GESAFFELSTEIN WINS GRAMMY IN FULL BLACK MASK

Summary:

• French producer Gesaffelstein won Best Remixed Recording at the 2026 Grammys for his version of Lady Gaga's "Abracadabra"
• He wore a full black mask with no eye or mouth openings throughout the ceremony, matching his album Gamma artwork
• The win marks his first Grammy Award after a decade-long career producing for Kanye West and The Weeknd

Mike Lévy walked the Grammys red carpet on Sunday night in a full black mask. The French producer, who records as Gesaffelstein, wore a smooth, reflective covering with no openings for eyes or mouth. He paired the mask with a dark tailored suit and gloves.

He kept the mask on when he accepted his award for Best Remixed Recording. His reworking of Lady Gaga's "Abracadabra" beat nominations from Kaytranada, David Guetta, and Chris Lake. He walked to the stage, took the trophy, gestured to the crowd, and left without speaking.

The mask appears on the cover of Gamma, his most recent album. Lévy has used the same glossy black headpiece in promotional material for the record. The look recalls Daft Punk's white helmets from the 2014 Grammys, another case of French electronic producers obscuring their faces at the ceremony.

Lévy started producing in the early 2010s. He built a reputation for dark, minimal electronic music with hard drums and industrial textures. His first album, Aleph, came out in 2013 on his own label. The record established his sound: cold, precise, and built for dark rooms.

His production work brought him into pop territory. He worked on several tracks for Kanye West's Yeezus in 2013. The collaboration introduced his aesthetic to a wider audience. He went on to produce for The Weeknd, contributing to songs that blended his stark electronic approach with R&B vocals.

His remix of "Abracadabra" strips down the original pop structure. The new version emphasizes bass and rhythm over melody. He removes most of Gaga's vocal layers and replaces them with his signature industrial sound. The Recording Academy noted how the remix maintains the song's core while changing its context entirely.

The Best Remixed Recording category recognizes producers who transform existing songs. Past winners include producers like Skrillex and Diplo. The category often goes to bigger names in dance music, making Gesaffelstein's win notable. He works outside the mainstream club circuit that dominates the category.

Lévy rarely gives interviews. He does not maintain an active social media presence. His public appearances are few. The mask extends this approach to visibility. He creates distance between himself and the industry he works in.

His music exists in the space between dance music and pop production. Clubs play his tracks, but major pop stars also call him for production work. He moves between these worlds without fully belonging to either. His sound works in both contexts because he strips music down to its structure.

The Gamma album, released in 2024, continues this approach. The record features collaborations with singers but keeps vocals sparse. Most tracks focus on rhythm and texture. The mask on the cover signals the album's cold, impersonal aesthetic.

Other producers have hidden their identities at award shows. Daft Punk wore their robot helmets for decades. Deadmau5 performed in his mouse head. Marshmello built his career around a mask. Lévy's approach differs because he uses the mask only for this album cycle. The covering serves the project rather than defining his entire career.

His performance at the Grammys created a specific image. A man in a featureless mask, holding a trophy, saying nothing. The moment compressed his artistic approach into a single gesture. Music without personality, production without ego, success without performance.

The remix beat more commercial producers. David Guetta has won multiple Grammys and sells out stadiums. Kaytranada won Producer of the Year in 2021. Chris Lake has dominated festival lineups for years. Lévy works on a smaller scale but the Recording Academy chose his more experimental approach.

He left the stage as quickly as he arrived. No speech, no acknowledgment beyond a wave. The mask stayed on. He gave the audience nothing beyond the win itself. For a producer who built his career on minimalism, the moment tracked.