At this year’s Grammy Awards, Cher delivered a notably entertaining and human moment amid the typically polished proceedings. Tasked with presenting the prestigious record of the year award, the legendary singer encountered a handful of onstage mix-ups that quickly became a source of amusement rather than discomfort — all thanks to her upbeat and accepting demeanor.
In a moment reminiscent of John Travolta's infamous name-flub at the Oscars, Cher initially appeared to award the record of the year to the late Luther Vandross. However, amid the ensuing applause, she promptly corrected herself when Kendrick Lamar, the actual award recipient, stood to accept the prize for his track "Luther," a collaboration with SZA.
"Luther Vandross – no, Kendrick Lamar!" Cher exclaimed with a broad smile, clearly acknowledging her error in a lighthearted fashion. This slip had some contextual basis: the award-winning song sampled Vandross’s work, and one of its producers, Sounwave, began his acceptance by paying tribute to the late artist, saying, "Let’s give a shoutout to the late and great Luther Vandross." This blurred connection may have contributed to Cher’s momentary confusion.
The complexities continued beyond the naming mishap. Upon arriving to the stage, Cher first accepted a lifetime achievement award, which she had not collected in person at an earlier ceremony the prior evening. Her acceptance speech was optimistic, focusing on perseverance through the ups and downs of her lengthy career. Unexpectedly, after finishing her remarks, she began to exit the stage, quipping, "I guess I’m supposed to walk off now," to rounds of warm applause.
Host Trevor Noah quickly called her back to the microphone, requesting that she announce the nominees for record of the year. He lightheartedly offered to do it himself but suggested Cher was a better choice, and she agreed with a smile. When it came time to declare the winner, Cher peered around the stage with a puzzled look before explaining, "Oh! They told me it was going to be on a prompter," revealing a lack of clear direction during the live event.
Noah encapsulated the spirited confusion with a positive remark, declaring, "I love live television," underscoring the unpredictable yet engaging nature of live award shows.