Cher mistakenly announced Luther Vandross as the winner of the Record of the Year Grammy on Sunday night, before correcting herself and naming Kendrick Lamar and SZA as the actual recipients for their collaboration, “luther.” The incident occurred during the live broadcast of the 68th Grammy Awards, prompting a moment of confusion and a subsequent outpouring of support for both Cher and Vandross.
SZA addressed the gaffe with grace, telling Entertainment Tonight that Cher was “not wrong” in her initial announcement. “She probably really knew Luther Vandross,” SZA said, emphasizing the song’s sampling of Vandross’s “If This World Were Mine.” “That’s his frequency that allowed us to win and that allowed it to be memorable, so she’s not wrong and she’s from that era.” SZA added that they were “just mooching off of what Luther already gave us, so we’re grateful.”
The confusion unfolded as Cher opened the envelope and declared, “And the Grammy goes to… Oh! They told me it was going to be on the prompter. Oh, the Grammy goes to Luther Vandross!” She quickly corrected herself, stating, “No! Kendrick Lamar!” The arena speakers immediately began playing “luther,” leading Lamar and the song’s collaborators to cautiously approach the stage.
During the acceptance speech, Sounwave, one of the producers of “luther” alongside Jack Antonoff, paid tribute to Vandross. “let’s give a shout out to the late, great Luther Vandross,” he said. Lamar himself expressed deep emotion, stating, “This is what music is about. This is special for me. I gotta capture my time ‘cause it’s one of my favorite artists of all time. They granted us the privilege to do our version of it. When we got that clearance, I promise you, we damn-near all dropped a tear.”
While Record of the Year was SZA’s sole win of the evening, Kendrick Lamar dominated the rap categories and ultimately left the ceremony with five Grammy Awards, becoming the night’s top winner. The win for “luther” marked a significant moment for both artists, acknowledging the legacy of Vandross while celebrating a contemporary reimagining of his work.
