During the Grammy Awards held recently at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, Trevor Noah, in his sixth and reportedly final time hosting the event, engaged the audience with a monologue that combined light-hearted jabs with more pointed commentary aimed particularly at absent celebrities and political controversies.
Noah moved through the crowd, using proximity to his subjects to deliver his humor, but notably, he reserved his sharpest remarks for those not present. Early on, he highlighted the absence of rapper Nicki Minaj, noting, "Nicki Minaj is not here," which was met with enthusiastic applause. Noah elaborated that Minaj was instead at the White House engaging with then-President Donald Trump on "very important issues." This referred to Minaj’s recent overtures towards the MAGA movement and her visit to the president earlier in the week.
Embodying a Trump impersonation, Noah quipped, "Actually Nicki, I have the biggest ass, everybody’s saying it Nicki," injecting humor while drawing attention to the political intersection within entertainment circles. Although his monologue mostly avoided deep dives into political controversies or divisive topics, and notably did not reference issues surrounding U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which were visibly protested by some attendees wearing "ICE OUT" insignia, Noah's commentary later in the evening became more pointed.
Following Billie Eilish’s win for song of the year, Noah remarked, "Wow. That is a Grammy that every artist wants, almost as much as Trump wants Greenland." The joke connected current political narratives with pop culture in a pointed manner, as he referenced Greenland's geopolitical interest. The humor continued with a controversial allusion to the late Jeffrey Epstein’s island, with Noah stating that Trump needed a "new island to hang out with Bill Clinton," implying a continuation of Epstein-related scandals.
This particular joke elicited a strong response from Donald Trump himself via a post on Truth Social, where he firmly denied ever visiting Epstein’s island or being accused of such. Trump labeled Noah's comment "false and defamatory," threatening legal action against him, calling Noah a "total loser" and advising him to "get his facts straight fast."
In light of the crowd’s reactions, Noah acknowledged the tension with a self-aware comment: "Oh, I told you, it’s my last year. What are you going to do about it?" The host also commented on Trump’s litigious reputation by humorously stating that the Grammys were being broadcast "completely live" to avoid lawsuits from the president that might follow if edits were made, alluding to Trump’s legal actions against CBS News and a recent settlement with Paramount.
Throughout the ceremony, Noah struck a tone that, while containing risky political jabs, also reflected a degree of moderation. He made light references to Lauryn Hill’s performance—the first since 1999—invoking nostalgia by recalling that 1999 was a year fettered with notable events such as presidential scandals and high-profile arrests.
In a lighter moment, Noah interacted with Kendrick Lamar, the evening’s most nominated artist. Opting not to roast him, Noah complimented Lamar and alluded to Lamar's well-known conflict with Canadian rapper Drake by humorously suggesting Lamar’s reputation for sharp lyrical contests with "light-skinned dudes from other countries." Later, Noah’s conversation with music star Bad Bunny included a playful exchange about living in Puerto Rico, with Bad Bunny correcting Noah by stating, "Puerto Rico is part of America."
The Recording Academy had announced prior to the ceremony that Noah would return for this "one final time" as host, citing his belief in term limits. With four Grammy nominations himself, including one this year for best audio book recording for "Into The Uncut Grass," Noah ended his hosting tenure without a win, as that category was awarded to the Dalai Lama.
His announcement of stepping down comes with only Andy Williams having hosted the Grammy Awards more frequently, with seven stints in the 1970s.