Never Not too much! Cher went viral for naming Luther Vandross as the Record of the Year Grammy winner… 20 years after his death. Kendrick Lamar, SZA, and the late singer’s estate gracefully showed love after the award awkwardness.
The 2026 Grammys were packed with powerful speeches, emotional tributes, record-breaking wins, and powerouse performances, but Cher still managed to steal the show. She seemingly only expected to accept the Lifetime Achievement Award for her 60-year career. When her speech was finished, so was Cher, and she was almost offstage when host Trevor Noah called her back to present the last award.
The “Believe” star joked, “You can see I wanted to get off the stage” before announcing Record of the Year nominees: Bad Bunny, Sabrina Carpenter, Doechii, Billie Eilish, Lady Gaga, Kendrick Lamar and SZA, Chappell Roan and Rosé, and Bruno Mars.
Following a flustered moment with the teleprompter and envelope, a clearly confused Cher announced, “Oh, the Grammy goes to Luther Vandross!” Mind you, he passed away in 2005. She quickly corrected herself that “the Grammy goes to Kendrick Lamar” and apologized.
The “Not Like Us” titan laughed off the mix-up as he accepted the award with SZA, Ruchaun Akers, Kamasi Washington, and Sounwave. He leaned into the moment by honoring the departed icon.
“This is special for me. I’ve got to take my time, because [Vandross]’s one of my favorite artists of all time. They granted us the privilege to do our version of [‘If This World Were Mine’]. When we got that clearance, I promise you, we damn near all dropped a tear, because we know how much him and Cheryl Lynn poured into that record. Being able to put our vocals of it proves that we are somewhat worthy of being just as great as them individuals,” Kendrick said.
Social Media Reacts Speculates About Cher Snafu
Social media ran wild with the moment, which closed out the show. Some comments joked that Cher “didn’t know she had to work,” needed to whip out a pair of glasses like Teyana Taylor.
Harsher critics chalked it up to the timeless star finally “showing her age” or even signs of “dementia.” Yet, she performed just fine with her new music and a sketch for the Christmas episode of SNL. If anything, Cher’s last-minute appearance after missing the Grammys Special Merit Awards on Saturday already changed the lineup for everyone.
Familiar fans noted the most likely reason for the mixup is far less sensational. TV Insider reports Cher openly discussed her difficulties with reading and explained in her memoir that she dropped out at 16. She didn’t receive a diagnosis for dyslexia and dyscalculia until was 30 years old.
SZA Swears Cher Knew The Vibes Even If She Misread The Winner, Luther Vandross’ Estate Enters The Chat
SZA didn’t hesitate to speak out in Cher’s defense, even though she admittedly “didn’t know what was going on.” It didn’t matter to the “Kill Bill” singer, who gave credit where it’s always due when it comes to Cher.
“A legend was speaking…that’s what I understood. Cher was, you know, she was queening,” SZA told Entertainment Tonight.
“We share the frequency of the song, like that’s his frequency that allowed us to win and that allowed us to be, like, memorable. So she’s not wrong, and she’s from that era, so she probably knew Luther Vandross,” SZA continued.
“Of course her brain and her energy is connecting that energy to the energies that we’re sharing. We’re mooching off of what Luther already gave us. So, we’re grateful. Thank you, Luther,” she continued.
Luther’s estate, which also runs the X account dedicated to him, entered the chat to sweetly shout out Cher. The post featured a clip from the Grammys with the caption: “If only we could turn back time, @Cher,” with a heart emoji.
When it comes to award shows, we’ve seen far worse moments, like the Lala Land and Moonlight mixup at the 2017 Oscars. Or some of the best and brightest talent not getting the recognition fans think they deserve. However, Kendrick and SZA understood the assignment about respecting icons in the booth and on the stage.
