The 2024 Grammys ended in a chaotic frenzy, leaving viewers in stitches. Cher, the iconic singer, found herself in a hilarious blunder when she mistakenly announced the late Luther Vandross as the winner of an award intended for Kendrick Lamar.
Lamar, with a leading nine nominations that evening, ultimately won the record of the year category alongside SZA for their single Luther. However, during the presentation, Cher, at 79 years old, created an unforgettable moment by accidentally declaring Vandross the winner.
First, she began, "And the Grammy goes to..." before pausing awkwardly. Realizing she needed to open the envelope, she exclaimed, "Luther Gandross!" with enthusiasm. Lamar, 38, couldn't help but giggle at the unexpected announcement, recognizing that Cher meant him.
Cher eventually corrected herself, shouting, "Oh, no, Kendrick Lamar!" as she laughed at her mistake during Lamar and SZA's performance. Fans online couldn't contain their laughter, with comments like, "Cher was high as a kite!" and "Luther Vandross had me rolling!"
But here's where it gets controversial... Cher's entire appearance was a whirlwind. She was interrupted by host Trevor Noah, who presented her with a lifetime achievement award before she could announce the record of the year. Her prepared speech, encouraging viewers to pursue their dreams, ended abruptly with, "Thank you. I guess I'm supposed to walk off now. All right."
As she strolled offstage amidst thunderous applause, she immediately returned, setting the stage for her award announcement fiasco.
The Grammys were filled with memorable moments, starting with Noah's opening monologue, which sparked rumors of a feud with Justin Bieber. Bieber's forced smile and cringe-worthy reaction to Noah's jokes went viral.
Noah's final joke at Bieber's table, asking for a "discount code" for Hailey's Rhode lip tint, left Justin grimacing. Fans couldn't help but notice his disdainful response, with one tweeting, "Is there beef between Trevor Noah and Justin Bieber? That was cringe!"
Bieber's performance of his new song Yukon in his boxers later that night also divided opinions. Some praised his "beautiful and vulnerable" performance, while others mocked him, saying, "Justin, this is the Grammys, not the beach!"
Miley Cyrus also faced criticism for allegedly not applauding when Lady Gaga won a Grammy over her. Both women were nominated for best pop vocal album, with Gaga, 39, taking home the award for her project Mayhem.
As Gaga burst into tears and received a kiss from her fiancé, Michael Polansky, the audience rose in a standing ovation. Sabrina Carpenter, another nominee, clapped and beamed, but when the camera cut to Cyrus, 33, she remained seated, not clapping, with a faint grin.
The late Ozzy Osbourne's family was also in attendance, moved to tears as the awards show paid tribute to him six months after his passing. Slash and Post Malone led the homage with a performance of Black Sabbath's War Pigs, joined by Chad Smith, Duff McKagan, and Andrew Watt.
When Billie Eilish won song of the year for Wildflower, she took the stage with her brother and co-writer, Finneas O'Connell, using their speech to deliver a political message, stating, "No one is illegal on stolen land."
Bad Bunny, who won album of the year for Debí Tirar Más Fotos, also dedicated his speech to immigrants in America. Speaking mostly in Spanish, he reserved English for one sentence: "I want to dedicate this award to all the people that had to leave their homeland, their country, to follow their dreams."
Debí Tirar Más Fotos became the first full Spanish-language album to win album of the year at the Grammys, a historic moment.
Jelly Roll's Beautifully Broken won best country album, and his speech about the importance of Christianity to him sparked fierce condemnation from liberals online. He stated, "I believe that music had the power to change my life, and God had the power to change my life. Jesus is for everybody, not owned by one political party or label."
Trolls accused him of "religious psychosis," questioning his normalcy. One commenter wrote, "Jelly Roll's sudden weight loss is scary. The face tattoos and Jesus talk are even more menacing now."
Joni Mitchell, the 82-year-old folk icon, experienced a long and eerie pause during her Grammys speech. Her producer, Patrick Milligan, had to remind her that she had won the award for best historical album for Joni Mitchell Archives: Volume 4 - The Asylum Years (1976-1980).
When they took the stage, Mitchell said, "This is the most glitter and glam I've ever seen at the Grammys," but then fell silent. Milligan gently urged her, asking, "You gonna say anything?" to which Mitchell replied, "Did I win?"
"We did," Milligan said, prompting Mitchell to exclaim, "Oh, I won? Oh!" earning laughter and applause from the audience.
Mitchell, who suffered a brain aneurysm in 2015, has been making a gradual recovery, relearning to speak and walk.
And this is the part most people miss... Lauryn Hill, the reclusive hip-hop icon, made her return to the Grammys stage for the first time in 27 years. Known for her work with the Fugees in the 1990s, she performed a tribute to late R&B icons Roberta Flack and D'Angelo.
Flack's famous single, Killing Me Softly With His Song, covered by the Fugees in 1996, became a reunion moment for Hill and her fellow Fugee, Wyclef Jean.
The Grammys left viewers with a mix of emotions, from laughter to tears, and will undoubtedly be remembered as one of the most chaotic and memorable award shows in recent history.
