LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 01: Nuno Bettencourt attends the 68th GRAMMY Awards on February 01, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by John Shearer/Getty Images for The Recording Academy)
Los Angeles, CA – February 1st, 2026 – Tonight, the iconic rock guitarist, Nuno Bettencourt, walked away with a GRAMMY alongside Yungblud and Frank Bello, taking home Best Rock Performance for their powerful rendition of “Changes (Live from Villa Park, Birmingham).” The performance was conceived as a tribute to Ozzy Osbourne, who passed away just eight days later. The emotional weight behind the performance was felt again on Grammy night as the trio accepted the award onstage alongside Sharon Osbourne.
For Bettencourt, it was less about competition and more about honoring a moment that came together almost by instinct. Speaking on the red carpet, he revealed that the now-award-winning performance was largely improvised. “We didn’t even really arrange it,” he said. “The night before, it was just piano and vocal, and we said, ‘Let’s make it emotional. Let’s make it our Purple Rain.’”
That instinctive, emotionally driven approach didn’t come out of nowhere. Bettencourt noted that the decision to shape the performance around vulnerability and restraint was informed by the artists who taught him that power in rock can come from intimacy as much as volume. Referencing Prince and the influence of Purple Rain, Bettencourt reflected, “That idea came straight from him — this award is partly his.”
That last-minute decision transformed “Changes” into one of the most talked-about performances of the night. “We had no idea it was going to touch people the way it did,” Bettencourt admitted. “That’s what made it magic.” The performance became the only single released from the concert, and its impact extended far beyond the stage. Even Brian May from Queen later reached out to Bettencourt to say the performance had deeply moved him.
Bettencourt also spoke candidly about Yungblud, whose presence surprised some audiences. “Some people thought of him as more of a pop kid,” Bettencourt said, “but when you’re around him, you feel the rock ’n’ roll.” He credited Yungblud’s vocal performance that night as a turning point, adding, “That vocal he delivered that night? I think it changed his career.”
Reflecting on Ozzy Osbourne’s passing, Bettencourt shared a final moment that continues to stay with him. “The last thing Ozzy ever said to me, he grabbed my wrist and said, ‘You were the only one.’ That’s something I’ll carry forever.”
In the end, Bettencourt sees the GRAMMY as a symbol rather than a finish line. “The win already happened that night,” he said. “Everything else is just a beautiful bonus.” For Bettencourt, the moment was less about trophies and more about the connection, legacy, and shared emotion created by the performance.
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