Kelsea Ballerini Shares Her Painstaking Effort to Shine at 2026 Grammys

Kelsea Ballerini endured pain to look glamorous, and her Grammys look was one of the best of the night.

In a Cosmopolitan photo diary, she shared details about her stunning gown, which required medical intervention. “I did indeed have to take Advil for my head because it was a snatched moment,” she wrote, referring to a close-up snap of her slicked-back style.

Celebrity hairstylist Chris Appleton, the maestro behind her hairstyle, revealed he took his inspiration from Ballerini’s green and gold beaded Etro halter dress. In sharing an image of the hairdo, he noted, “Snatched and sculpted. I took inspiration from the pattern in the dress and brought it right up to the hair.”

At the Grammys red carpet, Ballerini also mentioned a sweet tribute to her late dog Dibs sewn into her dress. She explained, “The designers and my stylists added this as a surprise at our final fitting. It felt more sentimental knowing that he was close by for the night.”

Ballerini opened up about a personal experience with E! Live’s interview on an aspect of her life she had previously disclosed much more openly. “I’ve always been a chronic oversharer, and for the first time at 32, I’m reigning it in,” she said. “My life might just be my life for a while; it feels right.”

In the photo diary, Ballerini also spoke about her reunion with Outer Banks star Chase Stokes, mentioning they had been through a breakup together.