A Grammy mix-up shocked attendees at last night’s ceremony when Cher announced the wrong winner for Record of the Year.
The 79-year-old singer, recently honored with a lifetime achievement award, stepped on stage to reveal the winner. She froze when the teleprompter failed to display the name.
“Oh… they told me it would be on the prompter,” Cher said. She opened the envelope and mistakenly announced Luther Vandross, the R&B star who passed away in 2005, as the winner.
Audience members quickly realized the error. Kendrick Lamar and SZA had actually won for their song “Luther,” which samples Vandross.
Kendrick Lamar reacted with humor, joking, “This is what music is about… Luther Vandross.” He praised Vandross as one of his favorite artists and recalled the emotional moment when they received clearance to sample Vandross’s 1982 track “If This World Were Mine.”
“This is special for me,” Lamar said. “We nearly all shed a tear when we got the clearance.”
The song appears on Lamar’s 2024 album GNX, which also won Best Rap Album. Lamar also earned Album of the Year nominations.
Other big winners included Bad Bunny, who took Album of the Year for Debi Tirar Mas Fotos. Billie Eilish won Song of the Year for “Wildflower,” and Olivia Dean earned Best New Artist.
Kehlani claimed Best R&B Performance with “Folded,” and Lola Young won Best Pop Solo Performance with “Messy.” Kendrick Lamar also took Best Rap Performance for “TV Off” featuring Lefty Gunplay.
Cher quickly corrected herself on stage, and Lamar took the moment in stride. Fans captured the incident online, sparking widespread conversation and laughter.
The Grammy mix-up highlighted the unpredictable nature of live award shows while celebrating some of the biggest achievements in music this year.
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