Cher turned the 2026 Grammys into comedy gold Sunday night. The 79-year-old legend managed to confuse everyone by announcing Luther Vandross as Record of the Year winner.
The problem? Vandross died 20 years ago. Kendrick Lamar and SZA actually won for their song “Luther.”
The whole thing started when Cher walked off stage too early. She’d just accepted her lifetime achievement award and figured she was done. Host Trevor Noah had to call her back because she still needed to present the Record of the Year award.
“I guess I’m supposed to walk off now,” Cher said before heading toward the exit. Noah quickly stopped her with a joke: “I could do it, but it’s not the same; I don’t have the track record.”
Cher returned, looking slightly annoyed. She expected to read from the teleprompter but had to open an envelope instead. “And the Grammy goes to… oh, they told me it was gonna be on the prompter,” she said, staring blankly ahead.
“Oh! The Grammy goes to Luther Vandross!” – Cher #GRAMMYs pic.twitter.com/G9tFB5rBHX
— philip lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) February 2, 2026
Then came the infamous moment. Cher opened the envelope and enthusiastically declared: “Luther Gandross!” She even mispronounced Vandross’s name.
The cameras caught Kendrick Lamar and SZA laughing as they realized what happened. They stood up anyway, knowing she meant their song. Cher quickly caught her mistake. “Oh, no, Kendrick Lamar!” she shouted over the play-on music, laughing at herself.
The confusion made perfect sense once you knew the details.
Kendrick Lamar’s winning track “Luther” samples Vandross’s 1982 collaboration with Cheryl Lynn on “If This World Were Mine.” Cher probably saw “Luther” on the card and her brain went straight to the R&B legend.
Lamar handled it like a pro during his acceptance speech. “This is what music is about. Luther Vandross,” he said with a smile. “This is special for me because it’s one of my favorite artists of all time.”
He explained how getting clearance to sample Vandross made the whole team emotional.
“When we got that clearance, I promise you, we definitely all dropped a tear,” Lamar said.
SZA used her moment to deliver an uplifting message.
“Please don’t fall into despair,” she told the audience. “There’s been world wars, there’s been plagues, and we have gone on.”
The mistake capped off a chaotic Grammy night filled with memorable moments. Kendrick Lamar led nominations with nine total and took home five awards, including Best Rap Album for GNX.
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