Reba McEntire Delivers Emotional In Memoriam Performance at the 2026 Grammy Awards
The Grammy Awards are a celebration of where music is headed — but also a time to remember where it’s been. At this year’s ceremony, amidst historic nominations and headline-making performances, the Recording Academy paused for a poignant moment of reflection with an In Memoriam segment led by country music icon Reba McEntire.
Making history of her own, Bad Bunny became the first Spanish-language artist to receive nominations for Album of the Year, Record of the Year, and Song of the Year. As he prepares to headline next week’s Super Bowl LX Halftime Show, the 2026 Grammys also showcased performances from Lady Gaga, Sabrina Carpenter, and more. But it was the solemn In Memoriam segment that delivered the night’s deepest emotional impact.
Honoring the Legends We Lost
2025 was a challenging year for the music world, marked by the loss of several legendary figures:
- Ozzy Osbourne – The “Godfather of Metal,” who passed away at age 76 in July, just 17 days after his final performance with Black Sabbath.
- D’Angelo – The neo-soul pioneer and four-time Grammy winner who died of pancreatic cancer at 51 in October.
- Roberta Flack – Five-time Grammy-winning genre-blender who passed away in February at 86.
Each received individual tributes that honored their profound impact on music across genres. But the broader remembrance came through a heartfelt performance by Reba McEntire — her first-ever Grammy performance despite 18 nominations and 3 wins over the years.
A First Performance Marked by Loss
Joined by fellow nominees Brandy Clark and Lukas Nelson, Reba performed a moving rendition of “Trailblazer,” her Grammy-nominated collaboration with Miranda Lambert and Lainey Wilson. As the trio traded verses, the screen behind them displayed the faces of those the industry lost in the past year.
The tribute included:
- Raul Malo – Lead singer of The Mavericks, who died in December at age 60 after a battle with colon cancer.
- Brett James – Acclaimed songwriter behind hits like “Jesus, Take the Wheel,” who tragically died in a plane crash in September alongside his wife and stepdaughter.
- Ace Frehley – Founding guitarist of KISS, remembered for his larger-than-life performances, who passed away in October.
The Legacy of In Memoriam
The In Memoriam segment has become a powerful annual tradition since it was first introduced at the 45th Grammy Awards in 2003. That year, Bruce Springsteen, Elvis Costello, Dave Grohl, Steven Van Zandt, Pete Thomas, and No Doubt’s Tony Kanal paid tribute to Joe Strummer, the late frontman of The Clash.
Since then, the segment has honored artists, engineers, producers, executives, and industry visionaries whose contributions helped shape the music we know today. This year’s tribute continued that tradition with a stirring mix of music, memory, and reverence.
While the Grammys celebrate the living legends and rising stars, it’s in these quiet, reflective moments that the event reminds us of music’s enduring soul — shaped not only by who’s here now, but by those we’ll never forget.
