Sabrina Carpenter took to the stage at the 2026 Grammy Awards and delivered an unforgettable performance of ‘Manchild’. Check it out below.
- READ MORE: Sabrina Carpenter – ‘Man’s Best Friend’ review: pop’s bawdy troubadour hits the melodic G-spot
The ceremony for this year’s event took place at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles last night (February 1), and saw Kendrick Lamar, Olivia Dean, Bad Bunny, and Lady Gaga among those taking home wins.
Performances came from the likes of Justin Bieber, KATSEYE, Lola Young, Lauryn Hill, Olivia Dean, Pharrell Williams, Post Malone, and more, as well as from Sabrina Carpenter, who performed her 2025 hit single ‘Manchild’.
For the set, she broke out the lead single from her ‘Man’s Best Friend’ album with an airport-themed set. Dressed as a pilot, she delivered the rendition by walking down the luggage conveyor belts and jumping onto a luggage carrier.
She also continued the airline theme with an actual plane as a prop behind her, along with departure times on the stage and stacks of suitcases. She performed while holding traffic wands, surrounded by backing dancers who dressed either as passengers or airport staff. To top things off, she ended the set by bringing out a live dove.
The appearance marked the second time that Carpenter took to the Grammys stage to sing live, having first done so last year. That appearance saw her perform huge singles ‘Espresso’ and ‘Please, Please, Please’, and at the 2025 edition she also won trophies in the Best Pop Vocal Album and Best Pop Solo Performance categories.
This time around, Carpenter had an impressive six nominations – Album of the Year, Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Best Pop Solo Performance, Best Pop Vocal Album, Best Music Video – but did not secure the win in any category.
The song ‘Manchild’ remains one of the singer’s biggest singles, and was shared last summer as the first taster of her latest album. When it dropped, it got some fans talking for its lyrics – with some speculating it could be about Barry Keoghan.
The two were first rumoured to be dating in September 2023, then made their first public appearance together at the Grammys after-party the following February. They attended the MET Gala together too, and the singer made a nod to his infamous Saltburn scene at Coachella 2024. The Banshees of Inisherin actor also starred in the music video for her hit song ‘Please Please Please’.
They were rumoured to have split in December 2024, and amid rumours of cheating, and Keoghan took to social media to call out some of the “disgusting” behaviour he faced from fans around that time.
As for the 2026 Grammys other performances on the night included special tribute performances held for late artists, including D’Angelo, Roberta Flack, and the beloved Black Sabbath frontman, Ozzy Osbourne.
Other memorable moments on the night included Billie Eilish winning Song Of The Year with her ‘Hit Me Hard and Soft’ track ‘Wildflower’, and using the acceptance speech to hit out at ICE, and Bad Bunny also delivering an impassioned “ICE out” speech.
Best New Artist winner Olivia Dean appeared to subtly hit out at Trump too, and it was Kendrick Lamar who secured the most wins at the event, taking home trophies in all four rap categories and securing Record Of The Year for his SZA collaboration ‘Luther’.
Check out a full list of winners here.