Ricky Gervais weighed in on one of the most talked-about moments from the 2026 Grammy Awards following a wave of politically charged acceptance speeches. The comedian referenced past remarks to criticize artists who used their wins to address current political issues.
Ricky Gervais calls out Grammy winners
Ricky Gervais posted a clip from his 2020 Golden Globes monologue on social media on Monday. He shared the video one day after the 2026 Grammy Awards.
In the clip, he said, “If you do win an award tonight, don’t use it as a political platform to make a political speech.” He continued, “You’re in no position to lecture the public about anything. You know nothing about the real world. Most of you spent less time in school than Greta Thunberg.” In the caption accompanying the post, Gervais wrote, “They’re still not listening,” and added a laughing-crying emoji.
The post followed acceptance speeches at the 2026 Grammys in which several artists criticized U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement during nationwide protests over the agency’s operations. Bad Bunny addressed ICE after winning Best Música Urbana Album for Debí Tirar Más Fotos. “ICE out,” he said. “We’re not savage, We’re not animals, We’re not aliens. We are humans and we are Americans.”
Billie Eilish also referenced ICE while accepting Song of the Year, stating in part, “No one is illegal on stolen land. F— ICE.” Olivia Dean spoke about immigration during her Best New Artist speech, saying, “I’m up here as a granddaughter of an immigrant. I’m a product of bravery, and I think those people deserve to be celebrated.”
Shaboozey and Kehlani denounced ICE during their speeches. Justin Bieber, Hailey Bieber, Joni Mitchell, and Samara Joy displayed pins that read “ICE out.” Justin Vernon, founder of Bon Iver, wore an orange whistle “as a tribute to the Minneapolis citizens who blow them to alert their community that ICE is in the area.”
Ricky Gervais posted the same remark after the Emmys last September and later deleted it. His recent post followed a Golden Globes ceremony in which presenter Wanda Sykes accepted his Best Stand-Up Comedy on Television award on his behalf and said, “He would like to thank God and the trans community. Ricky Gervais could not be here, so we’ll accept this on his behalf.”
Originally reported by Vritti Johar on Mandatory.com.
