Cher fumbles Grammys winner name, mistakenly naming Luther Vandross

Music legendCherhad a viral fumble announcing the correctwinner of the Grammy record of the year awardSunday night.

Rather than present the award toKendrick Lamarand SZA for "Luther," Cher, 79, initially offered the award to the late singer in the title:Luther Vandross,who died in 2005.

"And the Grammy goes to…" she said from the stage at the Feb. 1 ceremony, a pause filling the room before she realized she needed to open the envelope to announce the winner. "They told me it was going to be on a prompter!"

"Oh, the Grammy goes to Luther Vandross!" Cher said.

Cher quickly corrected herself, saying, "No,Kendrick Lamar" over the applause. "Luther" samples Vandross' 1982 duet of "If This World Were Mine" with Cheryl Lynn.

The hottest names in music hit the red carpet at the Grammy Awards Feb. 1.

These were the night's most eye-catching looks, starting with Sabrina Carpenter's jaw-dropping look. Scroll through for more photos from the night!

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Bad Bunny

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Olivia Dean

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Bad Bunny

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Sabrina Carpenter

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Chappell Roan

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Yoonchae Jeung, Megan Skiendiel, Lara Raj, Manon Bannerman, Sophia Laforteza and Daniela Avanzini of KATSEYE

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Karol G

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> María Zardoya

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Yungblud and Sharon Osbourne

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Olivia Dean

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Chappell Roan

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> J Balvin and Ryan Castro

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Tate McRae

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Tiny Harris and T.I.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> J Balvin

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Brandi Carlile and Don Lemon

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Noah Kahan

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Tate McRae

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Tate McRae

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Fernanda Gimenez

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Queen Latifah

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Halle Bailey

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Chappell Roan

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Kesha

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Kelly Osbourne

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Brandi Carlile and Catherine Carlile

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Jack Osbourne and Sharon Osbourne

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Karol G

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Malice and Pusha T of Clipse and Pharrell Williams

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Brandi Carlile and Catherine Carlile

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Edward James, María Zardoya, Josh Conway and Jesse Perlman of The Marías

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Gloria Estefan, Emilio Estefan and Emily Estefan

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> (From L) Joe Hahn, Colin Brittain, Mike Shinoda, Emily Armstrong, Dave Farrell and Brad Delson of Linkin Park

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Dijon Duenas and Joanie Del Santo

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> An "ICE OUT" pin is seen on Joy Graves on the Grammys red carpet.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Farrah Rahaman and Immanuel Wilkins

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Zain Effendi and Coco Effendi

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Allison Charney

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Shabnam and Ambrose Akinmusire

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />

Lady Gaga, Chappell Roan, Olivia Dean, more stun on Grammys red carpet

Thehottest names in musichit thered carpetat theGrammy AwardsFeb. 1.These were the night's most eye-catching looks, starting with Sabrina Carpenter's jaw-dropping look. Scroll through for more photos from the night!

Lamar, SZA and more made their way to the stage, with Sounwave, one of the "Luther" producers, taking the mic first.

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"First and foremost, let's give a shout out to the late, great Luther Vandross," Sounwave said.

Lamar took the slip up in stride, walking to the stage saying with a chuckle, "This is what music is about."

Lamar added seriously, "This is special for me. I gotta take my time. He's one of my favorite artists of all time. Because he's one of my favorite artists of all time. They granted us the privilege to do our version of [the song 'If This World Were Mine']. When we got that clearance, I promise you, we damn near all dropped a tear, because we know how much him and Cheryl Lynn poured into that record. Being able to put our vocals of it proves that we are somewhat worthy of being just as great as them individuals. They granted us that."

Sure, there are awards handed out at the Grammys. But what we really want are the performances! Here are the best performers of 2026, starting with Lady Gaga.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Rosé and Bruno Mars perform "APT."

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Sabrina Carpenter performs "Manchild"

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Olivia Dean performs "Man I Need"

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Bruno Mars performs "I Just Might"

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Justin Bieber performs "Yukon"

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Alex Warren performs "Ordinary"

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Sombr performs "12 to 12"

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Leon Thomas performs "Mutt"

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> KATSEYE performs "Gnarly"

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> The Marías perform "No One Noticed"

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Lola Young performs "Messy"

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />

See all the Grammys 2026 performances

Sure, there are awards handed out at the Grammys. But what we really want are the performances! Here are the best performers of 2026, starting with Lady Gaga.

Grammys: Cher almost walked off the stage before award

It was a memorable Grammy appearance for Cher, who gave an inspirational speech for her Lifetime Achievement Award. After the speech, Cher tried to leave the stage before giving out the record of the year award.

"I guess I'm supposed to walk off the stage now," Cher said, turning around.

Host Trevor Noahhad to pull the star back. "Before you go Cher, could I get you to announce the nominees? I could do it, but it's not the same. I don't have the track record."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Cher, Luther Vandross moment at Grammys goes viral

byNeo

in

February 01, 2026

Cher fumbles Grammys winner name, mistakenly naming Luther Vandross

Music legendCherhad a viral fumble announcing the correctwinner of the Grammy record of the year awardSunday night. ...

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Syrian rapper Al Darwish returns home after 13 years to perform in post-Assad Damascus

DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — Hani Al Sawah recently walked the streets of Damascus, Syria's capital, with wide-eyed excitement. It had been 13 years since the rap artist last was inSyria.

Later that night, he would take the stage to perform his unapologetically political songs in his home country for the first time without theAssad dynasty in power.

Al Sawah, who performs under the stage name Al Darwish, couldn't contain his excitement.

"Never in my wildest dreams did I think I could ever return to Syria," he told The Associated Press after a sold-out show on Jan. 16, followed by another one the next day. He could barely hear himself as the audience sang along to every lyric.

"I have this weird feeling that I never left, or that I left a part of me here that I was able to find again," Al Sawah said.

During the uprising in 2011, before he fled Syria to neighboring Lebanon in 2012 and later Germany, Al Sawah's fiery lyrics about mass protests defying dictatorship in Syria shed light on a rap scene not many imagined existed.

Supporting other protests in the region

His songs also paid tribute to other anti-government protests in the region. He also witnessed monthslong protests in Lebanon not long before leaving for Europe.

Al Sawah amassed a following online after leaving home, with many Syrians both at home and abroad relating to his music during the country's deadly civil war.

Since his upbringing in the city ofHoms, Al Sawah has always been a rebel at heart. In 2001, he discovered rap music and soon realized it was a way for him to express himself. He was later part of an underground scene where he and others exchanged songs and ideas.

"We had a nice scene at the time in Homs, of course everything was underground and nobody knew anything about us and that we were rapping," he said. The authorities often pulled him and his friends aside asking why they dressed the way they did, saying it resembled "devil worshippers." Others told him that the hard-hitting music genre represented Western culture and imperialism.

"There was the saying: Eat what you want but dress as the people want," he said.

He secretly attended anti-Assad protests

Al Sawah waselated and inspired by the uprisingagainst Syrian President Bashar Assad and his government, especially when mass demonstrations swept across the city of Homs. He secretly attended those protests, defying his father's orders not to out of fear for his life.

Thoughit's been over a yearsince a lightning insurgency in December 2024 took down the Assad dynasty's half-century rule, it wasn't until just last month that Al Sawah visited. While hopeful the new rulers in Damascus will build a just and prosperous country, he is concerned about incidents of violence that quickly turned sectarian.

Al Sawah decided he had to return home, to see his father and to see what life was like in this new chapter of the country's history.

"What happened here were fast and sudden changes, and we're only talking about Damascus," the rapper said after taking a stroll on a boulevard in Syria's capital. "Sure it changed, but not like my city of Homs, Aleppo, or any of the cities where two-thirds or three-quarters of it were destroyed."

Speaking out against sectarian violence

When speaking to friends and others, Al Sawah was surprised to see a certainfear of criticizing the new authorities, something he said was "inherited" from decades of living under Assad and the family's web of security agencies.

"If we want to say that the regime really did fall, then so should this fear," he said.

It doesn't take away from his joy that Assad is gone, but online he spoke out against sectarian violence and how some people who opposed it under other circumstances tried to justify it.

He was talking about a government counteroffensive against armed Assad loyalists of the Alawite religious minority along the coast that later turned into widespread revenge attacks targeting the community.

Last summer government forces launchedan intervention in the Druze-majority provinceof Sweida, ostensibly to stop clashes between Druze militias and armed Bedouin tribes, but clearly siding with the latter. In both cases, hundreds of civilians were killed.

"If you can justify what happened on the coast — which of course you can't — by saying they were armed (Assad) loyalists and so on, then you cannot justify what happened in Sweida," he said, calling it a "fatal error" in the Islamist-led government's efforts to try to win the support of minorities and bring the country back together.

During his performance, Al Sawah paid tribute to the coastal province and Sweida in one of his songs, admittedly nervous about how the crowd would react. To his surprise, they cheered and applauded, and that gave him hope.

"This is the reaction I was looking for," he said. "It's what encourages me to come back."

Chehayeb reported from Beirut.

byNeo

in

February 01, 2026

Syrian rapper Al Darwish returns home after 13 years to perform in post-Assad Damascus

DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — Hani Al Sawah recently walked the streets of Damascus, Syria's capital, with wide-eyed excitem...

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Kendrick Lamar turns heads in classic tuxedo at 2026 Grammy Awards

Kendrick Lamarlooked euphoric at the2026 Grammy Awardson Sunday night.

The "Not Like Us" rapperwore a Canadian tuxedolast year, but this time around, he went for a more classic approach. Lamar rocked a Chanel tuxedo with a bowtie and Cartier jewelry,according to Elle magazine, pairing it with glasses and a black hair pick.

Off the heels of the success of his 2025, Lamar continued his victory lap withnine nominations.Hedethroned Jay-Zas the most-awarded rapper in Grammy history after taking home the gramophone for best rap album for "GNX." In total, he has 27 wins.

Last year, he walked away withfive trophiesfor"Not Like Us,"his four-minute, 30-second diss track against rapper Drake.

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Here are photos ofKendrick Lamarat the 2026 Grammy Awards.

Sure, there are awards handed out at the Grammys. But what we really want are the performances! Here are the best performers of 2026, starting with Lady Gaga.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Rosé and Bruno Mars perform "APT."

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Sabrina Carpenter performs "Manchild"

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Olivia Dean performs "Man I Need"

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Bruno Mars performs "I Just Might"

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Justin Bieber performs "Yukon"

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Alex Warren performs "Ordinary"

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Sombr performs "12 to 12"

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Leon Thomas performs "Mutt"

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> KATSEYE performs "Gnarly"

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> The Marías perform "No One Noticed"

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Lola Young performs "Messy"

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />

See all the Grammys 2026 performances

Sure, there are awards handed out at the Grammys. But what we really want are the performances! Here are the best performers of 2026, starting with Lady Gaga.

Kendrick Lamar's 'Like That':How one song escalated the rap feud to what it is now

Photos: Kendrick Lamar at the 2026 Grammy Awards

Taylor Ardrey is a news reporter for USA TODAY. You can reach her at tardrey@usatodayco.com.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Kendrick Lamar at the 2026 Grammys – Rapper dons traditional tux

byNeo

in

February 01, 2026

Kendrick Lamar turns heads in classic tuxedo at 2026 Grammy Awards

Kendrick Lamarlooked euphoric at the2026 Grammy Awardson Sunday night. The "Not Like Us" rapperwore ...

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Georgia officer dead, another injured after hotel shooting, police say

A Georgia police officer was killed and another was critically injured on Feb. 1 after a shooting at a hotel in suburban Atlanta, authorities said.

During anews conference,Gwinnett County PoliceChief James D. McClure said two officers responded to a fraud-related call at 7:30 a.m. local time at a hotel in Stone Mountain, Georgia, located about 25 miles northeast of Atlanta. When the officers arrived, McClure said they went to the room of a person who was believed to have fraudulently used a credit card.

The officers made contact with the suspect, who invited them inside the room, McClure added.

"They began discussing the scenario or the incident with him," the police chief said. "And at some point the suspect produced a handgun and, in an unprovoked attack, fired at our Gwinnett County police officers."

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Both officers were stuck, and one returned fire, injuring the suspect, according to McClure. The two officers and the suspect were transported to a local hospital after the shooting.

One of the officers, Pradeep Tamang, 25, was later pronounced dead, McClure said. The second officer, Master Police Officer David M. Reed, remains in critical but stable condition.

The police chief said the suspect, later identified as Kevin Andrews, 35, sustained non-life-threatening injuries. Andrews will be transported to jail once released from the hospital. No additional injuries were reported.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation assumed control of the shooting investigation, authorities said.

Police officers identified

In a statement to USA TODAY, the Gwinnett County Police Department said Tamang joined the department in July 2024 and graduated from the police academy in May 2025. During the news conference, McClure said Tamang was from Nepal and moved to the United States about 10 years ago.

Reed, according to the statement, joined the Gwinnett County Police Department in September 2015.

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemptook to social mediaand mourned the dead officer and prayed for the second officer's recovery.

"This is the latest reminder of the dangers law enforcement face on a daily basis," Kemp said. "We are grateful for every one that puts themselves in harm's way to protect their fellow Georgians."

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Preliminary probe: Person reported credit card fraud

In anews release, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said it was investigating the shooting at the request of the Gwinnett County Police Department. The agency noted that once the investigation is complete, the Gwinnett County District Attorney's Office will review the case.

A preliminary investigation revealed that Gwinnett County police responded to the Holiday Inn Express after receiving a call alleging credit card theft, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. Earlier in the day, a person from South Carolina had reported that their credit card was fraudulently used at the Holiday Inn Express.

After the two officers arrived at the hotel, the agency said a front desk manager told them the room was being rented to Andrews. Officers spoke to Andrews in his room about the fraudulent use of the credit card and learned that he had an active warrant for failure to appear in DeKalb County, which is also located in the Atlanta metropolitan area.

At the news conference, McClure said Andrews had a "lengthy criminal history," including multiple felony convictions for violent crimes, gun crimes, and narcotics.

When officers attempted to arrest Andrews, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said Andrews pulled out a handgun and fired at the officers. Additional officers later responded to the scene and the officers, along with the suspect, were taken to the hospital.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Georgia hotel shooting leaves officer dead and another injured

byNeo

in

February 01, 2026

Georgia officer dead, another injured after hotel shooting, police say

A Georgia police officer was killed and another was critically injured on Feb. 1 after a shooting at a hotel in suburban ...

Read More