Cher caused chaos at the 2026 Grammys after announcing a dead artist as an award winner.
The 2026 Grammy Awards delivered one of the most memorable finales in the ceremony’s history, courtesy of music icon Cher.
The 79-year-old legend brought the prestigious awards show to a bewildering conclusion on Sunday night, creating a moment that had viewers both cringing and laughing in equal measure.
The evening had already been packed with standout performances and emotional tributes.
Bad Bunny took home the coveted Album of the Year trophy for his Spanish-language release ‘Debí Tirar Más Fotos,’ making history as the first full Spanish-language album to win the category.
Meanwhile, artists like Lady Gaga, Billie Eilish, and newcomer Olivia Dean celebrated major victories throughout the night.
Host Trevor Noah kept the energy high, though not without controversy – his opening monologue sparked rumors of tension with Justin Bieber, who was caught on camera offering forced smiles and grimaces during their interaction, MailOnline reports.
But nothing could prepare audiences for the shambolic sequence of events that would unfold when Cher took the stage for what should have been a straightforward presentation of Record of the Year, the night’s final major award.
The internet reacs to Cher’s blunder
Social media exploded immediately after Cher’s gaffe, with fans flooding platforms with reactions ranging from disbelief to uncontrollable laughter.
The moment quickly went viral, becoming the most talked-about incident of the evening.
“Cher high as hell man,” one viewer tweeted, while another wrote: “This got me hooting and hollering.”
The responses kept pouring in: “This had me so weak. Cher had me lmfao,” and “Lord Cher just found out they passed away today lmaooo.”
The incident perfectly captured the unpredictable nature of live television, turning what could have been a simple awards presentation into an unforgettable moment of unscripted chaos.
Even winner Kendrick Lamar couldn’t help but giggle with bemusement at the confusion, though he graciously recognized that Cher meant to announce his song and proceeded to take the stage anyway.
Who Cher named as the winner
The confusion began when Cher initially struggled with the presentation itself, MailOnline reports.
After trailing off mid-sentence, she complained that the winner’s name was supposed to appear on the teleprompter.
Once she realized she actually needed to open the envelope in her hand, she did so – and that’s when disaster struck.
Reading from the card, Cher ecstatically declared: ‘Luther Gandross!’ – mispronouncing the name of Luther Vandross, the legendary R&B singer who has been dead for 20 years, passing away in 2005.
The actual winner was ‘Luther,’ a collaboration between Kendrick Lamar and SZA. The song samples vocals from the late Vandross, which explains why his name appeared on the envelope.
However, the award was clearly meant for the living artists who created the track, not the deceased singer whose work they had sampled.
The mix-up was particularly awkward given that Vandross’s death two decades ago is well-established public knowledge.
The song ‘Luther’ was created as a tribute to the iconic crooner, making the confusion somewhat understandable – but no less embarrassing for the moment.
What happened after?
Cher’s entire appearance at the Grammys had been characterized by confusion and disorganization.
She initially came onstage to present Record of the Year, only to be interrupted by host Trevor Noah, who stopped the proceedings to give her a Lifetime Achievement Award first.
After delivering her prepared acceptance speech, which concluded with her awkwardly saying: “Thank you. I guess I’m supposed to walk off now. All right,” – Cher strolled offstage to thunderous applause.
Then, almost immediately, she walked right back onstage to present the very award she’d originally appeared for, setting the stage for her Vandross moment.
Once she realized her mistake, Cher did eventually correct herself, exclaiming: “Oh, no, Kendrick Lamar!” while laughing at her own error as Lamar and SZA’s play-on music began.
The crowd’s reaction was a mixture of awkward laughter and sympathy for the veteran performer.
To his credit, Lamar handled the situation with grace and good humor.
During his acceptance speech, he made sure to acknowledge Vandross as the inspiration behind the song, giving proper recognition to the late artist whose vocals had been sampled for the track.
