This weekend was big for Kendrick Lamar, as he took home multiple awards at the 2026 Grammys. This includes best rap album, best rap song, record of the year, and more. The latter award was presented to him and SZA for their hit "luther," and Cher did the honors. There was a bit of confusion surrounding the big reveal, however, as the pop icon accidentally named the late Luther Vandross the winner.
Fortunately, everyone seemed to get a kick out of the mix-up. Vandross' official Instagram account even posted about it afterwards. They shared the clip of Cher, followed by an old clip of Vandross accepting an award of his own. "If only we could turn back time, @Cher ❤️," the caption reads.
SZA defended Cher during a chat with Entertainment Tonight shortly after the awards show, making it clear that she gets how the mistake happened.
Kendrick Lamar Grammys 2026
“We share the frequency of the song. Like, that’s his frequency that allowed us to win and that allowed it to be memorable,” she explained. “So, she’s not wrong — and she’s from that era. 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 mooching off of what Luther already gave us,” SZA continued. “We’re grateful. It’s like, I wish I could speak to him. Thank you, Luther.”
As for Kendrick, he was sure to honor Vandross in his acceptance speech, noting how honored he was to be able to sample him. “Luther Vandross is one of my favorite artists of all time," he explained. "They granted us the privilege to do our version of it. When we got that clearance, I promise you we all near dropped to tears … It proved we were somewhat worthy to be just as great as them individuals. They granted us that.”
