Justin Bieber Returns to the Stage, Joni Mitchell Makes a Rare Appearance: Canadian Highlights From the 2026 Grammy Awards

Artists and celebrities weren’t mincing their words at the 2026 Grammy Awards on Sunday night (Feb. 1).

As some of today’s biggest musicians took the stage, they called out blatant acts of social injustice surrounding the U.S., spreading messages of hope and love for the audience in the crowd and at home. While it often leaned political, the night was filled with celebration, as Kendrick Lamar scored the most trophies of the evening, Justin Bieber returned to the stage and Bad Bunny’s DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS made history as the first all-Spanish-language album to win album of the year.

Despite many Canadian artists heading into the awards show with a string of nominations for songwriting and producing, aside from Bieber, they weren't as prominent on the televised ceremony, but they had a strong presence during the pre-show — from Cirkut’s first-time producer of the year win to Toronto professor and musician Justin Gray becoming the first Canadian to win best immersive album.

Here are the best Canadian moments from the 2026 Grammy Awards:

Justin Bieber Performs a Stripped-Down, Stripped-Back Version of ‘Yukon’

Justin Bieber returned to the Grammys stage for the first time in four years. The pop-R&B singer has opted to keep out of the limelight in recent years. Bieber appeared on stage to perform a stripped-back version of “Yukon,” which was nominated for best R&B performance. Solely clad in shorts and socks, the Canadian star had an electric guitar slung around his shirtless torso, building up the groove to the R&B hit on loop pedals, before delivering a vulnerable rendition of the Swag track. It was his first TV performance in years, and he did it on his own terms.

Bieber has been a long-time Grammy nominee, receiving his first nomination back in 2011. This year, he scored three other nominations in addition to best R&B performance, including best pop solo performance for “Daisies,” and best pop vocal album and album of the year for 2025’s Swag, which hit No. 1 on the Billboard Canadian Albums chart, and currently sits at No. 50. While Bieber left empty-handed, his “Yukon” performance was met with a strong audience reception, including from his wife, Hailey, who applauded directly to the camera.

Joni Mitchell Makes Rare Appearance, Wins Best Historical Album

It’s not every day that Joni Mitchell graces the stage with her presence. The 82-year-old Canadian folk music legend has slowed down her public appearances in recent years, following a series of health struggles, but made it out to last night’s ceremony. During the Grammys pre-show, Mitchell took home the best historical album award for Joni Mitchell Archives – Volume 4: The Asylum Years (1976-1980), a boxset featuring unreleased material from her personal archives.

“Good evening, ladies and gentlemen!” she said, standing next to fellow winner Patrick Milligan, whom she worked with on the album. After a few moments of awkward silence, it became clear that Mitchell thought she was presenting the award rather than accepting it. “Oh, I won?” she pondered out loud, as the crowd broke into laughter. During her acceptance speech, Mitchell discussed the records she released during the five years, including Court and Spark and For the Roses, the former of which she won album of the year for in 1975. “I’m very honoured to receive a Grammy for those records,” Mitchell said. “Thank you. I guess that’s it.” She sported a prominent "ICE Out" pin on her outfit, making her stance known.

The Recording Academy members have a habit of awarding the Canadian icon with best historical album. Back in 2022, she scored the accolade for Joni Mitchell Archives – Vol. 1: The Early Years (1963–1967), a project that covered the singer’s earlier music.

Cirkut Wins First Producer of the Year Award

First-time producer of the year nominee Cirkut took home the prize, beating out Blake Mills, Dan Auerbach, Dijon and Sounwave. The Halifax-born producer, born Henry Walter, accepted the award during the pre-show ceremony from '80s hit-making producer Jimmy Jam, saying “it doesn't get better than that” while expressing immense gratitude for his Canadian beginnings. “Once upon a time, I was a kid making beats in his bedroom in Canada, and now I’m here,” he said.

Cirkut was nominated for a total of seven awards across major categories, including best pop vocal album and album of the year for Lady Gaga’s Mayhem, which he co-produced, alongside the single “Abracadabra.” In addition, Cirkut received a nomination for penning and co-producing the ROSÉ and Bruno Mars’ collab "APT.” During the televised ceremony, Gaga took home the former award, with the Canadian producer joining her on stage. Hot on the heels of Cirkut’s pre-show win, he scored a second award for “Abracadabra” in best dance pop recording.

While Cirkut co-produced Mayhem, Canadian sound mixer Serban Ghenea played a key role in the singer’s 10th studio album, adding two more trophies to his shelf after last night. The east coast native has been a silent giant in the music industry for over a decade, working with a string of heavy-hitting artists, including Britney Spears, The Weeknd and Katy Perry. He scored his first-ever Grammy award back in 2018, for his work on Starboy, which snagged best urban contemporary album. Now, he's recognized again.

Justin Gray Scores First-Ever Grammy Award for Best Immersive Album

Toronto’s Justin Gray took home his first-ever Grammy, becoming the first Canadian to win the new best immersive album award. Gray, who teaches audio production at Humber College, was recognized for his album Immersed. The record places listeners at the centre of a 360-degree orchestra featuring artists including Toronto-based violinist Drew Jurecka, who was awarded alongside Gray. While the category has been dominated by albums adapted for immersive sound, Immersed was specifically composed for the format.

In his acceptance speech, Gray thanked “every single person who’s been a part of bringing this music to life, [and] for believing in it,” giving Toronto and Canada a special shoutout, which elicited some cheers from the crowd during the pre-show ceremony. “Music is a gift that we can all share, and we can maintain and just continue to uplift each other through this beautiful art form,” he said.

Find the full list of Grammy 2026 winners here.