Overview
- Kendrick Lamar and SZA took Record of the Year for "Luther" at the 2026 Grammys in Los Angeles.
- Presenting after receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award, Cher briefly said "Luther Vandross" before correcting the winners' names, a moment outlets linked to producer sequencing and on-screen prompt confusion.
- In an Entertainment Tonight interview, SZA said Cher "wasn't wrong," pointing to the song's foundation in Vandross and Cheryl Lynn's 1982 rendition of "If This World Were Mine."
- Onstage, producer Sounwave and Lamar saluted Vandross, and Lamar noted the estate cleared the sample on the condition the record include no cursing.
- Vandross' official X account responded with an archival mashup video and the caption, "If only we could turn back time, @Cher."