Carpenter performed “Manchild,” and later held a white dove at the end of the set.

PETA slams Sabrina Carpenter’s Grammys 2026 performance over use of live bird: ‘Childlike behavior’

Carpenter performed "Manchild," and later held a white dove at the end of the set.

Joey Nolfi is a senior writer at *. *Since 2016, his work at EW includes *RuPaul's Drag Race* video interviews, Oscars predictions, and more.

EW's editorial guidelines

February 1, 2026 9:59 p.m. ET

Leave a Comment

Sabrina Carpenter with a bird during her Grammys 2026 performance. Credit:

Stewart Cook/CBS via Getty

Sabrina Carpenter has ruffled some feathers over using a live bird during her Grammys 2026 performance.

After the 26-year-old took the Grammys stage Sunday night in Los Angeles, activist organization People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) released a statement condemning the entertainer for using a live bird a white dove as part of the act.

"Did Sabrina Carpenter really just bring a bird on stage in 2026?! The Manchild singer is giving childlike behavior. Leave animals out of the #GRAMMYs," PETA wrote Sunday night on social media, alongside sharing an image of Carpenter holding the bird on the Grammys stage.

Sabrina Carpenter performing at the 2026 Grammys.

Kevin Mazur/Getty

"Hey Sabrina. Bringing a live bird onto the Grammys stage is stupid, slow, useless, and cruel," PETA wrote atop the image, referencing the lyrics to Carpenter's work.

The statement continued, warning that, "Bright lights, loud noise, and handling cause fear and distress for a bird who belongs flying free in the open sky."

** has reached out to Carpenter's representatives for comment.

'SNL' star Marcello Hernández reacts to Dax Shepard pressing him to date Sabrina Carpenter

Sabrina Carpenter shares she accidentally 'set my bathroom on fire,' posts pic of the intense damage

***Get your daily dose of entertainment news, celebrity updates, and what to watch with our EW Dispatch newsletter*.**

Carpenter, a two-time Grammy winner herself, fronted an airport-themed setup as the first performer of the evening inside the city's Crypto.com Arena.

At the end of the song, Carpenter sat on a platform embedded in the middle of a silver plane. As the device lifted the performer into the air, she pulled out a white dove.

Sabrina Carpenter's 2026 Grammys performance.

Kevin Mazur/Getty

When she reached the top of the plane, the bird flapped in Carpenter's hands, as the pop star looked out toward the crowd and the song came to a close.

Elsewhere at the 2026 Grammys ceremony, Carpenter was nominated for six total awards, with the aforementioned "Manchild" scoring nods for Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Best Pop Solo Performance, and Best Music Video.

The song's parent album, *Man's Best Friend*, earned nominations for Album of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Album**

- Awards Shows & Events

Original Article on Source

Source: “EW Grammys”