SZA’s Bouncy Grammys Curls Were Inspired By a ’90s Icon

Have you heard that effortlessness is in? From a visible beauty standpoint, at least. It’s still cool to care about things and do them well, whether that means treating our natural hair texture with respect or showing gratitude during award show acceptance speeches.

After skipping the red carpet at the 2026 Grammys, SZA arrived just in time to accept her two awards. She wore a plunging red Kenzo dress embroidered with flowers for the occasion, letting her dark curls spring free from their center part.

Per usual, celebrity hairstylist Devante Turnbull was in charge of the singer’s stunning locks. Ahead, the artist tells us all about the look, including the inspiration and (if you’re lucky enough to have that texture!) how to make it happen at home.

SZA’s 2026 Grammy Awards Hair

In keeping with the current beauty landscape, Turnbull’s vision was to keep things as natural (see: effortless-looking) as possible.

“One of the winter trends I wanted to tap into was really embracing the natural curl pattern. That meant using less heat, focusing more on hydration, and sticking to routines that enhance what’s already there instead of trying to force the hair into something it’s not,” he tells Byrdie exclusively. “In the colder months especially, moisture is key, so I wanted the hair to feel soft, healthy, and full of life. A key product was The Chris McMillan Dry Texture Spray. This spray creates instant volume and texture, helping to build even more fullness.”

Above all else, he says it was important to keep the hair simple and true to who SZA is.

“SZA is known for her big textured hair as she is an artist that helped bring more visibility to embracing natural textures in mainstream spaces,” he explains.

The Inspiration

While making sure their mood board felt true to SZA’s identity, they also pulled a bit of inspiration from the character Joan on Girlfriends, played by Tracee Ellis Ross.

“The inspiration definitely came from the shape and length that Joan had on that ’90s sitcom,” Turnbull says. “That iconic shoulder-length hair felt like the perfect match for her custom Kenzo dress. At the tail end of it all we wanted maximum volume to complement the level of drama the dress brought.”

The Process

“Red carpet-ready hair starts with the right products,” Turnbull says. That meant a suite of Chris McMillan products “for award-show style that lasts all night.”

Though she didn’t make the carpet, the idea still stood. And there are after parties to attend anyway, right?

Here’s how it all went down:

“I started with The Chris McMillan Mousse on towel-dried hair to enhance texture and build volume. I followed it with The Chris McMillan Gel to seal in the product, help sculpt the shape, and control frizz,” explains Turnbull. “While the hair was still damp, I used the scrunching method to further define the curl. I diffused the hair and used a small amount of The Chris McMillan Mousse to finger-coil the ends. To build more volume, I used The Chris McMillan Dry Texture Spray—a texture spray that doubles as a style extender, creating instant lift.”

Lastly, The Major Hairspray was added to hold the shape for the night, and The Smooth and Tame Hair Wand came in to smooth edges and tame flyaways.

Get the Look Yourself

Besides following the routine above, Turnbull has some tips to help you perfect the style. Let’s start with his gel and mousse-centered, curl defining and natural texture locking process, shall we?

“A great tip after applying product is using the scrunching method to really bring the curls to life—you can even use an old T-shirt to help with that,” he explains. “It’s best not to touch the hair too much and let it air-dry.”

Separating those natural curls is also important.

“Because we wanted to stay away from anything too ‘perfect,’ I lightly diffused the hair and gently ran my fingers through it to separate some of the curls, which also helped add volume,” he says. “A great tip is to flip the hair upside down and focus the spray at the roots, while also misting throughout for balanced volume.”

His number one trick, though? Keep things simple.

“Less is more. Apply just enough product to get definition without weighing the hair down,” explains the artist. “You want it to feel natural, soft, lightweight, and full of movement. Don’t overthink it—you’ve got this!”