The iconic Cher caused a brief moment of confusion at the 2026 Grammy Awards on Sunday night when she accidentally announced the wrong name while presenting Record of the Year.
The pop icon was onstage at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles when she initially read out “Luther Vandross” as the winner before quickly realizing the mistake and correcting herself. The award ultimately went to Kendrick Lamar and SZA for their collaboration Luther.
Expecting the winner’s name to appear on a teleprompter, Cher stumbled through the announcement, then laughed it off as she clarified the result and invited Kendrick and SZA to the stage. As the pair walked up to accept the trophy, Cher appeared to mouth an apology.
Luther pays tribute to the late soul legend Luther Vandross, who died in 2005, and includes a sample from his 1982 duet with Cheryl Lynn, If This World Were Mine.
In his acceptance speech, Kendrick spoke emotionally about the significance of the song and the honor of reinterpreting Vandross’ work. He described receiving clearance for the sample as a deeply moving moment, noting how much Vandross and Lynn put into the original recording. Kendrick added that the only stipulation was to keep the track free of profanity, a request he said aligned perfectly with their goal of making the song a celebration of love. He closed by thanking SZA for her contribution.
The win capped off a historic night for Kendrick, who became the most-decorated rap artist in Grammy history. In addition to Record of the Year, he also won Best Rap Album, Best Rap Song, Best Melodic Rap Performance, and Best Rap Performance, bringing his career total to 27 Grammys and surpassing previous record holder Jay Z.
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Kendrick Lamar x SZA take home Record of the Year
