Politics
Grammys 2026: 37 Most Memorable Awards Show Performances Ever
Each year, the Grammys gathers some of the biggest musicians in the world under one roof to find out whether they’ve been honoured with the industry’s most prestigious accolade.
For the rest of us, though, what gets us tuning in year after year are the show-stopping performances, with huge stars gracing the stage to deliver memorable, impactful and, at times, outrageous renditions of their big hits, in the hopes of being the stand-out star of the evening.
With countless offerings to choose from, we’ve put together a timeline of 37 incredible performances that have stuck with us over the decades, beginning back in the 1980s…
Whitney Houston – Saving All My Love For You (1986)
For a lot of people, this 1986 Grammys performance will have been their first time hearing the unmistakeable and incomparable live vocals of Whitney Houston.
While this is far from the most awe-inspiring performance she’d give in her lifetime, this Grammys rendition of the early hit Saving All My Love allowed Whitney to show off her amazing potential, and was undoubtedly a glimmer of the greatness that would follow later in her career.
Whitney Houston – I Will Always Love You (1994)
Fast-forward another eight years, and Whitney had become one of the biggest stars on the planet, and was riding a huge wave of success after her appearance in The Bodyguard.
By the time the Grammys rolled around in 1994 there was no escaping I Will Always Love You – which, to be fair, was also the case for many years afterwards.
However, even the song’s loudest critics can’t deny that there’s no beating Whitney’s song in its flawless live form.
Aretha Franklin – Nessun Dorma (1998)
The story goes that Luciano Pavarotti had initially been scheduled to perform at the 1998 Grammys, but pulled out at the last minute on doctors’ orders, leaving his friend Aretha Franklin to step in instead.
With limited time to rehearse, the soul singer completely floored everyone with her vocals on the night.
It’s a rendition that – at least on paper – shouldn’t work on any level, but who could honestly argue with that voice?
Madonna – Nothing Really Matters (1999)
Her performance in the film Evita, mixed with her game-changing Ray Of Light album, helped breathe new life into Madonna’s career after a string of projects that had been met with a lukewarm reception in the early 90s.
Ray Of Light went on to gain critical acclaim and huge chart success, but the cherry on top was the Queen of Pop finally winning her first ever Grammy, and delivering this stunning and surprisingly haunting performance on the same night.
Eminem and Elton John – Stan (2001)
A collaboration that no one saw coming, Eminem and Elton John made headlines the world over when the Your Song singer stepped in to replace Dido’s parts on the song Stan.
This performance was considered by many to be a response to critics who panned Eminem’s past homophobic lyrics, particularly as the two stood together in solidarity at the end.
However, almost 20 years later, the rapper was still receiving criticism for his use of anti-LGBTQ+ language in his music…
Christina Aguilera, Pink, Mya, Lil Kim, Missy Elliott and Patti LaBelle – Lady Marmalade (2002)
This Lady Marmalade performance allowed each of the track’s four performers to enjoy their time in the spotlight – complete with all the sequins, feathers and big hair it’s become synonymous with – before coming together as a four-piece.
As if there wasn’t enough talent on stage already, they were joined on stage first by its producer, Missy Elliott, and Lady Marmalade’s original performer, Patti LaBelle, who showed those younger viewers (and, indeed, artists) a thing or two about high notes.
Prince and Beyoncé – Purple Rain/Baby, I’m A Star/Let’s Go Crazy/Crazy In Love (2004)
We all know that when it came to rising stars and new talent, no one had a better eye than Prince. It’s no surprise, then, that right at the beginning of Beyoncé’s solo career, he chose her to perform with him at the Grammys.
And no, in case you’re wondering, this is not Beyoncé’s last appearance on this list…
Gorillaz, De La Soul and Madonna – Feel Good Inc/Hung Up (2006)
Listen, we all know Madonna is a great pop star, but it’s not unfair to say that her sense of humour is something she’s… less associated with.
So, it was so great to see her interacting with Gorillaz at the Grammys in 2006, first crashing their performance of Feel Good Inc before launching into an energetic version of her own hit, Hung Up.
The Chicks – Not Ready To Make Nice (2007)
It had been a tough time for The Chicks – then still known by their old moniker The Dixie Chicks – in the lead-up to their performance at the 2007 Grammys.
The group had been at the centre of controversy when they criticised then-president George W Bush over the Iraq war, leading to them being shunned by the country music scene and receiving abuse and even death threats.
Their defiant appearance at the 2007 Grammys saw them address the backlash head-on in Not Ready To Make Nice, and the group wound up becoming the night’s big winners, taking home all five of the awards they’d been nominated for, including “the big three”.
Amy Winehouse – You Know I’m No Good/Rehab (2008)
By the time Amy Winehouse’s Grammys performance came around, the sad truth was that while everyone was talking about her, it was rarely in conjunction with her songwriting talents or incomparable vocal abilities.
In fact, her Grammys performance was aired live over satellite link, as she wasn’t granted a visa to travel to the US for the ceremony.
Still, with this performance, she managed to silence all of her critics, and remind everyone why she had become one of the world’s most famous people in the first place.
Beyoncé and Tina Turner – Déjà Vu/What’s Love Got To Do With It/Proud Mary (2008)
And as if duetting with Prince wasn’t enough, four years later Beyoncé was tasked with introducing the legendary Tina Turner, only for the two of them to perform the classic Proud Mary together.
Tina looked totally thrilled to be sharing the stage with Beyoncé, while Queen Bey truly held her own next to one of her idols, while managing not to outshine her.
It was the stuff legendary duets are made of. Also… what a brilliant intro from Cher.
Lady Gaga and Elton John – Poker Face/Speechless/Your Song (2010)
Lady Gaga had already become the biggest pop star in the world when she made her Grammys debut, so the stakes were pretty high for her first ever performance at the ceremony.
Did she manage to pull it off? Well, let’s see, shall we?
Ridiculous OTT introduction? Check. Giant sets? Check. Multiple songs? Check. Amazing outfit? Check. Casually performing with a musical legend, proving just a couple of years into her career that they were already contemporaries? Check.
We’d say that’s an emphatic yes.
Pink – Glitter In The Air (2010)
Pink’s fans had long been aware of quite how much she put into her live performances prior to her solo appearance on the Grammys stage, but in 2010, she made sure the world knew about it.
Singing the haunting ballad, Glitter In The Air, Pink first walked out into the crowd, before performing aerial acrobatics while hanging from the ceiling and belting out the track.
Jennifer Hudson – I Will Always Love You (2012)
In her lifetime, Whitney performed at the Grammys on multiple occasions, each time bringing the house down with her powerhouse vocals.
Her death in 2012 came just 24 hours before that year’s ceremony, and it would have been remiss for organisers not to pull together a tribute.
It was decided that Jennifer Hudson was the star with the vocal capabilities of doing Whitney justice, and with less than a day to prepare, we can’t imagine how she could possibly have bettered this stirring performance.
Adele – Rolling In The Deep (2012)
Another performance that hits even harder when you know the context behind it, the Grammys in 2012 marked Adele’s first live performance after undergoing throat surgery.
The world hadn’t heard her sing in a long time, and fears began to rise about whether she’d ever be able to match her old vocal offerings.
Clearly, we needn’t have worried.
Beyoncé and Jay-Z – Drunk In Love (2014)
The music world was still reeling from the shock release of her self-titled visual album when Beyoncé took to the stage at the Grammys in 2014.
This time, she wasn’t there as a member of Destiny’s Child, she wasn’t promoting a song from a film, and she wasn’t anyone’s special guest.
She was standing on her own two feet, and it felt like after years of being one of the world’s most famous singers, she’d really cemented her place as a superstar.
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Mary Lambert, Trombone Shorty, Madonna and Queen Latifah – Same Love/Open Your Heart (2014)
At a time when the debate around equal marriage was still raging on in America, Macklemore decided to use his slot at the Grammys to make a bold statement.
Performing his song Same Love, 33 couples of all different genders and sexualities gathered to tie the knot there and then (with Queen Latifah officiating, natch), before Madonna appeared in full cowboy attire to sing Open Your Heart with a gospel choir.
While on paper it sounds like a clunky and even arguably insincere stunt, we struggle to hold back tears every time we re-watch this clip.
Sia – Chandelier (2015)
When you’re a singer who’s become known for never showing your face and standing in a corner when you perform live, how do you make an impact at a public spectacle like the Grammys?
You bring in Maddie Ziegler, Kristen Wiig, a load of wigs and what appears to be the set of an episode of Hoarders, of course.
Katy Perry – By The Grace Of God (2015)
Best known for her elaborate and cartoonish performance style, Katy Perry stripped it right back for her Grammys performance in 2015.
She performed the lesser-known ballad By The Grace Of God, which discusses overcoming the suicidal feelings she felt after the end of her marriage to Russell Brand.
The performance was in support of victims of domestic violence and sexual abuse, with a short message from Barack Obama in support of the #ItsOnUs campaign playing shortly beforehand.
Kendrick Lamar – The Blacker The Berry/Alright (2016)
And talking about making a statement on the Grammys stage… wow.
While that year’s decision to award Taylor Swift Album Of The Year over Kendrick Lamar may have been controversial in 2016, his was the performance that had everyone talking.
Just watch it to see what we mean.
Lady Gaga – Space Oddity/Changes/Ziggy Stardust/Suffragette City/Rebel Rebel/Fashion/Fame/Let’s Dance/Heroes (2016)
Lady Gaga managed to squeeze in a whopping 10 of David Bowie’s iconic hits into her tribute, a performance that divided opinion.
Some felt it reminded viewers of Bowie’s greatness and influence on pop music, while others – including the late musician’s son – were less impressed by the elaborate performance (and the fact it was so heavily sponsored by Intel).
Beyoncé – Love Drought/Sandcastles (2017)
Adele may have won the three biggest awards at the 2017 Grammys, but even she admitted that the night really belonged to Beyoncé.
Bey’s elaborate and beautiful rendition of Love Drought and Sandcastles came shortly after the news that she and husband Jay-Z were expecting twins, and her 10-minute performance celebrated motherhood, serving as the perfect closer to her stunning Lemonade era.
Adele – Fastlove (2017)
A year after a rather shaky version of All I Ask, Adele opened the 2017 Grammys with a flawless rendition of Hello. Sadly, her second performance of the night didn’t go quite as smoothly.
Having been chosen to pay tribute to George Michael with a rearranged version of Fastlove, Adele restarted the performance a minute in, declaring: “I’m sorry. I can’t do it again like last year.
“I’m sorry for swearing and sorry for starting again, can we please start it again? I’m sorry, I can’t mess this up for [George]. I’m sorry.”
Kesha, Andra Day, Bebe Rexha, Camila Cabello, Cyndi Lauper and Julia Michaels – Praying (2018)
At the 2018 Grammys, the Time’s Up movement was a major talking point, which the stars in attendance honoured by wearing black and holding white roses on the red carpet.
This emphasis on honouring the survivors of sexual abuse, particularly in the workplace, made Kesha’s stunning version of Praying – surrounded by other female singers – all the more striking.
Janelle Monáe – Make Me Feel/PYNK (2019)
Janelle Monáe’s 2018 album Dirty Computer was accompanied by a short film of the same name, which was brought to life on the Grammys stage the following year.
And while Janelle may have gone home empty-handed on the night, this performance – which included provocative choreography, homages to Prince and *those* vulva trousers – was undoubtedly a stand-out.
Cardi B – Money (2019)
This performance was pretty much everything we love about Cardi B. It was in-your-face, it was loud, it was confident, it was totally extra, it was brilliant.
No, we’re not 100% convinced there wasn’t a bit of *ahem* help in the ol’ vocal department, but who else in the industry right now is going to give us a perfectly-executed routine on top of a grand piano, before giving a shout out to her infant daughter and strutting about in a leopard-print peacock tail?
Ariana Grande – Imagine/My Favourite Things/7 Rings/Thank U, Next (2020)
A year after snubbing the Grammys due to a dispute with organisers, this performance served as a victory lap for Ariana Grande at the end of her hugely successful Thank U, Next era.
After delivering some powerful vocals on album cut Imagine (and a quick blast of My Favourite Things from The Sound Of Music), Ari served a quick costume change and brought the house down with renditions of her chart-topping tunes 7 Rings and Thank U, Next.
Side note… in what world has a vocalist as iconic as Ariana Grande only ever performed at the Grammys once?
Tyler, The Creator, Boyz II Men And Charlie Wilson – EARFQUAKE/NEW MAGIC WAND (2020)
Tyler, The Creator brought his unique brand of showmanship to the Grammys stage in 2020, the same year he’d take home his first award from the Music Academy.
Despite clocking in at under five minutes, Tyler took us on a wild ride with this performance, which included a Boyz II Men cameo, pyrotechnics, moshing and a whole lot of bowl cuts.
Demi Lovato – Anyone (2020)
This 2020 performance can’t have been an easy one for Demi Lovato.
Not only was it the first time they’d sung live in public since their near-fatal overdose two years earlier, they were also debuting a brand new song about their experiences written just days after they were hospitalised.
Accompanied by just a piano, the extremely personal lyrics really shone, and although the singer had to begin the number again near the beginning due to being too choked up, they ended up completely nailing their performance, and there wasn’t a dry eye in the house.
Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion – Body/Savage/WAP/Up (2021)
After dominating the charts with their number one song WAP in 2020, Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion were finally able to give their track the live debut it deserved at the following year’s Grammys.
The pair each performed a string of their solo hits on the night, but it was when they came together for an outrageous, raunchy and all-round WAP-tastic routine to their much-discussed collab that they really stole the show.
Taylor Swift – Cardigan/August/Willow (2021)
On a somewhat more subdued note, Taylor Swift brought her Folklore album to life when she created a whole world for her 2021 Grammys performance.
As well as performing tracks from Folklore and its follow-up Evermore, she also scooped Album Of The Year on the night, marking her third win in the prestigious category.
Harry Styles – Watermelon Sugar (2021)
Bare-chested and wrapped up in a feather boa, Harry Styles certainly got the Grammys off to a special start in 2021 when he opened the show with this performance.
Frankly, we’ve still not recovered.
Sam Smith and Kim Petras – Unholy (2023)
If you cast your mind back to some of Sam Smith’s more subdued awards show appearances in the early years of their career, there was no indication a few years later they’d be dominating the conversation with a Grammys performance complete with choreography, pyrotechnics and a whooole lot of backlash from conservative critics.
Sam and collaborator Kim Petras gave their chart-topping hit Unholy its inaugural live performance at the 2023 Grammys – and it’s fair to say it got a few people talking.
Miley Cyrus – Flowers (2024)
To say that Miley Cyrus played the long game when it came to waiting for a Grammy would be something of an understatement.
The former Disney star finally won her first Grammy in 2024 – a full 17 years after releasing her first single – so when the time came to perform she was ready.
First, she chastised the audience for not getting up and dancing with her (“why are you acting like you don’t know this song?” she demanded during the first chorus), and then jubilantly declared “I just won my first Grammy!” towards the end of the performance.
And the fact it was all done in Bob Mackie with some of the biggest hair to grace awards season in recent years was just the cherry on top.
Joni Mitchell – Both Sides Now (2024)
Despite being an 11-time Grammy recipient, Joni Mitchell had somehow never actually performed at the ceremony until as recently as 2024.
At 80 years old, Joni proved to everyone watching why she’s still considered such a legendary force within the music scene, with a star-studded backing band for this rendition of her signature tune, Both Sides Now.
Chappell Roan – Pink Pony Club (2025)
By the time her Grammys debut came around, Chappell Roan was already a household name on both sides of the Atlantic thanks to hits like Good Luck, Babe!, Hot To Go! and Red Wine Supernova.
For her first time on the Grammy stage, Chappell decided to bring her signature hit Pink Pony Club to life with a cowgirl-inspired performance complete with rodeo clowns, a full live band and, naturally, an enormous candy-coloured horse in the middle of the fun.
Sabrina Carpenter – Espresso / Please Please Please (2025)
If there’s one thing we’ve loved about Sabrina Carpenter’s ascent to global stardom it’s having a pop star with a sense of humour at the top of their game.
She showed this off to great effect with her Grammys debut, a farce-inspired routine that was a little bit Chicago, a little bit Goldie Hawn, a little bit Muppet Show, a little bit Betty Boop, a little bit Cher and a whole lot Sabrina Carpenter.
The 2026 Grammys will take place on Sunday 1 February, with performances from the likes of Sabrina Carpenter, Addison Rae, Olivia Dean and Pharrell Williams to look forward to.
Politics
FIFA hypocrisy after Israel murder over 400 Palestinian footballers
The Board of Peace and FIFA have announced plans to build 55 football pitches, an academy, and a national stadium in Gaza. Meanwhile, Israel has murdered over 400 footballers, destroyed every football pitch in the country, and made millions of Palestinians homeless.
Yet now, a board of rich, old, and (all but one) white men is deciding Gaza’s fate. This is after supplying weapons and supporting Israel’s genocide for over two years.
The hypocrisy is off the charts.
🚨🇵🇸 WATCH: FIFA and the Board of Peace have announced they are building 55 football pitches, a FIFA academy and a national stadium in Gaza pic.twitter.com/G1cB5NVSe1
— Politics Global (@PolitlcsGlobal) February 26, 2026
Follow for the very latest political news!
The proposals include:
– 50 FIFA Arena Mini Pitches ($50,000 per pitch)
– 5 Full Sized Pitches ($1 million per pitch)
– A FIFA Academy ($15 million)
– A National Stadium ($50 million)— Politics Global (@PolitlcsGlobal) February 26, 2026
Since October 2023, Israel has murdered at least 437 Palestinian footballers — and that figure could actually be far higher.
At least 437 registered Palestinian footballers murdered by Israel since 7 October with half of them being children and FIFA continues to allow Israeli domestic and international teams to play in their competitions and tournaments https://t.co/ubzxvkKH0R
— Cllr Martin Abrams (@Martin_Abrams) February 26, 2026
Over half of these were children.
Built on child’s corpses.
— Antifa HR Director (@berniehoe2) February 26, 2026
Israel destroyed all 51 football clubs, along with 9 stadiums and the communities that came with both.
51 clubs and 9 stadiums destroyed in Gaza. Many of them date back to before 1948. At least ten football academies were erased.
FIFA’s plan is to build only one stadium and 50 mini-pitches as well as 1 academy.
This is colonialism but packaged as sports reconstruction. https://t.co/gDjx74LrU5
— Abubaker Abed (@AbubakerAbedW) February 27, 2026
Turning pitches into graveyards
At one point, Israel bombed a football pitch at a Palestinian refugee camp in Southern Lebanon, whilst 13 children were playing on it.
Israel then claimed it struck a ‘Hamas training compound’.
Of course, FIFA has turned a blind eye for over two years as Israel has murdered innocent people.
FIFA quickly suspended Russia from international tournaments after it illegally invaded Ukraine. But of course, it did not take the same action when Israel launched its full-scale genocide on Palestine.
As the Canary previously reported:
FIFA has ignored restrictions on the movement of Palestinian players and the targeting of stadiums and sports facilities in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, and the imposition of Israeli clubs in settlements at the expense of Palestinian federations.
Now, FIFA is using a Trump-esque AI video. Could they create something more fucked up if they tried?
an AI generated video of a fifa stadium erupting out of the leveled ruins of gazan neighborhoods is the most disturbing and dehumanizing thing i’ve seen on this godless app, no one involved in this will be seeing heaven i can make that guarantee
— ℑℭ𝓔𝔅𝔒𝔜 (@exsdys) February 27, 2026
Anyway, in what world is this Gaza:
This looks more like the UAE than Gaza.The men’s attire shown above is primarily associated with Gulf states. The racist AI video generator clearly cannot distinguish between different Arab populations — and FIFA apparently didn’t bother checking what its own use of AI produced before publishing it.
Orientalism at its finest.
FIFA enabling ethnic cleansing
As if it was not bad enough that FIFA has been allowing Israel to compete internationally. Now, it is an active participant in the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians.
This is as disgusting as the Trump Gaza AI video…
FIFA is participating in the ethnic cleansing of Gaza directly with the Board of Peace.
BOYCOTT FIFA. BOYCOTT THE CRIMINALS. https://t.co/5J8ZvkjeL5
— YourFavoriteGuy (@guychristensen_) February 27, 2026
Israel has murdered tens of thousands of Palestinians, and the West collectively ignored it. Now they’re going to jump on the graves of children to expand their capitalist empires as if Palestine has not suffered enough for the last 70 years.
I want to fucking cry, tens of thousands of innocent people slaughtered without a care in a world, just so that the capitalists can expand their empire further, all on top of the body of a nation that suffered for the last 70 years. You cant hate these people enough. https://t.co/LDOv34XQv9
— Radya🇵🇸 (@radishart_) February 27, 2026
We can only presume that this is some sort of soft launch for a future tournament in Israel. Of course, the powers that be – who happen to be mainly friends-of-nonces- will have no intention of including Palestine in said tournament. That’s if there are even any footballers left to invite because Israel has murdered them all.
Fifa are testing the waters and soft launching a tournament in Israel https://t.co/pRrloFVMx9
— Лайк! 🔻 (@_Ventfull_) February 26, 2026
sportswashing a genocide by building football pitches on the bodies of dead Gazans? using AI garbage to depict fast-tracked construction around the rubble? truly, truly sick. they’re paying $70m to put the FIFA stamp on ethnic cleansing. may these depraved ghouls never know peace https://t.co/YoIfR65Ire
— amadí (@amadoit__) February 27, 2026
If the board of peace, Israel, or FIFA think that a few new stadiums will make the world collectively forget the brutality of the last two years, they have another thing coming.
And who’s to say Israel would not bomb new stadiums as soon as Palestinians set foot in them? The rest of the world watches on as Israel labels whatever the hell they like Hamas targets and gets away with cold-blooded murder.
Neither a sporting governing body nor a ‘board’ made up of rich old men should be allowed any part in building on the graves of children.
Politics
Churchill statue branded ‘zionist war criminal’ in Whitehall
Conservatives and fascists got two absolute spankings last night. First, their man lost in the Gorton and Denton by-election. Then an activist graffitied Churchill’s statue in Whitehall — and not for the first time. That’s a tough 24hrs for people who think they’re living in the movie Zulu because they once saw an Asian person in Big Asda.
Here’s the Canary’s news report on the incident.
You can see the ‘damage’ — I mean, it does just wash off — below:
⚡️Churchill statue in London defaced with “Zionist war criminal” graffiti pic.twitter.com/SlCkWCAGUs
— War Monitor (@WarMonitors) February 27, 2026
Poor Winston got called a ‘Zionist war criminal’. Another part of the graffiti said ‘stop the genocide’. Thing is… Churchill was a proud Zionist and a key architect of several British imperial genocides. So while it is a bit naughty to spray that stuff on his statue… what was said isn’t technically inaccurate. The graffiti also said ‘free Palestine’, which doubtless added to the right-wing meltdown.
Met Police said a man was arrested at the scene at 4am on 27 February. It’s striking that he was detained for “racially aggravated criminal damage”:
Overnight, the Winston Churchill statue in Parliament Square was graffitied with red paint.
Officers were on scene within two minutes of being alerted shortly after 4am.
A 38-yr-old man is in custody having been arrested on suspicion of racially aggravated criminal damage.
— Metropolitan Police (@metpoliceuk) February 27, 2026
Proud Zionist
Churchill was a racist, Zionist and imperialist to his core. In fact to be fair to him he never said he wasn’t. He held these views proudly and loudly. The only people who have an issue with this basic fact are his weird cultists. Who, perversely, are often also racists.
Left-wing writer Tariq Ali wrote a (bloody good) book about the cult of Churchill and the reality of the man’s views. He told Current Affairs in May 2022:
He was a supporter of the Spanish fascist dictator Francisco Franco. He supported Franco like Hitler and Mussolini did in the Spanish Civil War.
Churchill was also “a terribly open admirer” of Italian fascist leader Benito Mussolini:
He said, what a great role Mussolini was playing in Italy. [“I could not help being charmed by his gentle, simple bearing,” Churchill said of Mussolini.
Then we have the 1943 Bengal famine, which may have killed 3mn people. A British-manufactured horror which:
Churchill refused, explicitly, to intervene to stop that famine.
And don’t forget Churchill’s 1944 crushing of the Greek resistance in favour of fascism:
the order given to the British commander, who the resistance had allowed to enter Athens, that if the resistance doesn’t do as we say, treat Athens as a colonial city. And the bloodbath that occurred in Greece as General Scobie tried to crush the Greek resistance.
Churchill’s views, as you can imagine, on Palestine flow quite naturally from these.
Churchill and Israel
Churchill, like so many imperialists in his day and ours, was both a supporter of Zionism AND an antisemite.
He supported the Balfour Declaration (the colonialist Middle East carve-up which helped get us where we are today) as British colonial secretary:
I am in full sympathy with the historical traditional aspirations of the Jews.
And said:
Jerusalem must be the only ultimate goal. When it will be achieved it is vain to prophesy; but that it will some day be achieved is one of the few certainties of the future.
Yet he wrote in 1940 that Jews
have been partly responsible for the antagonism from which they suffer.
And that:
there are times when one feels instinctively that all this is only another manifestation of the difference, the separateness of the Jew.
Of the Palestinians and their claim on their homeland, he had absolute contempt:
I do not admit that the dog in the manger has the final right to the manger even though he may have lain there for a very long time.
He also denied that:
a great wrong has been done to the Red Indians of America, or the Black people of Australia.
Churchill said such people had just been replaced with “a higher grade race.”
Nice bloke…
Now vandalising public monuments these days is going to get you in trouble — whether the politics are agreeable or not. In this case it seems to have been Dutch pro-Palestine activists. But if we’re talking about the graffiti itself, the claims made aren’t inaccurate. So maybe it’s time butthurt Churchill fans stop pretending and own their hero’s legacy as a racist and bigot.
Featured image via the Canary
Politics
Pakistan declares ‘open war’ as fighting with Afghanistan rages
Fighting on the Afghanistan-Pakistan border has intensified. One Pakistani minister has described it as a state of “open war”. And Pakistan has hit the Afghan capital Kabul with airstrikes.
Afghan forces launched attacks across the British-created Durand line on 26 February. And Pakistan has called the Taliban regime — which replaced the US-led occupation in 2021 — illegitimate and accused it of harbouring militants.
Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said on 27 February:
Afghan soil is not being used; but, the Afghan Taliban regime is fully aligned with these terrorists and is completely backing these terrorists.
Al Jazeera reported on 27 February:
Pakistan launched air strikes on Afghanistan’s capital, Kabul, as well as on Kandahar and Paktia, early on Friday. The attacks targeted Taliban military installations as Islamabad declared “open war” on the group’s government, in the most serious military confrontation between the two neighbours in years.
One Kabul resident described her terror:
Then we heard gunfire. When we looked out of our apartment window, we saw bullet-like flames going up in the sky.
Al Jazeera said the airstrikes:
came hours after Afghan forces launched coordinated cross-border attacks on Pakistani military positions in six border provinces late on Thursday. Kabul claimed 55 Pakistani soldiers were killed and 19 outposts captured.
Border war
Border fighting broke out in October 2025. A subsequent Turkey and Qatar-brokered ceasefire has now broken down.
The origins of the fighting are complicated. Ahram Online reported:
Islamabad argues that the authorities in Kabul, led by the Taliban, have failed to curb the activities of Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan, a separate but ideologically aligned group that has intensified attacks inside Pakistan since 2021.
The Taliban deny this is the case. Kabul-based political analyst Obaidullah Baheer said:
Pakistan claimed that it was doing that in response to TTP attacks based on the bogus claim that the Taliban are supporting the TTP, an insurgent group operating within Pakistan.
Drop Site News posted a timeline of the breakdown in diplomatic relations since January 2026:
Lead-up: January – Mid-February 2026
▪️Early January: Pakistan warns that Afghanistan is becoming a hub for foreign militants.
▪️February 6: A suicide bombing at a Shia mosque in Islamabad kills 31–36 worshippers. The attack is claimed by ISKP, but Pakistan blames the Afghan…
— Drop Site (@DropSiteNews) February 27, 2026
The Pakistan has also banned personal drones after Afghan forces used unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in their attack:
The ban is effective nationwide immediately and will remain in place until further directives are issued. All provincial governments and chief secretaries have been asked to ensure strict enforcement of the directive.
Vast US arsenal
A vast arsenal of US military equipment and weaponry was left behind in 2021. Those weapons are now fuelling the war. As the Canary reported on 4 February:
those weapons have flooded neighbouring Pakistan
The Foundation for Economic Education broke down some of the numbers involved. They said the giant arsenal included:
includes up to 22,174 Humvee vehicles, nearly 1,000 armored vehicles, 64,363 machine guns, and 42,000 pick-up trucks and SUVs.
There were mind-boggling amounts of small arms — and even artillery:
the list of allegedly abandoned weaponry includes up to 358,530 assault rifles, 126,295 pistols, and nearly 200 artillery units.
CNN reported that the border region holds vast quantities of copper and other minerals and metals which the US craves:
Pakistan says there is much more wealth beneath its soil –– an estimated $8 trillion in copper, lithium, cobalt, gold, antimony and other critical minerals.
This reality has:
oiled an unlikely friendship with US President Donald Trump, who has put mineral acquisition at the heart of US foreign policy
Pakistan and Afghanistan’s colonial underpinnings
The colonial nature of the conflict zone can’t be ignored either. National Geographic describes the Durand Line as:
part of a long history of colonizing countries establishing borders that serve their own political purposes while ignoring the cultures and ethnicities of the people living there.
As Ahram Online explained:
The roots of the crisis trace back to 1893, when British diplomat Sir Mortimer Durand signed an agreement with Afghan ruler Abdur Rahman Khan to demarcate a frontier between British India and Afghanistan. That line split Pashtun tribal lands between two political entities.
After independence in 1947, Pakistan:
inherited the Durand Line as an international boundary under the principle of state succession. Successive Afghan governments, however, avoided formally recognizing it as a permanent border. The dispute has simmered for decades, occasionally flaring but rarely disappearing.
The neighbours view the border very differently:
Pakistan views the border as legally settled and central to its territorial integrity. Afghanistan’s position has historically been more ambiguous, shaped by ethnic ties, nationalist sentiment, and resistance to what many Afghans see as a colonial imposition.
This explosive combination of competing territorial visions and competition for vast mineral resources is compounded by colonial history and the presence on both sides of the border of vast arsenals of lost American weapons. And ordinary people of the region aren’t without agency, yet to some degree they remain hostage to imperialisms both old and new.
Featured image via the Canary
Politics
Brit Awards 2026: What Geese Star Max Bassin Said In His Censored Speech
It’s fair to say that the censors had plenty to keep them busy during this year’s Brit Awards.
Saturday night’s Brits broadcast saw the sound being pulled on numerous occasions due to a variety of comments that were made over the course of the event.
One such moment came during musician Max Bassin’s acceptance speech, after he accepted the International Group Of The Year prize on behalf of his band Geese.
Choosing to keep things short, he began his speech by stating simply: “What’s up, ‘the Brits’? I just want to say, free Palestine…”
However, after Max said the word “free”, the audio was pulled, resulting in the rest of what he had to say being cut from broadcast.
It later emerged that Max concluded his speech: “Fuck ICE, go Geese.”
Many Brits viewers were quick to voice their upset at what appeared to be ITV censoring Max’s politically-charged speech right as the drummer was about to speak out in solidarity with Palestine.
However, in response to this backlash, the broadcaster has indicated to HuffPost UK that Max’s speech was censored due to his language after his pro-Palestine message – in other words, his use of the word “fuck” – rather than because of his political statements.
Earlier in the night, the Brits also pulled the sound when Jack Whitehall made a seemingly unscripted joke about Peter Mandelson, after spotting Manchester mayor Andy Burnham and Labour minister Lisa Nandy in the awards show’s audience.
“I wonder who else is here,” he quipped. “I think I saw Peter Mandelson on the list. Oh wait, that was another list…”
Politics
US citizens’ support for Israel plummets, new data confirms
Israel’s Gaza genocide and constant demands for money and military support have caused its popularity to nosedive among US citizens. A new Gallup poll shows a dramatic about-turn in the colony’s standing across the board, especially among Democrats and unaligned voters, but reaching even to the Republican party.
The change is even more dramatic considering how stubbornly Americans held onto their support for Israel through decades of its abuses and slaughter of Palestinians. Almost two and a half years of ongoing genocide have finally shifted things in a healthier direction and the change has Israel and its lobby flailing.
Before 7 October 2023, more than half of Americans favoured Israel over Palestine, while less than a third felt the opposite. Now, 41% say their sympathies are with the Palestinians and support for Israel is barely over a third:
US support for Israel plummets
The fall has been accelerating. In May 2025, Gallup found that support for Israel among Americans was 46%, a figure that was already significantly down. Since then, Israel has lost almost a quarter of the support it still had at that point.
However, Gallup’s data show that the change was already underway before the 7 October 2023 raid into southern Israel, though it accelerated markedly after that. This is almost certainly indicative of the US right’s growing dissatisfaction with what it perceives as an “Israel first” approach of US government and many politicians. Even the late right-wing icon Charlie Kirk had disavowed his support for the colony and rejected its money before he was publicly murdered in September 2025, though the Israel lobby moved quickly to try to hide it after his death.
The fall has been sharpest among registered supporters of the US Democratic party. Ten years ago, half of Democrats supported Israel; now, that has fallen to just 17%:
In a sane world, or even a genuine democracy, such a shift in support would have a profound effect on US foreign policy. That the US continues to pursue war on Israel’s behalf — with Democrat lawmakers scarcely less supportive than Republicans — shows just how diseased, bought and corrupted US politics is under the Israel lobby, like its counterpart in the UK.
Featured image via the author
Politics
Campaign Against Antisemitism wrist slapped for ‘mismanagement’
The Charity Commission has found what it described as “mismanagement” by the misnamed ‘Campaign Against Antisemitism’ (CAA) for political activities at odds with its status as a ‘charity’. The CAA claims to combat antisemitism, but is in fact an Israel-funded lobby group that specialises in “defaming Palestine solidarity campaigners.”
CAA has been under scrutiny since September 2024, when it attacked as “obscene” the Starmer government for daring to make even a phantom reduction in arms licences to Israel. A further complaint was lodged with the Commission by human rights group CAGE in 2025. CAGE describes CAA, along with its fellow lobby group ‘UK Lawyers for Israel,’ as “Britain’s apartheid lobby” for their vexatious attacks on support for the Palestinian people against occupation, oppression and genocide.
However, the Commission’s announcement falls far short of the appropriate step of stripping a political lobbying group of its charitable status. This is hardly surprising: the Commission has been investigating CAA since at least 2018 without effective action.
Campaign Against Antisemitism guilty of mismanagement
The Charity Commission criticised CAA’s ‘failure’ to retain records relating to its 2024 political attack as “mismanagement”, said it had doubts that CAA’s statement “furthered the charity’s [supposed] objectives” and said it had issued the CAA with a “remedial Action Plan”. This treats CAA as if its conduct were merely shoddy and in need of improvement, rather than in line with its real, Israel-supporting goals — even though the Commission admitted it had received other complaints about its behaviour.
The Commission views failing to retain records relating to this decision making as mismanagement in the administration of this charity.
Further complaints have also been raised about CAA’s attack on the UK’s judicial system because a jury had dared to declare the Starmer regime’s ‘terror’ ban on anti-genocide group Palestine Action unlawful. CAA has boasted of its role in securing the ban.
CAA boss Gideon Falter is one of the central figures in the Israel lobby’s attacks on the Labour left during the Corbyn era. In 2024, as hundreds of thousands protested peacefully against Israel’s genocide in Gaza, he tried to claim that police had prevented him from ‘crossing a road’ because of the threat posed by a ‘hateful’ anti-genocide march. In fact, he had turned up with a security detail — not to ‘cross’ the road but to try to barge through the demo in the opposite direction.
Jewish anti-genocide group JVL lodged a 2020 complaint that CAA is a “highly politically partisan organisation which does not deserve charitable status”. JVL welcomed the Commission’s action against CAA as “not before time”. However, in reality it amounts to nothing more than a light slap on the wrist for one of the Israel lobby’s worst offenders. It evidences once again how spineless UK institutions are against the genocide lobby.
Featured image via the Canary
Politics
Arrested At The SOTU… For Standing
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Politics
Netanyahu reportedly abandons Israelis
War criminal Benjamin Netanyahu has fled and flown to Greece – like he did in last year’s ’12-day war’ – as retaliatory Iranian missiles batter Israel.
What else would the butcher of Gaza, Netanyahu, do but display his wide yellow streak, turn tail and run – leaving ‘his’ country and its occupying population to burn behind him.
Genocidal Netanyahu is a coward
And how it showed. While Netanyahu ran away, Iran’s missiles skipped past Israel’s defences as easily as they did in June 2025 and wrought havoc. There were scenes of utter panic at Israeli ports and shelters:
This is not even Iran’s full response yet. Whereas last year it used swarms of drones and missiles to overwhelm Israel’s defences, now it apparently needed just thirty:
🇮🇷🇮🇱Israel Army Radio: Nearly 30 missiles were used in the latest attack; this is the largest and most organized attack by Iran since this morning‼️ pic.twitter.com/RIrApw9rpl
— Dr.Sam Youssef Ph.D.,M.Sc.,DPT. (@drhossamsamy65) February 28, 2026
US news station NBC broadcast one major strike:
A Mossad-run call centre was hit, according to not yet confirmed reports:
🚨🇮🇷 BREAKING
Iranian missiles have struck Israel’s Mossad-run call centers employing Indian workers near the Al Jumeirah Hotel in Dubai.
These call centers were reportedly responsible for large-scale scams targeting Americans and Europeans. pic.twitter.com/LvBITWKK2C
— Zard si Gana (@ZardSi) February 28, 2026
Israeli TV was broadcasting live as a missile struck:
Footage showed other missiles breaching Israel’s ‘dome’:
Iranian missiles hitting central Israel just now. pic.twitter.com/Q1VU2khQQT
— Irves (@Irves_Watch) February 28, 2026
Some of the missiles, though not all, were ballistic – though not yet apparently Iran’s most effective hypersonic types:
🚨⚡️BREAKING: Missile alerts are sounding across Israel as footage emerges appearing to show multiple ballistic missiles launched earlier from inside Iran pic.twitter.com/uWRCk7aS4Z
— Segun (@segungideon10) February 28, 2026
Israeli propaganda account ‘Stand With Us’ has just reported ‘red’ warnings across Israel, showing the scale of danger and panic:
And new footage posted by an ABN News producer shows that the attack continues to intensify:
Another footage of interceptors launched from Patriot air defence batteries defending Qatar’s Al Udeid Air Base against Iranian missiles.
One interceptor missile appears to have failed.#Qatar #Iran #Israel
pic.twitter.com/dmawZ4fDfh— Syed Askar Ali Shah (@syedaskar451) February 28, 2026
Locally-shot footage showed devastation where the missiles struck:
The coward Netanyahu and his colony love to bomb and murder children and the defenceless. They run away when a victim can strike back.
Featured image via the Canary
Politics
Brit Awards 2027: All The Must-See Moments You Might Have Missed
The biggest night in British music was an especially big one this year.
On Saturday night, the 2026 Brit Awards took place in Manchester for the first time, in a night that delivered glittering performance, a few surprise wins and plenty of moments that kept ITV’s censors busy.
If you missed this year’s broadcast and want to catch up (or, indeed, if you were only half-watching, and you’re wondering if there were any bits that completely passed you by), then you’re in luck, because we’ve rounded up X of the top must-see moments from the 2026 Brit Awards…
Before the ceremony was even underway, Harry Styles made us smile on the red carpet with this business suit/ballet pumps combo

Anthony Harvey/Shutterstock
Rosalía got her night off to a suitably dramatic start with this complete serve

Anthony Harvey/Shutterstock
And it was a strong showing all-round from some of our fave celeb couples, including Jade and Jordan Stephens…


Anthony Harvey/Shutterstock
…and darts icon Luke Littler and his long-term girlfriend Faith Millar

Comedian Jack Whitehall kicked off his sixth time hosting the Brits with a skit paying homage to his love of Harry Styles
The man himself then opened the show properly with a performance of Aperture, complete with a lot of hand-ography and bum-wiggling
Jack Whitehall pulled absolutely no punches with his introductory Brits monologue, coming for everyone from Alex Warren (‘what you get if you order Ed Sheeran on Temu’), Lily Allen (‘her album was launched into the charts like a torpedo – only this torpedo didn’t sink a ship, it destroyed a Harbour’), Robbie Williams (‘he’s had more comebacks than his hairline’) and Noel Gallagher (‘Songwriter Of The Year… 1996’)
Oh, and he also delivered this jibe at the expense of the BBC
The voices of Huntr/x brought the joy with a performance – a pre-recorded one, we should add – of their hit Golden
And Olivia Dean’s rendition of Man I Need was similarly just… absolutely lovely, to be honest
Raye’s vocals on her renditions of Where Is My Husband! and Nightingale Lane were truly jaw-dropping
…and they were similarly quick to censor an introduction by Angry Ginge, to (he was jokingly calling London a ‘shithole’ if you’re interested)

Jack Whitehall then told us we were about to have ‘our minds blown by the incomparable Rosalía’ and he was absolutely not wrong
Oh and yes, Rosalía actually managed to get Björk back performing at the Brits for the first time in more than 30 years

The sound was pulled once again after Geese musician Max Bassin declared ‘free Palestine, fuck ICE’ during his International Group Of The Year speech
Jack Whitehall’s exchange with Shaun Ryder and Bez started off chaotic and only ventured into increasingly surreal territory
Alex Warren’s performance included a surprise guest spot from James Blunt because hey why not?

Noel Gallagher kicked off his Songwriter Of The Year speech by thanking his brother and Oasis bandmate Liam
Mark Ronson’s Outstanding Contribution performance featured some lovely tributes to Amy Winehouse…
…as well as a surprise(-ish) appearance from Dua Lipa

Rosalía’s special night just kept getting better as she was crowned International Artist Of The Year, beating some seriously stiff competition including Taylor Swift, Chappell Roan, Bad Bunny, Bruno Mars, Sabrina Carpenter and Lady Gaga

And CMAT had some fun with the cameras at losing out in this category for the second time

The night’s top winner Olivia Dean was visibly elated to pick up the Brits’ top honour, Album Of The Year

And finally, following a speech by Sharon Osbourne and her daughter Kelly, Robbie Williams was absolutely spot-on with his musical tribute to Ozzy Osbourne, which closed the show
Politics
Tel Aviv gets a taste of its own medicine
In maybe the only good news of the year so far, Iranian ballistic missiles have struck both Tel Aviv – including Mossad HQ – causing major damage.
JUST IN: 🇮🇱🇮🇷 Major damage in Tel Aviv, Israel following Iranian ballistic missile strike.
— BRICS News (@BRICSinfo) February 28, 2026
Mossad HQ and Israeli military intelligence HQ in Tel Aviv hit by Iran.
— Richard Medhurst (@richimedhurst) February 28, 2026
Of course, white Jewish Israelis will be running to their cosy little bomb shelters. Meanwhile, as we have seen previously, the illegal settlers exclude minorities.
Nothing to see here.
Just Israelis hiding in bunkers. Dancing and cheering as bombs rain on schoolgirls in Iran.
And as American soldiers are sent to die for Israel’s war.
CNN and BBC won’t show you this.pic.twitter.com/ZpXv2ImU3T
— sarah (@sahouraxo) February 28, 2026
And Netanyahu? The dickhead responsible for the chaos across the entirety of the Middle East flew out of Tel Aviv quicker than Donald Trump can post to Truth Social when new Epstein files drop.
🇮🇱✈️ Netanyahu’s plane just left Israel. Circled for hours. Now over Greece.
The man who started the war. Who promised victory. Who declared Khamenei dead.
Now flying away while his country burns.
They’ll call it a trip. They’ll call it strategy. They’ll call it anything… pic.twitter.com/89OtANR4qF
— New Direction AFRICA (@Its_ereko) February 28, 2026
IsNOTrael is getting a taste of its own medicine.
BOOM BOOM #Telaviv, please #Iran make them feel what they have done to #Gaza https://t.co/8HXtdxInnV
— kandang puyang (@KandangPuyang) February 28, 2026
If you play with fire you can get burned. God save the Middle East. https://t.co/UX9uspqsyr
— Neil Nevim (@NeilNevim) February 28, 2026
And I’m guessing all media broadcasts will be banned from Israel in 3, 2, 1…
Tel Aviv is in tatters right now. Israelis are banned by military order from filming the damage (one of their many democratic values).
— Richard Medhurst (@richimedhurst) February 28, 2026
Israel is finally getting an iota of what it deserves for murdering thousands of Palestinians.
Netanyahu and Trump bomb civilian areas, killing children in the process, and then run, hide or party. They give zero fucks about the lives they are taking.
Anyone who has chosen to stay in Israel after watching Netanyahu and his terrorist government wage war on Palestinians for the last two and a half years needs to give their head a shake. And quite frankly, I have zero sympathy that they now have bombs falling on them.
Featured image via the Canary
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