Trevor Noah has been granted hosting duties for the Grammy Awards for the third consecutive year. Clearly popular with both audiences and production, the comedian was an easy choice to take command of the 65th annual awards ceremony after guiding the broadcast through the most uncertain depths of the pandemic.
“I’m really grateful to be doing this for a third time. You don’t expect to do the Grammys once, and you don’t expect for them to call you back twice,” Noah told ESSENCE exclusively during a conversation leading up to the highly anticipated ceremony. “So the third time is, hopefully, as charming as it was the first and second times.”
“Every year has been different for different reasons. Obviously, the first time was a show designed specifically for a pandemic, and then, the second year was everyone recovering from a pandemic. So it feels like this year’s going to be a huge celebration.”
Upon the show’s big return to a full audience and a less socially distant layout, Noah let us in on a little secret to his ability to charm and entertain the most star-studded crowd in music so effortlessly year after year.
“I’m going to be honest. I cheat really. I’m a fan who just comes to watch the show with everyone else. So I guess, technically, I’m a host, but I’m just there to see everybody in person.”
Executive Producer Ben Winston weighed in on some of the more technical changes that have been made to the show over the last two years to make it both safe and engaging for the audience. The Later…With Jools Holland-style performance handoffs, the additional pre-taped segments, and more that was put in place to help the show flow properly in a pandemic has actually stuck and inspired further changes to the format.
“We tried to make it a really engaging television program, because it’s a three-and-a-half-hour show, which is really long. I think you’ve got to work really hard to keep the focus of an audience,” Winston said. “I think, this year, we’ve got some really lovely ideas. Some of the performances are going to be introduced by, rather than massive celebs, they’re going to be introduced by people who really matter to the performer. And I think that could be a really beautiful moment.”
“We’re [also] focusing heavily on the Album of the Year, because I don’t think, maybe in the history of the Grammys, we’ve ever had such a high profile Album of the Year category. And I literally couldn’t – if I was given a hundred bucks and had to put my money on it, I’d have no idea whether it would be Adele or Bad Bunny or Beyonce or Mary J. Blige or Brandy Carlile or Coldplay or Kendrick or Lizzo or Harry, or you never know, it could even be ABBA.”
“Can I tell you what has shocked me the most, honestly? Seeing how much of fans artists are of other artists,” Noah revealed of the show’s annual surprises. “I think people take that for granted. You think to yourself, ‘oh, because it’s Beyonce, Beyonce’s not a fan of any other artist.’ You think to yourself, ‘oh, because it’s Brandi Carlile, Brandi Carlile only focuses on what she focuses on.” But you should see the joy and elation on people’s faces when some of their favorite artists get up and perform.”
For Noah, watching the stars fan out just like the rest of us is a true surprise each year.
“I was shocked to find that out, because you start to realize, maybe it’s like how magical and just broad music is, just this world where everybody is listening to something that you take for granted. It seems obvious on the surface, but when you see them having a good time, you understand how special the night actually is.”
“And a lot of them also don’t get to see each other that often, so it also becomes like a reunion. It’s almost like a camp for the weekend, where all these artists get to come together and meet up.”
With Noah’s recent surprise career pivot and continued booking in the hosting arena, it’s natural to wonder what the comedian has made way for in his career. But as he sees it, it’s all about flexibility and freedom.
“I’m lucky,” Noah says. “I just get to spend more time playing with the Grammys, more time figuring out what we’re going to be doing for the show itself. And then, for the rest of [2023], I’m on the road, I’m doing standup. Everything else is almost on a comfortable back burner.”
“I’m not chasing anything, and I’m not anticipating anything. I’m taking my time.”
The 65th GRAMMY Awards broadcasts live on Sunday, Feb. 5