Curls Dominate the Grammys 2026 Red Carpet: Doechii, SZA, Olivia Dean and More

Curls crashed the 2026 Grammy Awards red carpet in Los Angeles on Sunday night, where artists across all genres of music paraded with coiled and coiffed hair textures courtesy of their stylists.

While Doechii paired her custom Roberto Cavalli with a contemporary palm tree, SZA let her curls loose over the plunging neckline of her Kenzo gown. At the same time, Best New Artist winner Olivia Dean painted her “old soul” artist persona with romantic curls and custom Chanel. Ahead, WWD takes a look at the best curl moments at the 68th annual awards ceremony, from Dean to Doechii.

Olivia Dean

Outside the Crypto.com Arena, Dean posed with combed-through curls crafted by celebrity hairstylist Rachel Polycarpe, whose client list also includes Chappell Roan. Polycarpe used Tangle Teezer’s Ultimate Detangler in Naturally Curly before taking a skinny barrel curler to small sections of her hair. She then brushed the curls using the Ultimate Detangler Chrome.

“The inspiration came from that iconic, high glam era where hair felt bold, feminine and unapologetically full,” Polycarpe said in the press release. “I wanted to capture that sense of drama and movement, big volume, soft curls and a natural confidence, but modernize it so it felt effortless rather than styled. The final look is polished yet fluid, with texture and body that feels powerful and romantic.” 

Polycarpe also pulled a few Olaplex products to help construct the look, including “the No.4 and No.5 Bond Maintenance Shampoo and Conditioner, No.5 Leave-In Conditioner, No.9 Bond Protector Nourishing Hair Serum, No.7 Bonding Oil and 4D Detox Dry Shampoo,” per a release by the brand.

SZA

SZA’s mop of coils was courtesy of hairstylist Devante Turnbull, using a range of Chris McMillan products. To start, Turnbull applied the Mousse to the “SOS” singer’s towel-dried hair and sealed the texture and volume using the Gel.

“While the hair was still damp, I used the scrunching method to further define the curl,” Turnbull said in the press release. “I diffused the hair and used a small amount of The Chris McMillan Mousse to finger-coil the ends.”

Finally, Turnbull applied Chris McMillan’s Texture Spray and Hairspray to lift the curls and “The Wand to smooth edges and tame flyaways.”

Chappell Roan

Artist Lacy Redway brought Roan’s long, bohemian-inspired curl pattern to life on Sunday night, folding crimped and fishtail sections between scrunched coils. The braided pieces draped over her extensions in the back like a velvet rope, while her bangs were tangled and spread across her forehead, tickling her ginger brows. Meanwhile, the body of her hair blended fiery red hues with a subdued orange shade similar to that of her brows.

Sombr

Sombr, born Shane Michael Boose, honored his first Grammy nomination with his signature floppy curls. While the “12 to 12” singer has been known to partner with makeup artist and men’s groomer Amanda Wilson, she’s not yet been credited as the beauty architect behind this look. WWD has reached out for confirmation.

Doechii

Backstage at the awards ceremony, Doechii peeked through a pool of coils, courtesy of @slayedbymatthew, falling from a high ponytail. The style was reminiscent of the once-beloved palm tree hairdo, a trend recently reimagined at the Jacquemus fall 2026 show. Indeed, Doechii’s was much more voluminous.