SZA Defends Cher Following Her Viral Grammys Mishap

The 2026 Grammy Awards aired on CBS on February 1, broadcasting from Los Angeles. Among the winners were Kendrick Lamar and SZA for their 2025 hit single, “Luther.” Music legend Cher presented the Record of the Year award to the duo. However, after seeing the song’s name, the icon announced that Luther Vandross, who passed away in 2005, had won the category. Now, SZA is defending Cher and sharing a story about their first meeting.

SZA loves Cher and says she understands the mishap.

SZA interviewed with Entertainment Tonight while attending the 2026 Grammy Awards. The interviewer mentioned Cher’s misap and asked for the singer’s reaction. She said, “Well, we share the frequency of the song. Like that’s his frequency that allowed us to win and allowed it to, like, be memorable.”

SZA continued, “So, she’s not wrong, and she’s from that era. Like, she probably really knew Luthor Vandross. Of course, her brain and her energy are connecting that energy to the energy that we’re sharing. We’re moching off of what Luthor already gave us. Thank you, Luthor.”

Regarding the Lemar and SZA song, it samples Vandross’ “If This World Were Mine” from 1982. The song was a success, spending 13 consecutive weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

During the brief Entertainment Tonight interview, SZA also discussed her love for Cher and revealed their first meeting. She said, “I had spoken to Cher at the Cyndi Lauper tribute, and I was so befuddled by her beauty. She like looked me in the eyes and I was like… I just stopped talking. I don’t know what happened to me.”

She added, “But I love Cher. That’s my twin card. She’s a queen of clubs. Ya’ll go ahead and Google what that means. The Cyndi Lauper tribute took place in October 2025. Titled “A GRAMMY Salute to Cyndi Lauper: Live from the Hollywood Bowl,” it included artists such as Joni Mitchell and John Legend, in addition to Cher and SZA.

Following the interview, many fans took to the comments section to Praise SZA for her answer about Cher. Notably, many felt the reporter sought a negative reaction from the singer. One person wrote on TikTok, “SZA is too spiritual to accept any embarrassment. They tried it with her.” Another fan wrote, “Y’all tried to embarrass Cher, and Sza said nah.”

Someone else said, “This is actually a great answer and spin to a bad question.” A different TikTok user stated, “Sza knows how to give GRACE like the fairy she is.” Someone else replied, “Honestly, Luther won too.”

Lastly, another person offered a theory on the mix-up. They said, “Y’all forgot Cher has Dyslexia too, so her getting mixed up is understandable, and people need to stop attacking her for an honest mistake.”

Others in the comments section were pleased that the R&B icon’s name was mentioned after the ceremony, noting that his legacy remains intact 20 years after his death in 2005.

SZA recently wrapped touring with Lamar for his worldwide “Grand National Tour.” This came after the success of “Luther” and her appearance with him during the 2025 Super Bowl. She discussed her relationship with the rapper in a November 2025 interview with GQ.

She said, “He’s such a professional human. The way he approaches everything is so methodical but fluid. It’s beautiful. I definitely have just tried to observe. And you know, he’s so mature. I love working with him. And it’s funny, when I do, I don’t ask any questions. I just do it. And I love that as freedom too. It’s like, removing choice creates freedom.”

She then joked, “I know that sounds so crazy to say in a time like this. I’m sure that’ll be the headline: ‘Removing Choice Creates Freedom. SZA Loves Fascism.'”