SZA embraced Cher's Grammy mix-up with open arms. The "Snooze" singer weighed in on Cher's accidental declaration of Luther Vandross as the Record of the Year winner at the 2026 Grammys, instead of her and Kendrick Lamar for their song "Luther." And she understands exactly how the flub occurred. "We share the frequency of the song," SZA told Entertainment Tonight after the Feb. 1 ceremony. "Like, that's his frequency that allowed us to win and that allowed it to be memorable."
"So, she's not wrong," she continued, "and she's from that era. She probably really knew Luther Vandross. Of course, her brain and her energy are connecting that energy to the energy that we're sharing." Plus, as SZA alluded to, her and Kendrick's Grammy-winning song actually samples Luther and Cheryl Lynn's cover of "If This World Were Mine," which made the blunder make even more sense. "We're mooching off of what Luther already gave us," she explained, "so we're grateful. It's like, I wish I could speak to him. Thank you, Luther."
The 36-year-old went on to detail the reverence she already had for Cher prior to the Grammys. "I had spoken to Cher at the Cyndi Lauper tribute, and I was so befuddled by her beauty," SZA said, referencing October's A Grammy Salute to Cyndi Lauper special. "She, like, looked me in the eyes, and I was like...I just stopped talking. I don't know what happened to me."
"But I love Cher," she added. "That's my...my twin card. She's a queen of clubs. Y'all go ahead and Google what that means."
Adding to the lighthearted moment at the Grammys was the fact that the "Believe" singer actually forgot that she was supposed to present Record of the Year on the first place. After she was introduced as a "surprise presenter," Cher—who had been honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award the day before—took the stage to a standing ovation and delivered a two-minute acceptance speech. “That’s all I have to say,” she concluded. “I guess I’m supposed to walk off now. All right, I have to walk off.”
The 79-year-old then proceeded to leave the stage before host Trevor Noah interjected. "Cher, before you go, could we get you to announce the nominees?" he shouted as she walked off stage. “I could do it, but it’s not the same. I don’t have the track record. Welcome back Cher, everybody.”
