Joni Mitchell wins best historical album Grammy, wears “Ice Out” button on stage

Joni Mitchell made a rare public appearance to accept the Grammy for best historical album on Sunday.

The Canadian folk legend won for “Joni Mitchell Archives – Volume 4: The Asylum Years,” a box set featuring unreleased material from her personal archives.

This particular collection highlighted songs from 1976 to 1980.

The 82-year-old singer-songwriter was escorted on stage while wearing a shimmering pantsuit adorned in gold, silver and black sequins.

While her speech did not touch on politics, Mitchell also sported an “Ice Out” button, which has been a form of protest at red-carpet events against the presence of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in American cities.

Several winning artists took aim at the Trump administration’s Immigration crackdown, which has sparked outcry for excessive use of force.

Mitchell recounted the period leading up to her 1974 album “Court and Spark,” noting she wrote it while trying to survive the cultural phenomenon known as the British Invasion, which dimmed the popularity of folk music.

Mitchell said her label tried to force a band on her for the album, so she recruited the jazz band L.A. Express.

Mitchell went on to recall making her 1972 album “For the Roses,” saying label head David Geffen wouldn’t allow her to use a sketch of a donkey’s behind as the album cover.

However, she said he did allow her to use the drawing on a billboard.

“So there was a big horse’s ass on Sunset Boulevard for a while,” she quipped as the audience erupted in laughter.

“Well, anyway, I’m very honoured to receive a Grammy for those records. Thank you.”

Several other Canadians were among the winners at the afternoon Grammys ceremony, including Halifax songwriter and producer Henry Walter, better known as Cirkut, who took home producer of the year and best dance pop recording trophies.

He won the latter alongside Canadian sound mixer Serban Ghenea for their work on Lady Gaga’s “Abracadabra.”

Also among the Canadian winners was Toronto’s Justin Gray, who won a Grammy Award for best immersive audio album.

He’s the first Canadian to ever win a Grammy in the category.

The Grammy Awards are set to air Sunday night with much-awaited performances from the world’s biggest stars including Stratford, Ont., native Justin Bieber, who is up for several marquee awards.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 1, 2026.