Entertainment awards season coincided with the Trump administration’s mass deportation crackdown in Minneapolis, forcing artists to decide whether and how to join the growing cultural revolution against immigration crackdowns.
Those questions came up again on Sunday when music’s biggest stars walked the red carpet at the Grammy Awards. Activists spent the week pressuring celebrities to wear pins to protest the presence of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in cities, and worked with their teams to spread the word and circulate the message at several events leading up to the ceremony.
Organizers saw a stronger show of support on Sunday than at the Golden Globe Awards last month. Public backlash has grown since a Border Patrol agent shot and killed 37-year-old nurse Alex Pretty, and federal agents arrested 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos. The recent arrest of journalist Don Lemon has heightened the anger.
Plus, as one organizer pointed out, the Grammy Awards tend to attract a less risk-averse audience than Hollywood shows.
“These are people who are known for six-stage shows, crazy costumes, and being kind of rebellious punk rockers — like, that’s the music industry. And so, I think it makes sense that we would see good support,” said Jess Morales Roquito, Marimoto’s CEO. “These pins are about more than just a moment on the red carpet. They’re about people taking a stand and doing what they can to say ICE should be out of our communities.”
Earlier in the week, Mexican-American singer Becky G made a blunt message to US Immigration and Customs Enforcement on the nails she wore to the MusiCares Person of the Year Gala.
Protest pins on the red carpet
Jason Isbell, Margo Price, Kehlani and Rhiannon Giddens were among the artists who wore protest clothing on the Grammys red carpet. Kehlani cursed ICE in her acceptance speech for Best R&B performance.
Vernon, whose band Bon Iver is in the running for best alternative music album, said he blew the whistle in honor of legal observers who document the actions of federal agents on the streets.
“I think there’s a reason music exists and it’s to heal and bring people together,” he told the Associated Press. “But the real work is those monitors on the ground in Minneapolis. We just want to shout them out.”
At the Sundance Film Festival last week, several celebrities wore pins that read “ICE OUT” during their red carpet appearances, including Natalie Portman, Olivia Wilde and Zoey Deutch, who also wore a pin that read “BE GOOD,” a reference to Rene Goode, who was killed by an ICE officer last month.
Wilde told the AP that she was “horrified by these series of murders that we are somehow legitimizing and normalizing.”
“It’s really hard to be here and celebrate something so joyful and beautiful and positive when we know what’s happening in the streets,” she added. “Americans are out in the streets marching and demanding justice, and we’re there with them. And if we can do anything with our platforms, you know, we can speak out and demand ICE get out.”
Portman got emotional when asked about her “ICE OUT” pin at the premiere of her new film, “The Gallerist.”
“I’m so lucky to be here in a joyful, creative community that celebrates a film that we’re really proud of,” the actress said through tears. “But it’s impossible to ignore what ICE does for our country. However, I’m so inspired by all the incredible, amazing Americans who are coming out and supporting each other and being out there in the communities. It’s beautiful.”
Reasons celebrities may not talk about
Regarding the Grammy Awards, Roqueto, the community organizer who founded the Latino advocacy group Marimoto, said it’s “kind of nonsense” as to which artists actually wear the pins.
She described a group of industrial forces working against the political expression of artists. The show is broadcast by CBS, which was recently acquired by David Ellison – the son of billionaire Larry Ellison, a supporter of President Donald Trump. Objections can come from record companies, managers or corporate partners.
“Maybe the design house that made their red carpet fashion deal didn’t want them to cut holes in the dress,” she said. “There are a million reasons why people don’t do it.”
Artists may also face personal risks themselves. Morales Roqueto referenced the Trump administration’s threats to place ICE agents at the Super Bowl halftime performance by Bad Bunny, “one of the most invincible performers” in her view.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if we see some Latin artists wearing them,” she said of the pins. “But the truth is that just because Latino artists are rich and famous, doesn’t mean they’re exempt from the insecurity that permeates many Latino and Latino families. They may be undocumented themselves, only have a green card, or have families with mixed status.”
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AP Film Writer Lindsay Bahr and AP journalist Brooke Lefferts contributed reporting from Park City, Utah.
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