At Cosmopolitan, The Sound of Now is our way of celebrating the artists who are defining music in real time. Welcome to our Sound of Now: Class of 2026, a special digital issue that brings you inside Grammys weekend.
Music’s biggest night has come and gone, but the behind-the-scenes magic is still coming into focus.
In between sound checks, fittings, and red carpets—and as part of Cosmopolitan’s Sound of Now special digital issue—artists walked through Universal Music Group’s official Grammys gifting suite for a moment of calm amid the chaos. Stars were able to pick up goodies from brands like Adidas, Dr. Martens, Polaroid, Fleur du Mal, Vuori, and Hydro Flask, but beyond the gifting, something more personal was happening behind the camera lens.
Each celebrity who stepped through the suite was photographed by Hunter Abrams and Sam Lee using Polaroid I-2 camera and film, an analog choice that slowed the fuss down and captured a real moment in time (no edits, no retouching, no additional takes). In a wild move for some of the younger artists photographed, this actually became their first time ever holding a physical photo of themselves, watching the image slowly appear in real time. To make it all the more special, for each artist photographed, UMG pledged to donate to the Music Health Alliance’s Music Industry Mental Health Fund, a program they launched together last year that helps music industry professionals offset the costs of mental health support.
Cosmopolitan followed artists throughout the suite to catch these quiet, in-between moments right before the whirlwind of Grammys night began. The resulting images below are true snapshots in time, not overly polished or posed, capturing the best and brightest of 2026 music culture as it exists in this moment.
Below, check out an exclusive look at all the talented artists who stopped by UMG’s Grammys gifting suite for an authentic, unfiltered minute.
