Cover From left: Ejae, Audrey Nuna and Rei Ami at the Grammy Awards 2026. Ejae is a winner this year with her song ‘Golden’ for the animation ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ (Photo: Getty Images)
From left: Ejae, Audrey Nuna and Rei Ami at the Grammy Awards 2026. Ejae is a winner this year with her song ‘Golden’ for the animation ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ (Photo: Getty Images)
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From a historic K-pop Grammy victory to the Dalai Lama’s inspiring win at 90, here are the Asian artists who shaped the 2026 Grammys in Los Angeles.
The 2026 Grammy Awards proved to be a watershed moment for Asian representation in global music. Following their multiple triumphs at the Golden Globes and other international ceremonies, Asian artists continued to define the year’s biggest pop culture headlines. Held at Los Angeles’ Crypto.com Arena on February 1, 2026, the event celebrated not only musical excellence but also diversity and creative innovation.
Among the evening’s historic highs was Korean American singer-songwriter Ejae’s Golden from the animated film KPop Demon Hunters. The track made history as the first-ever K-pop song to win a Grammy—a milestone that cements the genre’s growing influence on Western music. In another unforgettable moment, Buddhism’s highest spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, took home his first Grammy at the age of 90, entering the record books as one of the oldest ever recipients.
While the K-pop-inspired girl group Katseye did not secure a trophy, several other artists of Asian heritage scored prominent wins and memorable performances. Below, Tatler highlights the key Asian achievements at the 2026 Grammys.
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‘Golden’ became the first K-pop track to win a Grammy
Above Yuhan, 24, Ejae and Mark Sonnenblick accepted the Best Song Written For Visual Media award for ‘Golden’ from ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ onstage at the Grammy Awards 2026 (Photo: Getty Images)
Yuhan, 24, Ejae and Mark Sonnenblick accepted the Best Song Written For Visual Media award for ‘Golden’ from ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ onstage at the Grammy Awards 2026 (Photo: Getty Images)
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Although it lost out to Billie Eilish’s Wildflower for Song of the Year and to Defying Gravity by Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance, Golden from KPop Demon Hunters triumphed in the Best Song Written for Visual Media category. Written and performed by Ejae, it marks the first-ever Grammy victory for a K-pop song—a historic milestone for the globalisation of the genre.
The Dalai Lama won at 90
Above The Dalai Lama, seen here in 2025, won at Grammy Awards 2026 for an audiobook recording (Photo: Getty Images)
The Dalai Lama, seen here in 2025, won at Grammy Awards 2026 for an audiobook recording (Photo: Getty Images)
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Buddhism’s spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, earned a Grammy in the Best Audio Book, Narration and Storytelling Recording category for Meditations: The Reflections of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. The recording, featuring his reflections in his own voice, is a contemplative work that resonates with his lifelong messages of peace and mindfulness. His win at 90 underscores both the universal power of voice and the timelessness of wisdom.
Kehlani crowned queen of R&B
Above Kehlani accepted the Best R&B Performance award for ‘Folded’ at the Grammy Awards 2026 (Photo: Getty Images)
Kehlani accepted the Best R&B Performance award for ‘Folded’ at the Grammy Awards 2026 (Photo: Getty Images)
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Singer-songwriter and dancer Kehlani Ashley Parrish, professionally known as Kehlani—who is of Black, White, Native American, Filipino and Mexican heritage—took home two Grammys for Best R&B Performance and Best R&B Song with her stirring track Folded. The wins reaffirm her status as one of contemporary R&B’s most authentic and boundary-pushing voices.
Lola Young wins Best Pop Solo Performance
Above Lola Young accepted the award for Best Pop Solo Performance for ‘Messy’ from Charli XCS at the Grammy Awards 2026 (Photo: Getty Images)
Lola Young accepted the award for Best Pop Solo Performance for ‘Messy’ from Charli XCS at the Grammy Awards 2026 (Photo: Getty Images)
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British artist Lola Young, of Jamaican-Chinese and English heritage, claimed the Grammy for Best Pop Solo Performance with her emotive song Messy. The track, drawn from her sophomore album This Wasn’t Meant For You Anyway, showcases her trademark lyrical honesty and unfiltered storytelling. Young triumphed over heavyweight contenders including Justin Bieber and Lady Gaga in this fiercely contested category.
Laufey continues her winning streak
Above Laufey accepted the Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album award for ‘A Matter Of Time’ at the Grammy Awards 2026 (Photo: Getty Images)
Laufey accepted the Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album award for ‘A Matter Of Time’ at the Grammy Awards 2026 (Photo: Getty Images)
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Singer-songwriter Laufey, of Chinese and Icelandic heritage, once again captured the Grammy for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album with her release A Matter of Time. This marks her second win in the category since 2024, further cementing her as one of today’s most distinctive voices blending jazz and modern pop sensibilities.
Yo-Yo Ma adds to his record-breaking Grammy legacy
Above Cellist Yo-Yo Ma, seen here performing with the New York Philharmonic in 2023, won at the Grammy Awards 2026 (Photo: Getty Images)
Cellist Yo-Yo Ma, seen here performing with the New York Philharmonic in 2023, won at the Grammy Awards 2026 (Photo: Getty Images)
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Chinese American cellist Yo-Yo Ma won in the Best Classical Instrumental Solo category. The legendary cellist was not present at the ceremony, where Tony winner and host Darren Criss accepted the award on his behalf. The honour adds to Ma’s already extraordinary Grammy collection, cementing his stature as one of the most decorated artists in Recording Academy history. Together with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, he also earned the award for Best Orchestral Performance—a double triumph befitting his enduring artistry and influence.
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Zabrina is the Senior Editor, Arts and Culture of Tatler Hong Kong. She specialises in performing arts, visual art and film. Her wanderlust was first fuelled by the Mighty Rovers Antarctica Expedition 2010. Over the years, she has interviewed A-list artists and filmmakers, including Oscar winners Chlóe Zhao and Tim Yip, Golden Horse winner Sylvia Chang, In the Mood for Love cinematographer Christopher Doyle, Pachinko author Min Jin Lee, and Coachella’s first Chinese solo singer Jackson Wang. She won gold at the WAN-IFRA Asian Media Awards for her 2021 feature on the waves of hate crimes targeting Asian Americans.
