Other artists also spoke about politics throughout the night, including Michael Jackson’s daughter Paris Jackson, who mentioned the Dakota Access pipeline protests.

Paris Jackson: “Thank you so much. We can really use this kind of excitement at a pipeline protest, guys! #NoDAPL.”

Meanwhile, JLo quoted a Toni Morrison essay. Actress Laverne Cox spoke about high school student Gavin Grimm’s fight for the right to use the bathroom that matches his gender identity—a reference that came only two days after the Trump administration said it was dropping a challenge to a federal injunction prohibiting Grimm and other transgender students from having the right use the bathroom that corresponds to their identity. Katy Perry wore a Planned Parenthood pin and an armband reading “persist”—in reference to Elizabeth Warren’s reading of Coretta Scott King’s letter against Jeff Sessions during a debate over his confirmation as attorney general. Senator Warren was silenced and rebuked for reading this letter.