Behind the Scenes of the 68th Grammy Awards: Chaos, Creativity, and Cher’s “Anarchy”
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The 68th Grammy Awards were filled with memorable moments, both planned and delightfully unplanned, offering a glimpse behind the curtain of live television production. From Cher’s unexpected detour to Justin Bieber’s remarkably efficient rehearsal, Grammy executive producer Ben Winston shared a wealth of insights into the making of music’s biggest night in a recent episode of Rolling Stone Music Now. Winston revealed a willingness to embrace the unexpected, even when it meant navigating live-TV chaos.
Cher’s Unscripted Moment and a Love for “Anarchy”
The show opened with a memorable, albeit slightly chaotic, moment when Cher momentarily forgot her role in presenting the Record of the Year award. Winston immediately communicated with host Trevor Noah via earpiece, prompting him to intervene. “You’ve just gotta get up and bring her back,” Winston recalls telling Noah, who smoothly explained the situation to the audience. However, the moment didn’t end there – Cher ultimately announced the late Luther Vandross as the winner.
Despite the gaffe, Winston expressed a fondness for the unscripted turn of events. “I promise you, we had briefed her, and I promise you, what she had to do was in the prompter,” he stated, adding with a laugh, “If I could go back in time, I’d want that to happen again. She’s happy with it. She had a great time. You want a bit of anarchy.”
Bieber’s Blitz Rehearsal and Gaga’s Last-Minute Pivot
The preparation for the Grammy performances varied drastically among artists. Justin Bieber, for example, required minimal rehearsal time for his performance of “Yukon.” Despite each performer receiving a standard 90 minutes of rehearsal, Bieber was satisfied after a single run-through. “He came to the stage, he did it once,” Winston explained. “It was brilliant. We are seven minutes into his hour-and-a-half rehearsal. And he goes, ‘How’d it look to you? You happy with it?’ And I was like, ‘Oh, my God. It looked beautiful. I loved it.’ And he went, ‘OK, fantastic. See you Sunday!’” Winston conceded he asked for one more run-through for the camera operators, bringing the total rehearsal time to just 15 minutes. Even Bieber’s shirtless look was reportedly a spontaneous decision, finalized only as he took the stage.
Lady Gaga faced a different set of challenges, arriving from Japan the morning of the show with no time to rehearse with dancers. This logistical hurdle unexpectedly shaped the performance into a minimalist, band-focused arrangement of “Abracadabra,” produced by Andrew Watt. “If she’d been in L.A., it would’ve been a hundred dancers and this big thing,” Winston noted. “But actually it drove this creative that was so amazing.” He revealed there was concern she might have to pull out of the show altogether, but Gaga ultimately delivered what Winston described as one of the most iconic performances of the night, proud of the intimate and powerful result. The performance also featured innovative camera work, utilizing a robotic arm for close-up shots under Gaga’s mask – potentially a first for an awards show.
Embracing Constraints and Last-Minute Additions
The production team also demonstrated a knack for turning limitations into opportunities. When Bad Bunny was unable to perform due to contractual obligations with the NFL surrounding his Super Bowl halftime show, Winston opted to “own it.” He and Trevor Noah devised a playful scenario where Noah would playfully tease Bad Bunny from the floor while a marching band performed his music. “Maybe he did break his contract,” Winston joked, “But who cares? It was great fun.”
Other moments were born from last-minute decisions. Bruno Mars rearranged his performance of “APT” just days before the show, opting for a more aggressive and energetic arrangement than the original studio version. Similarly, Sabrina Carpenter’s inclusion of a live dove in her performance was a request made just days before the broadcast. “Eric Cook, who’s our amazing co-EP, came to me and said, ‘How would you feel about a request from Sabrina Carpenter’s team that she’d like to add a live bird to the performance?’” Winston recalled, admitting he simply agreed amidst the chaos of final preparations.
Hill’s Vision and the Challenges of the Best New Artist Medley
Lauryn Hill took a commanding role in crafting her In Memoriam tribute to D’Angelo and Roberta Flack, expanding it far beyond the initial four-minute plan. “She came back with, ‘I’ll do it, but I want to pay real tribute to these two icons,’” Winston said. Hill personally reached out to performers, arranged the music, and insisted on a poignant shot of D’Angelo’s abandoned keyboard. She was also consistently punctual, “genuinely early, every time.”
However, not all ambitious plans went off without a hitch. The Best New Artist medley, expanded to include eight nominees, proved to be the show’s most technically challenging sequence. “I think we’ve got away with it technically — I’m not convinced we can do it again,” Winston admitted, considering breaking the medley into two segments next year. “We are an inch away from it not working. Maybe it’s not worth taking the risk.”
Politics, Threats, and the Search for a New Host
Winston also addressed the show’s approach to potentially controversial statements. He emphasized that artists should feel free to express themselves, stating, “These are beautiful, creative people who feel things… Their job is to feel things and make you feel something.” He also downplayed a threat of legal action from Donald Trump following a joke made by Trevor Noah, simply stating, “I dunno.”
Looking ahead, Winston acknowledged the difficulty of finding a replacement for Trevor Noah, who is departing after six years as host. He questioned whether a traditional stand-up comedian would be suitable for the role, noting the unique challenges of performing comedy in an arena setting. He also revealed that Harry Styles was unaware of the “Where’s My Husband” meme until Winston brought it to his attention, leading to its playful inclusion during his presentation.
You can hear Winston’s full account of the 68th Grammy Awards on the Rolling Stone Music Now podcast, available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
