NYU alumni won across seven categories at the 68th annual Grammy Awards on Sunday after receiving 45 nominations, led by Tisch alum Lady Gaga — who took home three Grammys for pop single “Abracadabra” and album “MAYHEM.”
“For women in music, I know sometimes when you’re in the studio with a bunch of guys, it can be hard,” Gaga said during her acceptance speech for best pop vocal album. “I urge you to always listen to yourself and always fight for your ideas. Fight for your songs. Fight for yourself as a producer. Make sure you’re heard, loudly.”
During the preshow ceremony hosted by Broadway star Darren Criss, NYU picked up six awards ranging from pop to orchestral categories. Gaga’s “Abracadabra,” produced by Steinhardt alum Andrew Watt, won best pop dance recording and best remixed recording.
NYU alumni also made strides in categories across different artistic mediums. Composer and Steinhardt alum Austin Wintory took the award for “Sword of the Sea,” while engineers Mike Tierney, a Steinhardt alum and adjunct faculty member and Tisch adjunct instructor Alan Silverman won in the best engineered album, classical category for “Cerrone: Don’t Look Down.” Video producer and Tisch alum Justin Wilkes won best music film for “Music by John Williams.”
Tisch alumni Ejae and Audrey Nuna, who wrote songs and sang for Netflix’s animated film “KPop Demon Hunters,” made history as part of the first K-pop act to win a Grammy, collecting best song written for visual media for their hit single “Golden.” The song topped the Billboard Hot 100 for eight weeks in 2025 and earned four nominations at this year’s ceremony.
Award winners throughout the night were vocal about current political issues, advocating for the abolition of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
“I’m up here as the granddaughter of an immigrant,” British R&B pop fusion singer Olivia Dean said in her acceptance speech for best new artist. “I’m a product of bravery and I think those people deserve to be celebrated. We’re nothing without each other.”
Bad Bunny’s album of the year win for “DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS” closed out the night, making it the first Spanish-language album to win in the category. The Puerto Rican artist declared “ICE out” earlier in the ceremony while accepting the award for best música urbana album.
“We’re not savage, we’re not animals, we’re not aliens — we are humans, and we are Americans,” Bad Bunny said. “The hate gets more powerful with more hate. The only thing that’s more powerful than hate is love, so, please, we need to be different. If we fight, we have to do it with love.”
Contact Dani Biondi and Amelia Knust at [email protected].