Key Takeaways:
- Cher mistakenly announced Luther Vandross as the 2026 Grammy Award winner for Record of the Year.
- SZA used the moment to reflect on Vandross’ influence and the song’s deeper meaning.
- Kendrick Lamar and Sounwave also paid tribute to Vandross during their acceptance speech.
SZA says there are no hard feelings after Cher mistakenly announced Luther Vandross as the Record of the Year winner at the 2026 Grammy Awards. Speaking with Entertainment Tonight after she and Kendrick Lamar actually won the award for “luther,” the Top Dawg Entertainment powerhouse said the iconic singer was “not wrong” and likely “really knew” the late R&B and soul legend.
“We share the frequency of the song,” she explained, pointing to “luther” sampling Vandross’ “If This World Were Mine.” The “Broken Clocks” artist added, “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 went on to say, “She probably really knew Luther Vandross. Of course, her brain and her energy is connecting that energy to the energy that we’re sharing. We’re just mooching off of what Luther already gave us, so we’re grateful.” See the full clip below.
For those who missed it, when Cher opened the winning envelope on Sunday (Feb. 1) night, she announced, “And the Grammy goes to… Oh! They told me it was going to be on the prompter. Oh, the Grammy goes to Luther Vandross!” Moments later, she corrected herself: “No! Kendrick Lamar!”
By that point, “luther” had already started playing through the arena speakers, prompting Lamar and everyone involved with the record to cautiously head toward the stage. "First and foremost, let's give a shout out to the late, great Luther Vandross," Sounwave, who produced the track alongside Jack Antonoff and others, said during the acceptance speech.
“This is what music is about,” Lamar said when he reached the mic. “This is special for me. I gotta take 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.”
Record of the Year ended up being SZA’s only win at the 2026 Grammys, while Lamar swept the rap categories and finished the ceremony as the top winner with five trophies.