Read Joni Mitchell’s Full 2026 Grammy Acceptance Speech

Joni Mitchell Made For the Roses Because She Was ‘Pissed Off’

by Bethy Squires
Vulture
February 1, 2026

Joni Mitchell never lies. This is as true now as when Q-Tip said it on The Velvet Rope. While accepting her Grammy for Best Historical Album at the 2026 Grammy Awards Premiere Ceremony, Joni Mitchell gave us the full Joni Mitchell experience. And thankfully, the band knew not to play her off.

"This is the most glitter and glamour I ever saw at the Grammys," Mitchell said, perhaps because she was wearing a full sequined duster and gold lamé beret. And an "ICE OUT" pin, the statement accessory of the evening. Mitchell then waxed historic on her Best Historical Album win. Here's Mitchell's nostalgic and entertaining full acceptance speech below:

I had to make a transition for survival from folk music, which was killed by the British Invasion. David Crosby was afraid that they were going to slap some kind of band on me and that it would ruin my music. So I made that record with voice and guitar. Then the record company sicced the band on me. It was called The Section, they were a good band for James Taylor and Linda Ronstadt, but they couldn't play my music. The drummer said 'Joni, you're going to have to play with jazz musicians.' So I started going to the jazz clubs, looking for a band, and I found a band I liked called the LA Express. And I made an album called Court and Spark with them.

Then I made an album called For the Roses, because I was pissed off at the music business. And I drew an album cover of a horse's ass. And David Geffen wouldn't let me put it on the album cover. But we're putting it out that way now. But he did let me let me have a billboard of it on Sunset. So there was a big horse's ass on Sunset for a while. Well, anyway, I'm very honored to receive a Grammy for those records. Thank you, I guess that's it.