Cher's viral moment at Sunday's Grammy Awards, where she mistakenly announced the late Luther Vandross as the winner for Record of the Year, was actually preceded by a full briefing, according to the show's executive producer. Ben Winston has revealed that the legendary entertainer was fully prepared with instructions prior to her on-stage gaffe, which he described as creating a memorable and organic television moment.
The Briefing and the Blunder
In an interview with Rolling Stone on Monday, Winston confirmed that Cher, 79, had been properly briefed about her presenting duties. "I promise you, we had briefed her, and I promise you, what she had to do was in the prompter," Winston stated emphatically. Despite this preparation, during the live broadcast from Los Angeles' Crypto.com Arena, Cher accidentally declared "Luther; Luther Vandross" as the winner, before correcting herself to announce the actual recipients: Kendrick Lamar and SZA for their collaboration titled "Luther."
A Producer's Perspective on Perfection
Winston, rather than expressing regret about the mishap, embraced its spontaneity. Paraphrasing one of Cher's own hit songs, he told the publication, "If I could go back in time, I'd want that to happen again." He elaborated that such unscripted moments contribute to the energy of a live broadcast, adding, "You want a bit of anarchy on the live broadcast." According to Winston, the gaffe created a genuinely memorable television moment that felt authentic rather than rehearsed.
Cher's Experience and Reactions
The "Believe" songstress, who was receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award at the ceremony, was reportedly "happy with" how everything unfolded and "had a great time," Winston revealed. Her appearance was marked by some initial confusion, as she had been slated to receive her honour at a separate event on Saturday but did not attend. Host Trevor Noah presented her with the award during the main broadcast instead.
In her acceptance speech, Cher acknowledged her discomfort with public speaking, stating, "I don't do this part very well. I mean, put a microphone in my hand and have some music - I'm great." She concluded with, "I guess I'm supposed to walk off now," prompting Noah to intervene through his earpiece as instructed by Winston: "You've just gotta get up and bring her back."
Colleagues and Co-stars Weigh In
Noah then asked Cher if she could announce the nominees, to which she replied, "Oh! They told me it was going to be on a prompter." The host later commented on the spontaneity, saying, "I love live television." Meanwhile, SZA, one of the actual winners, downplayed the significance of the mistake when speaking to Entertainment Tonight. "A legend was speaking - that's what I understood," she said. "Cher was queening. She probably really knew Luther Vandross. Of course her brain and her energy is connecting that energy to the energy that we're sharing."
The Hosting Challenge and Future
Winston also reflected on the challenges of hosting the Grammys, noting that this year marked Noah's final appearance as host. "It's really hard in that room to play comedy - it's an arena," Winston observed, suggesting that finding a replacement capable of handling the demanding gig would be a difficult task. The producer's comments highlight both the unpredictable nature of live television and the enduring appeal of authentic, unscripted moments, even when they involve briefed celebrities making charming mistakes.
