drake grammy speech

Here’s How the Grammys Explained Why Drake’s Speech Got Cut Off

W hile many famous faces were notably absent from the 2019 Grammys , Drake made a surprise appearance to accept his “Best Rap Song” award for “God’s Plan” — but was cut off while he was still delivering his acceptance speech by Grammys producers.

The Canadian rapper, who’s known for passing up on awards shows, made his first appearance at the Grammys since 2013 — especially notable since he’s been a vocal critic of the Recording Academy and its failure to recognize artists of color and genres like hip hop in the past.

“I want to take this opportunity while I’m up here to just talk to all the kids that are watching this, aspiring to do music,” Drake said. “All my peers that make music from their heart that do things pure and tell the truth, I wanna let you know we’re playing in an opinion-based sport not a factual-based sport. So it’s not the NBA where at the end of the year you’re holding a trophy because you made the right decisions or won the games.”

Drake then went on to express that he felt fans were most important.

“This is a business where sometimes it’s up to a bunch of people who might not understand what a mixed race kid from Canada has to say or a fly Spanish girl from New York or anybody else, or a brother from Houston right there, my brother Travis [Scott]. But my point is you’ve already won if you have people singing your songs word for word, if you’re a hero in your hometown. Look, if there’s people who have regular jobs who are coming out in the rain, in the snow, spending their hard earned money to buy tickets to come to your shows, you don’t need this right here. I promise you, you already won. But…”

The rapper was then cut off abruptly, with the broadcast going immediately to a commercial, sparking a strong reaction online. In a statement to Variety , the Grammys said that they did not cut off Drake early intentionally, but were under the impression that he had finished his speech.

“During Drake’s speech, there was a natural pause and at that moment the producers did assume that he was done and then cut to commercial,” Sunshine Sachs’ Michael Samonte said. “However, the producers did speak with Drake following his speech and did offer him to come back on stage to finish whatever his thoughts were. But Drake said he was happy with what he said and didn’t have anything to add.”

In an interview with the New York Times last week, longtime Grammys producer Ken Ehrlich said that Drake, along with Childish Gambino and Kendrick Lamar, declined to be performers for the 2019 awards show. Gambino and Lamar chose not to attend the 2019 Grammys at all.

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Drake used his acceptance speech to critique the Grammys. They cut him off.

Drake, while winning a Grammy: Winning a Grammy isn’t everything.

by Aja Romano

Drake tossed some subtle shade at the Recording Academy during the 2019 Grammys , while accepting his trophy for Best Rap Song for “God’s Plan.”

The award, which went to Drake and his fellow songwriters for the hit single from Drake’s 2018 album Scorpion , doesn’t typically make for one of the evening’s major moments. But Drake took the opportunity to pay respect to his fellow nominees and remind everyone that there’s more to success than winning a Grammy.

Drake shouted out fellow artists like Travis Scott and Cardi B, and pointed out that the music industry is run by people “that might not understand what a mixed-race kid from Canada has to say, or a fly Spanish girl from New York.” This seems to have been a tacit callout of the Grammys’ struggle to diversify their many, many awards categories .

Multiple artists including Drake reportedly declined invitations to perform at the 2019 ceremony. Their decisions, along with Donald Glover’s complete absence despite his prominent nominations, have generally been interpreted as protests against the Recording Academy’s deference to white recording artists.

Drake went even further during his acceptance speech, however, reminding everyone watching that the Grammys don’t have to be the highest standard of achievement in an increasingly diverse industry.

“The point is,” Drake said, “you’ve already won if you have people who are singing your songs word for word, if you are a hero in your hometown. 

“Look, look, if there [are] people who have regular jobs who are coming out in the rain, in the snow, spending their hard-earned money to buy tickets to come to your shows, you don’t need this right here,” he said as he gestured with the Grammy in his hand. “I promise you, you already won.”

However, right before Drake was about to continue his point with a prominent “but,” the telecast abruptly cut away to a commercial — leaving onlookers remarking over the awkward cut-off.

Clearly, the Grammys didn’t want to wait around to hear what point Drake might have had to make. But the show’s quick cutaway made Drake’s ostensible point without him having to make it himself: The less diverse the room is, the easier it is for diverse viewpoints — like Drake’s — to be silenced.

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Drake’s Grammys Speech Was Cut Off After He Criticized The Recording Academy

Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for The Recording Academy

A Grammys representative later clarified it wasn’t intentional.

Although Drake declined to perform at the 61st Grammy awards, he was still in attendance to collect his Best Rap Song trophy for “God’s Plan.” During his acceptance speech, the Toronto rapper criticized the Recording Academy for being out of touch with the interests of music fans, especially in regards to hip-hop. Before he was finished, however, his microphone was cut off and the Grammys went to commercials.

According to Grammy attendees , Drake’s speech was also cut short in the arena. While many fans speculated it was intentional, a Grammys representative later explained that Drake passed on the opportunity to complete his speech after producers realized he wasn’t finished.

“During Drake’s speech, there was a natural pause and at that moment the producers did assume that he was done and then cut to commercial,” said Sunshine Sachs’ Michael Samonte. “However, the producers did speak with Drake following his speech and did offer him to come back on stage to finish whatever his thoughts were. But Drake said he was happy with what he said and didn’t have anything to add.”

It’s worth noting, however, that Drake’s acceptance speech isn’t uploaded to the official Grammys YouTube channel .

In his speech, Drake spoke about how the validation of fans is more important than receiving a Grammy:

We’re playing in an opinion-based sport, not a factual-based sport. So it’s not the NBA, where at the end of the year you’re holding a trophy because you made the right decisions or won the games. This is a business where sometimes it’s up to a bunch of people that might not understand what a mixed-race kid from Canada has to say, or a fly Spanish girl from New York, or a brother from Houston right there, my brother Travis. The point is, you’ve already won if you have people who are singing your songs word for word, if you’re a hero in your hometown. Look, if there’s people who have regular jobs who are coming out in the rain and snow, spending money to buy tickets to your shows, you don’t need this right here. You already won.

Last night’s ceremony was the first Drake attended since 2013, when he won Best Rap Album for Take Care . In 2017, “Hotline Bling” netted him awards for Best Rap/Sung Performance and Best Rap Song.

In a 2014 Rolling Stone interview, he explained why he skipped that year’s ceremony.

“It becomes more apparent how irrelevant our genre is to them,” Drake said. “They were trying to utilize me to sell the show, requesting me to come and perform ‘Hold On We’re Going Home,‘ but they didn’t nominate it for anything! They’re calling me, emailing me every day to do some elaborate performance and bring them viewers, but I didn’t get a nomination for Album of the Year. I didn’t get a nomination for Song of the Year.”

In that same interview, Drake voiced his opinion about why Macklemore won awards over other major rappers at the 2014 Grammys. “This is how the world works: he made a brand of music that appealed to more people than me, Hov, Kanye, and Kendrick,” he explained. “Whether people wanna say it’s racial, or whether it’s just the fact that he tapped into something we can’t tap into. That’s just how the cards fall.”

Two years later, the Grammys aired a Super Bowl commercial mentioning Drake among several artists performing at the 2016 awards show. However, he was quick to clarify that he would not be appearing despite racking up four nominations:

The Grammys' lack of recognition for hip-hop across major categories has long been a point of contention. In an effort to increase diversity , the Record of the Year, Album of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best New Categories were expanded from five to eight nominees this year. Childish Gambino ’s “This Is America” to become the first rap song to win Record of the Year and Song of the Year.

A recent episode of For The Record discussed the Grammys' handling of hip-hop:

Read all the lyrics to Drake’s “God’s Plan” on Genius now.

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Drake cut off during Grammys acceptance speech for best rap song

LOS ANGELES -- Drake was honored with the Grammy Award for best rap song for "God's Plan" Sunday evening, but he wasn't able to finish his acceptance speech before the telecast went to commercial mid-sentence.

The rapper, whose real name is Aubrey Graham, started off his acceptance speech by saying it was "the first time in Grammy history where I actually am who I thought I was for a second" and remarking that he didn't think he would win any awards.

He then addressed young fans with musical aspirations, reminding them that "we play in an opinion-based sport, not a factual-based sport" where it is "is up to a bunch of people that might not understand what a mixed-race kid from Canada has to say" in an apparent nod to past award season snubs and recent criticism of diversity within the Recording Academy.

Rap has endured a longtime losing streak at the Grammys. The last time a rapper won album of the year was in 2004, with Outkast. Only a handful of rappers have won best new artist.

"You've already won if you have people who are singing your songs word for word, if you are a hero in your hometown," he continued. "If there are people who have regular jobs who are coming out in the rain, in the snow, spending their hard-earned money to buy tickets to come to your shows, you don't need this right here, I promise you. You've already won."

It was at that point that the rapper looked around the stage and took a breath. The camera began to pan out as Drake resumed speaking, saying the word "but," though the telecast had already begun to transition to a commercial break.

According to a source with knowledge of the show, producers approached the rapper after the incident and offered to let him finish his speech, and he told them that he was finished and happy.

"During Drake's speech, there was a natural pause and at that moment the producers did assume that he was done and then cut to commercial," Sunshine Sachs' Michael Samonte separately told Variety on behalf of the Recording Academy. "However the producers did speak with Drake following his speech and did offer him to come back on stage to finish whatever his thoughts were. But Drake said he was happy with what he said and didn't have anything to add."

Drake has racked up more than 40 Grammy nominations and four wins throughout his career . He reportedly turned down an invitation to perform during Sunday evening's show.

Click here for a full list of Grammy Award winners.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Grammys: drake wins best rap song, producers cut speech short.

Drake, while accepting the award for best rap song for "God's Plan," said everyone is a winner with or without a Grammy and then the 2019 show cut him off to go commercial.

By Jackie Strause

Jackie Strause

Managing Editor, East Coast

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While accepting his Grammy, Drake had a message to deliver: A trophy from the Recording Academy is not the only thing that makes you a winner.

Going into Sunday’s show, there was tension between Drake and the Recording Academy. Drake and fellow top nominees Kendrick Lamar and Childish Gambino all declined to perform at the 2019 Grammy Awards , which prompted show producer Ken Ehrlich to admit that the Grammys “continue to have a problem in the hip-hop world.” It was reported that Drake was unlikely to attend the show.

The Grammys have been accused of alienating hip-hop artists by nominating them in major categories but rarely handing them the award. Going into Sunday, Drake, who was nominated seven times and took home one trophy, had a total of three Grammy wins to his name and 42 nominations. Later in the night, Cardi B and Childish Gambino would go on to make history, becoming the first solo female artist to win best rap album and the first rapper to win record of the year, respectively.

When taking the stage to accept his award for best rap song for “God’s Plan,” Drake vocalized his surprise. “I definitely did not think I was winning anything,” he said, before pivoting to speak to both young and aspiring artists and his peers “that make music from their heart, that do things pure and tell the truth.”

He told them, “I want to let you know that we’re playing in an opinion-based sport. Not a factual-based sport. So it’s not the NBA where at the end of the year, you’re holding a trophy because you made the right decisions or won the games. This is a business where sometimes it’s up to a bunch of people that might not understand what a mixed-race kid from Canada has to say or a fly Spanish girl from New York, or a brother from Houston — right there, my brother Travis [Scott].”

He continued, “But look, the point is, you’ve already won if you have people who are singing your songs word for word, if you’re a hero in your hometown. Look, if there’s people who have regular jobs who are coming out in the rain, in the snow, spending their hard-earned money to buy tickets to come to your shows? You don’t need this right there I promise you,” he said of the Grammys trophy. “You already won.”

Drake was continuing his speech, but the producers cut him off. He was heard saying, “But…” before the Grammys cut to commercial for viewers at home. The feed was also cut in the media room for those at the Los Angeles Staples Center.

A show source wrote in a statement: “Drake took a natural pause in his speech, which led producers to believe he was finished so they went to commercial. Since it seemed as if he had more to say, Grammy producers spoke with Drake immediately following his acceptance speech and offered him the opportunity to complete his speech. Drake stated that he was actually finished with his speech and happy.”

The Alicia Keys-hosted awards show spent the majority of the night lifting up diverse voices and celebrating inclusion. The show kicked off with an empowering opening, that included surprise guest Michelle Obama , and has been dominated by female-fronted performances .

The Grammys also awarded Childish Gambino (aka Donald Glover) and Ariana Grande with Grammys, despite both artists declining to perform or attend.

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Grammys state “natural pause” as reason for drake’s shortened speech.

By Zoe Johnson

Zoe Johnson

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Drake ‘s Grammy Awards acceptance speech seemingly appeared to ruffle several feathers when the 32-year-old rapper was cut-off midsentence and replaced with a commercial break. Causing many to speculate if the incident was indeed an accident, the Recording Academy’s representatives offered an official statement attributing the impromptu commercial break to a natural pause in breath.

“During Drake ’s speech, there was a natural pause and at that moment the producers did assume that he was done and then cut to commercial,” Sunshine Sachs’ Michael Samonte said to Variety . “However the producers did speak with Drake following his speech and did offer him to come back on stage to finish whatever his thoughts were. But Drake said he was happy with what he said and didn’t have anything to add.”

Explaining the issues with award shows misinterpreting and devaluing their art, Drake reiterated that a trophy does not make you a winner.

“If there’s people who have regular jobs who are coming out in the rain, in the snow, spending their hard-earned money to buy tickets to come to your shows, you don’t need this right here, I promise you, you already won,” Drake said while accepting the trophy for Best Rap Song for “God’s Plan.”

Drake Wins Best Rap Song, Reassures Artists In Grammys Acceptance Speech

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Here's Why Drake's Grammys Speech Was Cut Short

Find out what happened after the superstar's best rap song win.

Drake 's acceptance speech at the 2019 Grammys appeared to be cut short on Sunday night.

After winning Best Rap Song for "God's Plan," the 32-year-old superstar took the stage to accept his award. "It's the like the first time in Grammys history where I actually am who I thought I was for a second," he told the cheering crowd. "So, I like that, that's really nice."

"I want to take this opportunity while I'm up here to just talk to all the kids that are watching this that are aspiring to do music, all my peers that make music from their heart, that do things pure and tell the truth, I want to let you know we play in an opinion-based sport, not a factual-based sport," Drake went on to say. "This is not the NBA where at the end of the year you're holding a trophy because you made the right decisions or won the games."

He continued, "This is a business where sometimes it's up to a bunch of people that might not understand what a mixed race kid from Canada has to say or, or a fly Spanish girl from New York or anybody else, or a brother from Houston right there, my brother Travis. But look, the point is, you've already won if you have people who are singing your songs word for word, if you are a hero in your hometown."

"Look, look if there's people who have regular jobs who are coming out in the rain, in the snow, spending their hard-earned money to buy tickets to come to your shows you don't need this right here, I promise you, you've already won," Drake said, taking a pause as the crowd cheered.

As the cameras pulled back, assuming Drake was done with his speech, the rapper could be heard saying "but" into the mic. So what happened? 

A source close to the situation tells E! News that Drake took a natural pause and the producers thought it was the end of the speech, which it then went to commercial. According to the insider, producers spoke with Drake immediately following his acceptance speech and offered him the opportunity to complete his speech, but Drake stated that he was actually finished with his speech and happy.

'This show isn't the facts': Drake criticizes Grammys, honors 'all you incredible artists'

Drake was busy performing Sunday night — at a concert with J. Cole in Tampa, Florida, not at the Grammy Awards in L.A. — but still had some choice words for the ceremony happening across the country.

"All you incredible artists, remember this show isn't the facts, it's just the opinion of a group of people (whose) names are kept a secret (literally you can Google it)," the rapper wrote in an Instagram Story . "Congrats to anybody winning anything for hip-hop, but this show doesn't dictate (expletive) in our world."

In the new post, Drake also included video from his acceptance speech at the 2019 Grammys where he won best rap song for "God's Plan" — and had his microphone silenced — where he pointed out that "we play in an opinion-based sport, not a factual-based sport." He also highlighted another piece of text: "You've already won if you have people who are singing your songs word for word, if you're a hero in your hometown."

This isn't the first time Drake, who has a total of five Grammy wins, has criticized the awards. After The Weeknd was shut out of nominations  at the 2021 ceremony, he wrote on Instagram that "we should stop allowing ourselves to be shocked every year by the disconnect between impactful music and these awards and just accept that what once was the highest form of recognition may no longer matter to the artists that exist now and the ones that come after. It’s like a relative you keep expecting to fix up but they just can’t change their ways."

Drake also withdrew his nominations for "Certified Lover Boy" from being considered for the 2022 Grammys.

The hip-hop star was nominated for four Grammys this year: best rap album for "Her Loss," best melodic rap performance for "Spin Bout U," and best rap song and best rap performance for "Rich Flex." He did not win any of the awards.

Drake is currently on his It's All a Blur, Big As the What? tour, which runs through April 16.

Contributing: Melissa Ruggieri , Brendan Morrow

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Drake Shades the GRAMMYs in Instagram Post: 'This Show Doesn't Dictate S**t in Our World'

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In another bold move, Drake has once again taken to social media to express his frustration with the GRAMMY  Awards.

The chart-topping rapper posted a video on his Instagram Story, featuring a clip of him accepting a GRAMMY from a previous year. In the video, Drake can be heard saying, "You've already won if you have people singing your songs word for word, if you're a hero in your hometown."

Accompanying the video was a caption that read, "All you incredible artists remember this show isn't the facts; it's just the opinion of a group of people whose names are kept a secret 🤫 😂 (literally you can Google it). Congrats to anybody winning anything for hip hop; this show doesn't dictate sh*t in our world."

Despite his vocal opposition to the GRAMMYs, Drake earned two nominations for the 2022 awards, even after publicly refusing to submit his solo music for consideration in the 2023 season. The nominations were for his featured work on two tracks, "Churchill Downs" by Jack Harlow and "WAIT FOR U" by Future, both competing for the title of Best Rap Song.

His post comes as part of Drake's long-standing grievances with the GRAMMY Awards and the Recording Academy. His tumultuous relationship with the prestigious awards ceremony began in 2017 when he skipped the show after criticizing the Academy for categorizing his hit, "Hotline Bling," in the rap genre rather than pop.

In 2022, Drake escalated his protest by withdrawing his nominations for both his album, Certified Lover Boy , and the track "Way 2 Sexy." Speaking on Apple's Beats 1, the rapper expressed his dissatisfaction with being exclusively recognized as a rapper by the Recording Academy.

"I'm a Black artist, I'm apparently a rapper, even though 'Hotline Bling' is not a rap song," he stated. "The only category that they can manage to fit me in is in a rap category, maybe because I've rapped in the past or because I'm Black."

In 2019, during his acceptance speech for Best Rap Song for "God's Plan," Drake's remarks were abruptly cut off when he asserted that an artist doesn't need a GRAMMY to validate their career.

"We play in an opinion-based sport, not a factual-based sport," he emphasized. "This is a business where sometimes it's up to a bunch of people that might not understand what a mixed-race kid from Canada has to say ... the point is you've already won if you have people who are singing your songs word for word, if you're a hero in your hometown."

The  2024 GRAMMY Awards  is on Sunday, Feb. 4, at 5 p.m. PT/8 p.m. ET and being broadcast and streamed live on CBS and  Paramount+  from  Crypto.com  Arena in Los Angeles. Follow along at  ETonline.com  for full coverage from music's biggest night, including performances,  GRAMMY winners  and more.

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Kendrick Lamar Gives Surprise Speech at Compton College Graduation Ceremony

The 'Like That' rapper paid a visit to his hometown's college for his first public appearance since his feud with Drake

Charlotte Phillipp is a Weekend Writer-Reporter at PEOPLE. She has been working at PEOPLE since 2024, and was previously an entertainment reporter at The Messenger.

Compton College/YouTube

• Kendrick Lamar gave a commencement Saturday at Compton College
• When I walk out in these cities, in these countries, I can be proud and say, 'This is where I’m from,'" the rapper told the crowd of his hometown
• Lamar's speech marks his first major public appearance since his beef with Drake began dominating headlines and the rap charts

Kendrick Lamar  is honoring his hometown with a surprise appearance at a college graduation ceremony.

On Saturday, June 8, the seventeen-time  Grammy winner, 36, stopped by Compton College's graduation in Compton, Calif., to address the 2024 graduating class and share some words of wisdom as they prepare to make their mark on the world.

"I wanted to come out here just to tell y’all how much I appreciate y’all. I’m proud of the city of Compton, I’m proud of Compton College, most importantly I'm proud of the graduates out here,” Lamar opened his speech.

Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty

"I know what it takes. You had a lot of hardship, not only in your house, in your communities, but most importantly, within yourself, and that's the toughest thing to overcome," he continued, addressing the graduates. "We still growing day by day, brick by brick, making sure that we develop, not only in physical form but in the spiritual as well."

“Seeing y'all out here, it is not only a representation of the world, but it’s a representation of me. When I walk out in these cities, in these countries, I can be proud and say, 'This is where I’m from,' " he said.

Lamar continued to speak about his love for Compton, and also took time to address the members of Gen Z in the graduating class about to enter the working world.

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"Some people tell us, 'This generation, they don't have what it takes, Gen Z,' " the "Like That" rapper said. "We talk about it all day. They try to pull us down and say we don't know what we're doing. They wrong, though. You know why, because not only y'all have what it takes, but y'all have something even bigger. Y'all have the heart, y'all have the courage to be independent thinkers."

Lamar continued: "Now it's all about taking these resources and taking what you learned and applying. It's as simple as that. You'll have hardships, you gonna have tribulations as you had coming up here, but guess what? You have someone special in your corner and all around you and that's God, period. Every step of the way."

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Lamar's speech marks his first major public appearance since his feud with Drake began dominating headlines and the rap charts. One of his diss tracks against the "First Person Shooter" musician , "Not Like Us," has been topping the Billboard Hot 100 chart for a month since it was released on May 4.

Vaughn Ridley/NBAE via Getty

Drake and Lamar's exchange of diss tracks first began when Lamar joined forces with  Future  and Metro Boomin for "Like That." In the song, Lamar took aim at  J. Cole  and  Drake , prompting quick responses from both of the musicians, and several more disses exchanged between Drake and Lamar over the course of the last month.

The father of two also recently set his first concert date since the feud began . On June 19, Lamar is set to perform at a one-night-only "Ken and Friends" show put on by pgLang and Free Lunch called The Pop Out. The concert will take place at the Kia Forum in Inglewood, Calif. Doors open at 4 p.m.

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Dick Van Dyke makes history with Emmys win – and reveals how he got the part that won

By Caitlin O'Kane

June 10, 2024 / 12:05 PM EDT / CBS News

Legendary actor Dick Van Dyke has been in the business for more than seven decades, and at 98 years old, he just made history — as the oldest actor to win an Emmy.

"Am I really the oldest?" Van Dyke said during an interview with Entertainment Tonight  ahead of the Daytime Emmy Awards last week. He was shocked to find out he was the oldest person to earn a nomination from the long-running television awards show. "I'll be darned. I think I'm the last of my generation. I'm 98. I have — almost — all my marbles. I can't remember what I had for breakfast," he joked.

Van Dyke earned the nomination for his appearance on Peacock's " Days of Our Lives ." His soap opera role was a departure from his usual comedic and musical roles in movies like "Mary Poppins" and "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang."

He said doing serious scenes in the soap opera was different for him – and at one point he started giggling. "I said, 'What are you doing?'" he said. 

Van Dyke also shared how he got the guest role on "Days of Our Lives," revealing he still goes to the gym three days a week and one of the show's stars, Drake Hogestyn, goes to the same gym as him. The soap actor told Van Dyke he should come on the show.

"I said I'd love to," he said. "But look, it snowballed into this [nomination]."

He has previously won four Emmys and received one honorary award, entering into the Television Academy Hall of Fame. His own sitcom, "The Dick Van Dyke Show" ran from 1961 to 1966 and earned 25 Emmy nominations. 

With his sixth Emmy win, Van Dyke is just behind Ed Asner, who has seven. "I'm after him," he joked.

Van Dyke said retirement isn't even on his mind. "It isn't work, it's play," he said. "Actors are so lucky. I've had such a good time." 

In fact, Van Dyke still has some projects in the works, including a one-man show, during which he will answer audience questions. 

He's also close to being an EGOT winner , with an Emmy, Grammy and Tony to his name. He said he wants a shot at the Oscar, "now that I'm a dramatic actor."

"I hope it's not posthumous," he laughed. 

He calls his time in the gym his "secret weapon" and the reason for his longevity. 

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Caitlin O'Kane is a New York City journalist who works on the CBS News social media team as a senior manager of content and production. She writes about a variety of topics and produces "The Uplift," CBS News' streaming show that focuses on good news.

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SZA, Steely Dan, R.E.M., Trey Anastasio, Carrie Underwood and Many More Light up 2024 Songwriters Hall of Fame Ceremony

By Jem Aswad

Executive Editor, Music

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On this night, one can see Lady Gaga singing Four Non-Blondes’ hit “What’s Up” to Linda Perry; Stevie Nicks belting “The Rose” to Bette Midler; Emmylou Harris performing Eric Clapton’s heartbreaking hit “Tears in Heaven” for the song’s co-writer Will Jennings; Joe Walsh performing ELO’s “Don’t Bring Me Down” (and saying, “I always wanted to be in ELO — now I have”), and in 2011, the evening ended with Billy Joel and Garth Brooks duetting at the piano in matching Stetson hats.

Every year, honorees who have won multiple Grammy and other awards say this award means the most to them, because a recognition from their peers of the art and craft that is the very foundation of all music: songwriting, a message that is more important than ever as the industry continues to find new and brazen ways to avoid paying the creators of that foundation .

This event is probably the only one on earth that could feature performances from R.E.M., SZA (pictured above with hit producer and SHOF president Nile Rodgers), Carrie Underwood, Andra Day, Phish’s Trey Anastasio, Keith Urban, El Debarge and Jason Isbell, but a similar statement could be made every year.

However, a couple of things were very different this year. For one, the tightly-run show — which often approaches (and sometimes even passes) the five-hour mark due to packed lineups and speeches that can hit the double-digit-minute mark — was done before 11 p.m. for the first time in anyone’s memory. And second but far more significant, longtime SHOF CEO Linda Moran, who was appointed to the role in 2001 and whose industry career reaches back to the 1960s, wasn’t there, for the only reason that could have kept her away: At the top of the show, Board member Evan Lamberg of Universal Music Publishing gently told the audience that Moran wasn’t there because she’s battling leukemia. Yet he quickly countered the gasps in the room by saying that she’s receiving the best possible care and treatment is moving in a good direction. He then led the crowd in a quick video greeting to her before moving on to the show.

The evening’s music kicked off in characteristically far-reaching fashion with the tribute to songwriter Dean Pitchford, as the high school-aged winners of the Hall’s 2024 Abe Olman Scholarship sang his hit for Irene Cara from the film “Fame,” followed by R&B singer Deniece Williams delivering a stellar version of “Let’s Hear It for the Boy,” followed by Kevin Bacon, with his brother Michael on guitar, singing “Footloose,” complete with some fleet footwork from Kevin, who starred in the film some 40 years ago. Pitchford delivered a gracious acceptance speech before singing a medley of his other songs, finishing with “Once Before I Go.”

A dramatic musical shift followed as Phish singer-guitarist Trey Anastasio took the stage to honor Steely Dan — Donald Fagen and the late Walter Becker — playing a sleek medley of “Kid Charlamagne” and “Reeling in the Years,” remarkably channeling Fagen’s voice on the former and showing some dazzling guitar work on both.

Veteran power manager Irving Azoff took the stage to induct his longtime clients, telling an amusing story about how the group, which stubbornly refused to tour during their 1970s commercial peak, asked him one day to schedule a concert. Azoff excitedly booked a show, which quickly sold out, and then asked the group when he could follow with more dates. “‘Oh, we have no intention of touring,’ he recalled them saying. ‘We just wanted to see how big we are,’” and promptly canceled the date. Fagen followed with a brief and gracious thank you. 

In a characteristically effusive acceptance speech, SZA noted that her parents were in the audience and said, “Out of all the awards, I feel like this means the most — it validates my entire career.” Accompanied by a guitarist, she then delivered an acoustic version of her 2023 hit single, “Snooze.”

Next up was Carrie Underwood, who used every bit of her formidable vocal power to honor songwriter Hillary Lindsey, writer of one of her biggest hits, “Jesus Take the Wheel.” Lindsey — no mean singer herself — gave a warm acceptance speech before picking up a vintage Gibson acoustic guitar to deliver a medley of two of her other hits, inviting Keith Urban to the stage to duet with her on his Lindsey-cowritten 2016 hit, “Blue Ain’t Your Color.”

The crowd roared as Missy Elliott took the stage to induct her longtime friend and collaborator, hit producer Timbaland (Tomothy Mosely) — the pair, who met as high school students in Virginia, soared into the public consciousness in 1996 by cowriting and coproducing Aaliyah’s “One in a Million” album and haven’t dipped since. She recalled seeing his “big hands on this little keyboard, and I was amazed that he could make songs with [the keyboard’s] weird dog and cat sounds and handclap noises.” She also recalled Moseley’s father, a long-haul truck driver, telling the pair to stop making so much noise “with your boobiddy bop-bop” because he had to rest up for a drive.

“That boobiddy bop-bop is now in the Songwriters Hall of Fame,” she concluded with a laugh.

Moseley gave the evening’s only long acceptance speech before leading the ace house band through a fast-paced, mostly instrumental medley of around a dozen of his hits — complete with a conductor’s wand — including “Big Pimpin’,” “Pony,” “Get Your Freak On,” “Drunk in Love,” “Promiscuous,” and “Suit & Tie,” concluding with Justin Timberlake’s 2006 smash “SexyBack.”

Country star Jason Isbell then took the stage to honor R.E.M. — singer Michael Stipe, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills and drummer Bill Berry — with a rapid-fire version of their 1987 hit “It’s the End of the World as We Know It.” Calling them “my friends and my heroes,” he spoke of their vast influence on him and many others as a young musician. He presented all four members with their trophies and then stepped aside as Stipe gave a heartfelt acceptance speech on behalf of the entire group, which then moved center stage to perform their 1991 hit “Losing My Religion.” (Read Variety ’s full recap of R.E.M.’s speech and performance here .)

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Warren grew emotional during her characteristically humorous and idiosyncratic speech, thanking her mother “for being the first of many I proved wrong” but then tearing up as she thought of her watching from heaven, her father “for being the first of many I proved right,” Clive Davis, who she called one of her greatest champions, and all of the artists “who make my songs sound a hell of a lot better than I do.”

The evening concluded with El Debarge taking the stage for a show-closing version of Warren’s hit “Rhythm of the Night” — which the audience, pleasantly surprised by the early hour, slowly filtered out into.

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Kendrick Lamar Makes Surprise Speech at 2024 Compton College Graduation: ‘There’s No Place Like This One Right Here’

The appearance was K-Dot's first since his Drake feud.

By Gil Kaufman

Gil Kaufman

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Kendrick Lamar has been out of the spotlight since the conclusion of his heated feud with Drake ended several weeks ago. But on Friday, K-Dot made a surprise appearance at the 2024 commencement ceremony for Compton College, where the rapper gave props to the city he grew up in and gave graduates words of wisdom as they start their journey into the wider world.

After Ruling Hot 100, Kendrick Lamar’s ‘Not Like Us’ Tops a Radio Chart for First Time

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“I know what it takes. You had a lot of hardship, not only in your house, in your communities, but most importantly, in yourself, and that’s the toughest thing to overcome. We still growing day by day, brick by brick, making sure we develop, not only in the physical form but in the spiritual as well,” he added.

“Seeing y’all you out here, it is not only a representation of the world, but it’s a representation of me. When I walk out in these cities in these countries, I can be proud and say, ‘This is where I’m from.’ I still believe in Compton, Compton always been a future for me. I think we breed some of the most incredible individuals: Creatives, intellectuals, talent. We had it since day one, that’s why I always screamed this city. I traveled the world, there’s no place like this one right here. No place,” the rapper told the cheering crowd.

“I still believe in Compton. Compton has always been the future for me. I think we breed some of the most incredible individuals, creators, intellectuals, talent. We had it since day one… I traveled the world, it’s no place like this one right here… I still believe in everything that we’re doing. Brick by brick.”

Lamar assured the graduates that their degree from Compton College was just as important and vital as any degree that anyone else might get from a different school. “This Compton degree is just as big,” he said to whoops of approval. “Now it’s all about taking these resources and taking what you learned and applying. It’s as simple as that. You gonna have hardships, you gonna have tribulations as you had coming up here, but guess what? You have someone special behind your corner and all around you and that’s God, period. Period. Period. Every step of the way when you fall and you have your shortcomings, he’s right there. When you have your victories, he’s right there. Give yourself grace, give yourself time to grow and appreciate it, because he’s growing with you.”

Lamar will be back on stage in Los Angeles on June 19 as the hots of The Pop Out – Ken & Friends concert at the Kia Forum for a special gig that will be streamed live on Prime Video.

Watch Lamar’s surprise Compton College speech (Lamar segment begins around 41:30 mark) below.

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