Justin Bieber returned to the Grammys stage on Sunday night Feb. 1 with a performance of his R and B track “Yukon” at the 2026 ceremony, held at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. The appearance marked his first televised performance in several years.
Taking the stage with an electric guitar and little else, wearing only shorts and performing shirtless, Bieber slowly layered the rhythm of “Yukon” using loop pedals, echoing the live approach Ed Sheeran used at the 2018 awards. He then moved into a stripped back and emotionally open solo version of the Swag ballad. The moment was met with a warm response from the room, including visible support from his wife Hailey, who applauded straight into the camera.
Bieber entered this year’s ceremony with four nominations, including album of the year and best pop vocal album for his 2025 release Swag, as well as best pop solo performance for “Daisies.” He was also nominated for best R and B performance for “Yukon,” though that award was handed out during the pre show to Kehlani for “Folded.”
His relationship with the Grammys stretches back more than a decade, with 23 nominations since his first nod in 2011. He has won twice, though in unexpected categories, earning best dance electronic recording for “Where Are Ü Now” with Jack Ü and best country duo or group performance for “10,000 Hours” alongside Dan + Shay. The album of the year nomination for Swag marks his third in that category, following earlier nods for Purpose in 2017 and Justice (Triple Chucks Deluxe) in 2022.
Both of Bieber’s nominated tracks remain strong on the charts this week. On the Billboard Hot 100 dated Jan. 31, “Daisies” sits at No. 15 after previously reaching No. 2, while “Yukon” holds at No. 31 with a peak of No. 17, more than six months after their July debuts. Swag also continues to chart on the Billboard 200, landing at No. 88 this week after opening at No. 2.
