Cher accidentally gave Kendrick Lamar and SZA’s Record of the Year Grammy to Luther Vandross last night – watch footage of the gaffe below.
- Read More: LUTHER VANDROSS: 1951-2005
Lamar was one of the biggest winners at last night’s (February 1) ceremony, having gone into the night leading the nominations with nine, and picking up all four rap-specific categories, thanks to his sixth album ‘GNX’, as well as the prestigious Record Of The Year award for his SZA collaboration ‘Luther’.
Ahead of the latter win being announced, Cher had given an acceptance speech for her 2026 Lifetime Achievement Award and had started to walk off stage, appearing to forget she was also meant to announce the Record of the Year winner thereafter.
Across a chaotic few minutes, the pop veteran was also thrown off when the winner wasn’t displayed on the prompter. After opening the envelope instead, she declared, “Oh! The Grammy goes to Luther Vandross!”
However, the soul legend died in 2005, and the actual winning track by Lamar and SZA samples the late singer’s ‘If This World Were Mine’, with fans joking that “technically, she wasn’t wrong.”
“Oh! The Grammy goes to Luther Vandross!” – Cher #GRAMMYs pic.twitter.com/G9tFB5rBHX
— philip lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) February 2, 2026
Several social medias users saw the humour in the moment, taking to X to poke fun at the moment. “She was reminiscing the old days and forgot he’s gone,” quipped one user, with another adding that “SNL could never make a skit this good”.
Cher at the #Grammys before wandering off stage, returning and resurrecting Luther Vandross from the dead pic.twitter.com/LLYqh078TR
— Drake Bentley (@DrakeBentleyMJS) February 2, 2026
lol nah Cher is definitely allowed to ramble on about her career at the Grammys for 15 minutes off script then forget to present an award…then come back and announce Kendrick and SZA’s award for the song ‘Luther’ to LUTHER VANDROSS who died in 2005 🤣🤣🤣#GRAMMY pic.twitter.com/j2OhLSOa50
— TheHolyGoofs (@TheHolyGoofs) February 2, 2026
she was reminiscing the old days and forgot he’s gone pic.twitter.com/bgWlC1Kwra
— kai♡ 🇧🇷 (@kairoyaltyy) February 2, 2026
Cher: “And the Grammy goes to……..Oh I thought they were gonna show the winner….And the Grammy goes to Luther Vandross…”
Luther Vandross in heaven looking down at Cher: pic.twitter.com/rL5JaQmcY4
— “UNCLE” CRAIG MCFLY (@UncleMcFly) February 2, 2026
Luther Vandross in heaven after hearing Cher call his name pic.twitter.com/WZiUZ2SIuF
— Karla Rodriguez (@ohkarli_) February 2, 2026
Cher wondering why Luther Vandross ain’t on stage pic.twitter.com/tUwD84H846
— Jermaine Jackson’s Sharpie (@BigGrooove) February 2, 2026
The Universe gotta keep Cher protected at all costs…. SNL could never make a skit this good.
SZA's fine ass face was stuck. RIP Luther Vandross 🙏🖤 "Luther forever!" – Kendrick Lamar#GRAMMY #GRAMMYs2026 #Cher pic.twitter.com/Ld74K0Rn8N— DJ MIM (@DJMIMDC) February 2, 2026