Grammys 2026 draws just 14.4 million viewers with 6 percent drop from last year

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: CBS’s swan song with the Grammy Awards came with markedly softer numbers.

The network’s broadcast of the 68th Grammy Awards on Sunday night pulled in 14.41 million viewers, which is a noticeable dip for one of music’s biggest nights.

According to big data plus panel same-day ratings from Nielsen, the show saw an 11% decline from last year and a steeper 20% slide compared to 2024, thus capping off the ceremony’s final show on the network after decades as a staple.

Ratings slip across key demographics

The shrinkage in audience wasn’t confined to just overall viewership. The Grammys lost traction in the advertiser-friendly age brackets that networks rely on most.

Among adults aged 25-54, the awards show averaged 5 million viewers, down from 5.7 million last year. That marks a 13% drop. The ceremony also suffered declines in other major groups, falling 19% among adults aged 18-49 and slipping 10% among viewers aged 55 and older.

The sharpest drop came among younger viewers, traditionally considered vital for the future of major televised events. The Grammy Awards averaged 2 million viewers aged 18-34, compared to 2.4 million the year prior, representing a 20% decline in that group. 

The ratings come amid a mixed awards-season performance for CBS, which has carried three of the four EGOT ceremonies during the 2025-26 cycle. The network kicked off the season with the Emmys in September, which actually saw year-over-year growth when compared with ABC’s 2024 telecast, delivering the show’s largest audience since 2021.

However, the Golden Globes in January mirrored the Grammys’ downward trend, falling by roughly 6.5%.

ABC is set to wrap up the awards season with its broadcast of the Oscars on March 15.

A politically charged ceremony

Beyond ratings, this year’s Grammys also leaned heavily into politics as several artists used their platform to take aim at the Trump administration and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

The 2026 ceremony featured a number of high-profile attendees wearing “ICE OUT” pins. Among them were Billie Eilish, Justin and Hailey Bieber, Kehlani, Joni Mitchell, Carole King, and Brandi Carlile.

Eilish, who took home Song of the Year, slammed Trump's immigration enforcement during her acceptance speech.

“No one is illegal on stolen land,” Eilish said. “I feel really hopeful in this room, and I feel like we need to keep fighting and speaking up and protesting. Our voices really do matter, and the people matter.” She then added, “And f--- ICE, that's all I'm gonna say, sorry.”

Other artists also used their time on stage to make similar comments, including Bad Bunny, SZA, Olivia Dean, and Shaboozey.

Trump fires back at show and host Trevor Noah

President Donald Trump blasted the ceremony and its host, Trevor Noah. He labeled the program “virtually unwatchable” and suggested potential legal action after Noah made a joke referencing the Jeffrey Epstein scandal during the telecast.

Noah quipped that Trump wanted Greenland because he needed a new island to “hang out with Bill Clinton” on, since Epstein’s private island was no longer available.

Trump responded with a lengthy post on Truth Social.

“The Grammy Awards are the WORST, virtually unwatchable! CBS is lucky not to have this garbage litter their airwaves any longer," he began. "The host, Trevor Noah, whoever he may be, is almost as bad as Jimmy Kimmel at the Low Ratings Academy Awards. Noah said, INCORRECTLY about me, that Donald Trump and Bill Clinton spent time on Epstein Island. WRONG!!! I can’t speak for Bill, but I have never been to Epstein Island, nor anywhere close, and until tonight’s false and defamatory statement, have never been accused of being there, not even by the Fake News Media.”

Trump added, “Noah, a total loser, better get his facts straight, and get them straight fast. It looks like I’ll be sending my lawyers to sue this poor, pathetic, talentless, dope of an M.C., and suing him for plenty$. Ask Little George Slopadopolus, and others, how that all worked out. Also ask CBS! Get ready Noah, I’m going to have some fun with you! President DJT.”

The 2026 ceremony also marks the final chapter of the Grammys’ long-standing relationship with CBS. The awards show is slated to move to Disney networks and streaming platforms beginning in 2027, thus ending a 54-year run on CBS.