At the 2026 Grammys, Cher had everyone doing a double-take when she announced the late Luther Vandross as Record of the Year winner—20 years after his passing. She quickly corrected to the actual victor, Kendrick Lamar and SZA, but not before sparking viral chaos. The icon's slip-up drew gracious responses from the winners and Vandross's estate.
Oh honey, the 2026 Grammys were serving drama till the very end! Cher, fresh off accepting her Lifetime Achievement Award for a 60-year career, thought she was done and dusted. But host Trevor Noah pulled her back onstage to present Record of the Year. Nominees? A stacked list: Bad Bunny, Sabrina Carpenter, Doechii, Billie Eilish, Lady Gaga, Kendrick Lamar and SZA, Chappell Roan and Rosé, Bruno Mars.
Cue the teleprompter fumble and envelope drama—Cher blurts out, “Oh, the Grammy goes to Luther Vandross!” Mind you, the legend passed in 2005. She snaps back, “the Grammy goes to Kendrick Lamar,” and drops a quick apology. The crowd? Stunned silence turning to giggles. Social media? Absolute wildfire. Jokes flew about Cher needing glasses (à la Teyana Taylor) or 'showing her age.' Harsher takes whispered dementia, but let's pump the brakes—Cher slayed her new music and an SNL sketch just fine. Fans pointed to her dyslexia and dyscalculia diagnosis at 30, after dropping out of school at 16, per her memoir and TV Insider.
Kendrick, accepting with SZA, Ruchaun Akers, Kamasi Washington, and Sounwave, leaned in hard. “This is special for me. I’ve got to take my time, because [Vandross]’s one of my favorite artists of all time,” he said. He shouted out their cover of ‘If This World Were Mine’ with Cheryl Lynn: “When we got that clearance, I promise you, we damn near all dropped a tear.” Iconic respect! 🔥
SZA? All grace, no shade. “A legend was speaking…that’s what I understood. Cher was, you know, she was queening,” she told Entertainment Tonight. She tied it to Luther's 'frequency' vibing with their win: “We’re mooching off of what Luther already gave us. So, we’re grateful. Thank you, Luther.”
Luther's estate? Pure sweetness on X: “If only we could turn back time, @Cher,” with a heart emoji. We've seen messier flubs—like that La La Land/Moonlight Oscars nightmare—but this? Just legends colliding. So, was it a simple slip or time-travel tea? Spill your thoughts!
