the Recording Academy, jokingly suggesting that “20 million illegal immigrants” were part of the vote.
Later in the night, he made another politically charged remark, stating, “There’s been a few changes in Washington. So I’m gonna enjoy tonight because this may be the last time I get to host anything in this country.”
His comments came just days after a controversial immigration policy under Trump’s leadership resulted in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids, leading to the arrest of 1,179 individuals across major U.S. cities.
Several other artistes used their speeches to show support for marginalised communities and speak out against the divide in the country.
Trump had promised the American public that “it will all be worth the price that must be paid” to bring the “Golden Age.”
While accepting the Dr. Dre Global Impact Award, Alicia Keys took the opportunity to address another controversial policy from the Trump administration—the elimination of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) departments.
In her speech said, “DEI is not a threat, it’s a gift. And the more voices, the more powerful the sound. When destructive forces try to burn us down, we rise from the ashes like a phoenix.” She added,
“This is not the time to shut down the diversity of voices we’ve seen on this stage: talented, hard-working people from different backgrounds, with different points of view. And it changes the game.”
Chapell Roan, who won Best New Artist during the star-studded night sent a message to the trans communities during her red carpet interview with GLAAD.
She said, “It’s brutal right now. Trans people have always existed and they will forever exist, and they will never, no matter what happens, take trans joy away. That has to be protected more than anything because I would not be here without trans girls.”
In a direct message to transgender Americans, the singer said, “Just know that pop music is thinking about you and cares about you, and I’m doing my best to really stand up for you in every way I can,” as reported by Daily Mail.
Lady Gaga also expressed her support for her transgender fans on the stage. She said, “I just want to say tonight that trans people are not invisible. Trans people deserve love. The queer community deserves to be lifted up. Music is love.”
