Cher Was ‘Clearly Distressed’ After Grammys Flub, Said Body Language Expert
At the 2026 Grammy Awards, Cher stumbled through her announcement of the winner of Record of the Year. Kendrick Lamar and SZA received the award for their song “Luther,” and Cher mistakenly read out “Luther Vandross.” While she recovered quickly and good-naturedly, a body language expert noted that the iconic singer seemed a bit embarrassed after the error.
Cher read out the wrong name when presenting the Grammy for Record of the Year
Before Cher read out the nominees for Record of the Year, she accepted a lifetime achievement award from Grammys host Trevor Noah. After giving an acceptance speech, she said, “I guess I’m supposed to walk off now,” and attempted to leave the stage.
Noah called her back. “Cher, before you go, could we get you to announce the nominees?” he asked.
After reading out the nominees, Cher paused, apparently confused.
“Oh! They told me it was going to be on a prompter,” she said.
When she opened the envelope, she mistakenly presented the award to the late Luther Vandross. As SZA and Lamar celebrated, Cher corrected her error and called out their names.
A body language expert weighed in on Cher’s appearance at the Grammys
When Cher first took the stage, celebrity body language expert Inbaal Honigman told Covers.com that the singer appeared happy to be there.
“Her signature smile is happy yet secretive, quintessentially Cher,” she explained. “Bright and sunny, yet restrained, as if suppressing emotion.”
Honigman said that before announcing the winner, however, Cher’s mood appeared to shift. When she didn’t see the winner’s name on the teleprompter, she grew confused.
“She appears uncomfortable being alone on stage without clear direction,” she said. “Her stance is confident and upright, but her face reveals uncertainty. She scans side to side, searching for guidance.”
As Lamar gave his speech, Honigman noted that Cher appeared to be in “disbelief” over her mistake. Honigman believes she turned to Jack Antonoff for support.
“She is clearly distressed by the gaffe, worried she may have overshadowed Kendrick and SZA’s moment,” she said. “She grips Jack Antonoff’s arm for reassurance, and he soothes her by patting her hand.”
Despite any potential distress Cher felt, Lamar took the moment in stride.
She received a Lifetime Achievement Award
Ahead of the slightly chaotic moment onstage, Cher accepted the Lifetime Achievement Award.
“I knew what I wanted to be when I was five years old, and I was famous at 19, and had a top-rated show in my twenties, actually,” she said. “But it didn’t occur to me how rough my career was going to be and my life was going to be. And I’m not saying, ‘Oh, poor me,’ but whatever. I was either a loser or winning an Oscar. I’m sure a lot of you in the audience know what I’m talking about.”
She detailed her career successes and pitfalls and encouraged younger artists to never give up.
“The thing I want to tell you, the only thing I wanted you to take away with you, and I’ve been in this business,” she said. “Never give up on your dream, no matter what happens. Live it, be it, and if it’s not happening now, it will happen soon. So that’s all I have to say. Thank you.”
