Do Grammys Seat Fillers Get Paid and Are They Allowed to Talk to Any of the Celebrities?
For many fans, getting to go to the Grammy Awards and see their favorite performers up close and personal sounds like a dream come true. Well, in 2024, that dream was a reality for Katelyn McLaughlin when she was a “seat filler” at the 66th Annual Grammy Awards.
It’s a job that many people don’t even know exists, but it’s the reason cameras don’t catch an empty chair in the audience when stars step away. Now, McLaughlin is spilling all the details about her gig that night. Here’s what she said about whether or not she interacted with any of the celebrities and if she was paid for the job.
Were there any interactions with celebrities that evening?
A question McLaughlin has gotten about being a seat filler is whether producers told her where to sit or if she just picked an empty chair and sat in it.
Speaking on behalf of OLBG, McLaughlin told Showbiz Cheat Sheet, “There are basically two ways it works. One is that you’re in a holding area backstage, and the seat-filler coordinators watch for open spots and direct you where to go. You might sit in one seat all night without moving.
“The other option is that you’re filling a specific person’s seat, like a celebrity, while they’re gone. You sit there until they come back, tap you on the shoulder, and then you head back to the holding area to wait for the next spot. Sometimes it gets a little chaotic, and instead of being directed, they’ll just tell you to take any open seat you see. Everyone is usually wearing a special ribbon pinned to their outfit. If you watch an awards show closely, you can often spot them.”
McLaughlin was also asked if she had any interactions with the musicians who attended the event. She then relayed a story about how she was “looking for a seat to fill and found what I thought was an empty chair, but then I turned around to see Ed Sheeran smiling at me. He put his hands on my shoulders and shook me in a joking manner, saying, ‘You guys are always trying to steal my seat.’ He was so nice, though.”
McLaughlin shared that her biggest “pinch me” moment came when Taylor Swift‘s dress touched her leg as the pop star took her seat nearby.
“A few moments after meeting Ed Sheeran, Taylor Swift and her entourage walked right past me,” McLaughlin recalled. “Her dress literally brushed by my leg, and then she sat down directly in front of me. I honestly felt like I was going to pass out. I was so nervous because I’m such a huge fan … my heart was absolutely racing. Right before the show continued, she turned around, caught my eye, and I smiled and waved.”
Are seat-fillers paid for the event?
Another thing people want to know is if most of the celebrities were nice to the seat fillers or if she encountered anyone who was rude.
“Not the celebrities, but the team of producers who direct you on where to go and what to do weren’t always the friendliest,” McLaughlin admitted. “They insist that you’re not allowed to talk to celebrities unless spoken to, you can’t ever eat or drink anything that’s on the table, and you aren’t allowed to order a drink because you’re technically working. It feels pretty strict.”
Moreover, you can’t bring your cell phone into the event. She explained, “They actually take it off you beforehand. That was really annoying, as I’m not from LA, so I got a little lost trying to make my way out of the event and back to the spot where we came in.”
As for whether the seat fillers get paid, McLaughlin revealed they do not. However, she did get to take something home with her, saying, “I did take one of the official programs from a table, though. It felt like a memento!”
