“I have to warn you, this is a live show, anything can happen,” host Trevor Noah joked about Sunday’s Grammy Awards. “It’s like flying on a Boeing. One minute there’s a door. The next minute we’re outside.”
Former host of Daily show He returned for the fourth time as master of ceremonies for the 66th annual gala. Noah opened the show in his white jacket and tie, talking about how the Grammys were “the only concert that actually starts on time” and how he was handing out the award for best audiobook.
“It’s hard to play with, but it’s still cool,” he joked.
Noah went on to talk about artificial intelligence, Taylor Swift, and all these female candidates. But first, he had to help escort Meryl Streep to her chair.
As he pointed out that record producer Mark Ronson was sitting at a table his mother-in-law was about to occupy, Streep rushed behind Noah and took her chair.
“This moment means the Grammys will win the Oscars,” said Noah, whose daughter/actress Grace Gummer married Ronson.
As he walked around the table area directly below the Grammys stage, Noah shared how he had mixed feelings about injecting artificial intelligence into the world of music. On the one hand, this technology enabled the Beatles to release a new song. “On the other hand, I heard Andrea Bocelli’s AI rendition (around) my neck and back. It was beautiful but it was wrong.”
When Noah started talking about Swift, the pop star walked over to the area to take her seat. “When I say their names, they come out,” he joked. “As Taylor moves into the room, the local economy improves around those tables. Lionel Richie is now a rich Lionel.
He then talked about how “it’s unfair that the NFL cameras are on Taylor Swift, like she’s controlling the cameras. Give her a break.” So he decided to turn the tables, every time someone mentioned Swift during the show, he would switch to someone playing football. .
That’s when the camera landed on former NFL player turned actor Terry Crews.
“Do you work for the CIA, Terry?” Noah asked.
He then concluded his monologue by reminding everyone that the Grammys include “everyone” on Sunday — unlike TikTok, which just lost music performed by international artists. “Right now, the CEO of TikTok is eating ice cream, and seeing all of his exes in one room. Shame on you for ripping off all these artists! How dare you! That’s Spotify’s mission.”