Reba McEntire, Brandy Clark and Lukas Nelson paid tribute to those who passed away in the past year, including her late son Brandon Blackstock, with a touching performance of “Trailblazer (Dream Chaser Version)” during the In Memoriam segment at the 2026 GRAMMYs on Sunday, February 1.
Live from Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, the trio of country superstars joined forces with The Recording Academy to remember the artists, creators, and music professionals we’ve lost over the last year or so, including Blackstock, songwriter Brett James, Jeannie Seely, Jerry Butler, John Lodge, Gordon Goodwin, Gwen McCrae, Richard Smallwood, Todd Snider, Jill Sobule, Connie Francis, David Briggs, Roy Ayers, Joe Ely, Rick Davies, Howie Klein, and more.
Surrounded by elegant floral arrangements and burning candles, McEntire, Clark and Nelson performed a newly released rendition of “Trailblazer,” titled “Trailblazer (Dream Chaser Version).”
McEntire sang the opening verse of the song before Clark on acoustic guitar joined in for the second verse and chorus.
Reba McEntire is an 18-time GRAMMY nominee and three-time GRAMMY winner. She was also nominated at this year’s show for Best Country Duo/Group Performance for “Trailblazer” alongside Miranda Lambert and Lainey Wilson.
McEntire and her soon-to-be husband, Rex Linn, made a show-stopping entrance at the 68th Annual GRAMMY Awards. The couple arrived hand in hand to the 2026 GRAMMYs, beaming with smiles and turning heads as they walked the red carpet together.
Ahead of the performance, McEntire opened up about the emotional tribute. “I’ve got a lot of friends on that screen tonight. My oldest son, Brandon Blackstock, is also up there. He [passed in August], and so this is going to be a very emotional song to sing,” McEntire told producers. “Brandi rewrote a few lines [of “Trailblazer”] to fit everybody who has passed, and I think it’s a wonderful song to pay tribute and honor them.”
The 2026 GRAMMYs also featured unforgettable performances from Bruno Mars, Addison Rae, Alex Warren, Andrew Watt, Brandy Clark, Chad Smith, Clipse, Duff McKagan, Justin Bieber, KATSEYE, Lady Gaga, Leon Thomas, Lola Young, Lukas Nelson, Ms. Lauryn Hill, Olivia Dean, Pharrell Williams, Post Malone, Reba McEntire, ROSÉ, Sabrina Carpenter, Slash, SOMBR, The Marías, Tyler, The Creator, and more.
Ms. Lauryn Hill honored the late Roberta Flack and D’Angelo with a special performance. Post Malone, Andrew Watt, Chad Smith of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Duff McKagan and Slash of Guns N’ Roses also celebrated the life and legacy of the late “Prince of Darkness,” Ozzy Osbourne.
Addison Rae, Alex Warren, KATSEYE, Leon Thomas, Lola Young, Olivia Dean, SOMBR, and The Marías also took the stage for a special Best New Artist showcase performance.
A star-studded lineup of presenters graced the stage during “Music’s Biggest Night,” including Carole King, Chappell Roan, Charli XCX, Doechii, Harry Styles, Jeff Goldblum, KAROL G, Lainey Wilson, Marcello Hernández, Nikki Glaser, Q-Tip, Queen Latifah, and Teyana Taylor.
Hosted by Trevor Noah, the 68th Annual GRAMMY Awards aired live from Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Sunday, February 1, at 8/7c on CBS. Produced by Fulwell 73 Productions for the Recording Academy, the event was also available to stream live and on-demand via Paramount+.
