Cher caused a brief moment of confusion at the 2026 Grammy Awards on Sunday night, mistakenly naming Luther Vandross instead of Kendrick Lamar while announcing Record of the Year at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.
The moment happened after she received a Lifetime Achievement Award, presented by host Trevor Noah, who then asked her to stay on stage to reveal one of the night’s biggest prizes.
What happened on stage
As Cher opened the envelope, she explained that she had been told the winner’s name would appear on the prompter. Reading aloud, she said “Luther” before adding “Vandross”, referencing the late R&B icon who died in 2005.
She quickly realised the mistake and corrected herself, announcing the actual winners, Kendrick Lamar and SZA, for their 2024 song Luther.
“Oh, the Grammy goes to Luther Vandross… Oh…no… Kendrick Lamar!”
Cher, who has previously spoken about struggling with dyslexia as a child, moved swiftly past the slip, and the ceremony continued without interruption.
Why the song is called Luther
Kendrick Lamar and SZA’s winning track Luther includes a sample from Luther Vandross and Cheryl Lynn’s 1982 recording If This World Were Mine, which explains the momentary confusion.
Accepting the award, Kendrick spoke about securing permission from Vandross’ estate.
“Luther Vandross is one of my favourite artists of all time. They granted us the privilege to do our version of it. When we got that clearance, I promise you we all near dropped to tears… It proved we were somewhat worthy to be just as great as them individuals. They granted us that.”
He also revealed the clearance came with a clear condition.
“No cursing.”
Kendrick Lamar’s historic Grammy night
Beyond Record of the Year, Kendrick Lamar had a landmark evening. He became the first male artist to win Record of the Year consecutively, following his 2025 win for Not Like Us, and the first rapper to win the category twice.
He also collected awards for Best Rap Song (TV Off) and Best Rap Album (GNX), overtaking Jay-Z to become the most-awarded hip-hop artist in Grammy Awards history.
