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What Now? With Trevor Noah

No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys | What Now? with Trevor Noah Podcast

This week along with Grammy Executive Producer Ben Winston, and my good friend Sizwe Dhlomo, we take you deep behind the scenes of music’s biggest night.

Trevor NoahhostBen WinstonguestSizwe Dhlomoguest

Feb 6, 20252h 7mWatch on YouTube

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CHAPTERS

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Chapter summaries

Kanye's Red Carpet Appearance and Ben's Focus
Trevor asks Ben how he felt when Kanye West showed up on the Grammys red carpet. Ben says he was consumed by the pre-show crunch, didn't see it until after, and knew Kanye wasn't coming to the main show. They also discuss how plus-ones can bring surprise guests.
- •Ben says he could take or leave the Kanye moment and only saw it after the show
- •The 90 minutes between dress rehearsal and going live are the most stressful of his year
- •Ben says there was no truth to Kanye being kicked out; as he understands it Kanye did the carpet and left
- •Sizwe notes a plus-one guest can't easily be turned away
- •Ben says he doesn't know the plus-ones, which can lead to surprise faces on camera
The Babyface Interview and Red Carpet Hosting Experience
The conversation turns to the red carpet reporters who interrupted Babyface to get Chappell Roan. Ben sympathizes with the reporters and praises Babyface, while Sizwe and Trevor discuss experience, accountability and how a better approach would have been a collaboration moment.
- •Ben saw the clip only after Khloé Kardashian posted it and calls Babyface one of the nicest people he knows
- •Ben feels sorry for the reporters and dislikes how the internet turns on them
- •Trevor says Babyface has no ego and didn't need the interview
- •Sizwe ties the incident to people broadcasting without years of experience, and Trevor compares it to TikTok comedians in clubs
- •Trevor and Ben agree the better move would have been to bring Babyface and Chappell together
What If Kanye Had Come Inside?
Trevor wonders aloud what would have happened if Kanye had entered the venue. Sizwe is sure he would have seized the moment, and Trevor says he wouldn't be afraid but would worry for the show on an already somber night.
- •Sizwe predicts Kanye would have gone on stage, citing the MTV Awards moment
- •Ben asks how Trevor would have felt sitting among the tables, since he is not on a distant stage
- •Trevor says he's met Kanye, found him sweet, and that Kanye loves comedy
- •Trevor says it wasn't the night for unpredictability and was the emotionally hardest Grammys he's done
- •Ben says he wouldn't clear a table for Kanye and that it's up to the Academy
A Night of Loaded Speeches and Past Grammys Tragedies
Trevor and Ben describe the unusual mood of the night as artists' acceptance speeches touched on larger issues, and Ben recalls working on the Grammys the day Kobe Bryant died. They note how often the Grammys have had to handle tragedy.
- •Ben cites reviews calling it the best Grammys of all time
- •Trevor lists speeches by Lady Gaga, Chappell Roan, Doechii and Alicia Keys that carried weight beyond music
- •Ben recounts learning of Kobe's death on the morning of the show while working under Ken Ehrlich
- •The ideas that day were Boyz II Men and blacking out the rafter shirts
- •Ben lists past Grammys disruptions: Whitney, Kobe, COVID, and the fires
Why Hosting the Grammys Differs from The Daily Show
Trevor explains that The Daily Show audience came for his perspective, while the Grammys brings together strangers who came for different artists. He says this makes comedy riskier but is also what makes the show special, and praises Ben's programming.
- •Daily Show tragedy days were hard, but viewers were all there for the same show
- •The Grammys is a rare coming together of strangers across genres and cities
- •Trevor says people tune in for their artist, so the host is a random person stitching things together
- •Trevor praises how Ben stitched the Best New Artist performances into a cohesive whole
- •Ben says he programs with viewers like Auntie Marilyn in Nebraska in mind and tries to make the show for everyone
Why They Didn't Cancel: Ben's Case for Going Ahead
Ben explains his reasons for continuing the Grammys despite calls to cancel after the fires, including the thousands of local workers who depend on it. He and Trevor also discuss LA's emptiness and their feelings about the city, and Ben recounts turning down the idea of a separate fire benefit.
- •Ben recalls the pushback, including a comment from Jean Smart, and says he wanted to proceed even after evacuating
- •He says about 6,500 LA workers take a wage from the show
- •Ben says an artist declined to come to avoid taking hotel rooms, which he said were at 32% capacity
- •Trevor describes a newfound pride in LA compared with wanting to leave in 2019
- •Ben tells Jeffrey Katzenberg the Grammys already had the budget, network, audience and stars needed to raise money
Fundraising Results and Ben's Praise for Trevor's Tone
Ben shares that donations during the telecast topped $8.5 million with a small average gift, and credits Trevor with balancing the fundraising with jokes and joy. Ben then begins explaining his own worry about the host announcement.
- •About $8.5 million was donated during the telecast, and about $24 million over the weekend's events
- •Ben says the average donation was under $50
- •He credits Trevor with getting people to scan the QR code and with carrying the tonal shifts
- •Ben says he couldn't have done the show without Trevor
- •Ben starts the story of his panic that Trevor hadn't been announced
Ben's Freak-Out Over the Unannounced Host
Ben recounts realizing Trevor's hosting hadn't been announced and failing to reach him or his team. Trevor explains he was off his devices in South Africa, then reveals he panicked and told his staff he thought he was out. Sizwe adds his own account of the time.
- •The co-EP pointed out Trevor's contract wasn't signed and he hadn't been announced
- •Ben called Trevor, his agent, his manager and others and got no answer
- •Trevor was deliberately off his phone in South Africa and assumes nothing is guaranteed
- •Ben blames himself for not checking with Trevor before the announcement
- •Trevor told his staff he thought he was out and was spiraling because he cared so much about the show
Trevor's Doubts About Hosting Amid the Fires
After a sponsor break, Trevor describes following the LA fires from South Africa, his thoughts on whether to host, and why he didn't want to assume how people felt. He expected it to be the hardest Grammys, with cancelled parties and audiences feeling differently around the world.
- •Sizwe had no doubt Ben could pull it off and said the tone would need to be different
- •Trevor says hosting is thankless and comedy is not a safe art form
- •He didn't want to assume on behalf of others, using Babyface as an example
- •Every pre-Grammy party was cancelled, so the lead-up felt different
- •Trevor says it was his most stressful, high-wire Grammys as an experience, not as a show
The Room Warms Up: Kendrick, Firefighters and Beyoncé's Win
Trevor and Ben describe how the room shifted from subdued to warm, with Kendrick's love letter to LA and the firefighters presenting Album of the Year to Beyoncé. Trevor recalls how gracious Beyoncé was backstage and what her win felt like.
- •Everyone was seated before the show started, unlike previous years
- •Ben says having firefighters give out Album of the Year was a full stop for the night
- •Beyoncé thanked the firefighters, hugged both, and took selfies backstage
- •Trevor ties the night to a pattern of disaster, shock, resilience and hope
- •Trevor says Beyoncé's win felt like the underdog winning
Crowd Reaction to Kendrick and the Running Order
Sizwe and Trevor recall the crowd singing along to Kendrick's winning song, and Ben explains how the running order, from the opening to Sabrina Carpenter, was built to turn the room. He credits Sabrina and Best New Artist with getting everyone on their feet.
- •The room sang along to Kendrick's song until he stepped on stage
- •Friends texted Trevor to check on him because of the Drake moment
- •Ben calls the running order the thing he obsesses over most
- •Sabrina Carpenter's comedic performance was a risk that paid off because of the earlier segments
- •By the end of Best New Artist the audience was on its feet
Live TV Mishaps: The Cardi B Link and Pacing for Two Audiences
Sizwe asks about the delay clearing the porch set before Cardi B, and Ben jokes it was Trevor's fast link. Trevor explains the balance between the live room and the TV audience and how a quiet room affected his pacing.
- •Ben says Trevor read a link at unusual speed so the porch wasn't cleared in time
- •Ben says he never loses composure over such moments
- •Trevor describes balancing a tiny live audience with a massive TV audience
- •He had to rethink jokes because the room was less celebratory
- •Trevor says he takes no joy in a comedian like Jo Koy losing a room
Jim Gaffigan's Joke and Filling Time with Billie Eilish
Trevor and Ben recall the Jim Gaffigan trade joke and the mistake of not asking him first. They then describe the stress of live TV, including Billie Eilish's 'uh-oh' when Trevor was asked to fill time.
- •The joke was inspired by the Luka and Anthony Davis trade the night before
- •Nobody had asked Gaffigan, so Trevor pitched it to him and asked that he not diminish the Red Hot Chili Peppers' moment
- •Trevor calls it his favorite joke of the night
- •He compares live TV to fixing a plane mid-flight
- •Ben says Trevor can fill time on request, like with Billie Eilish, while Ben speaks in his ear
Context, Offense and Comedy at the Grammys
Trevor explains how comedy depends on context and how he handles criticism, using the immigrant joke misunderstanding as an example. He says he now spends more effort preserving context as content travels across borders, and Ben asks whether he self-censors.
- •Trevor says some viewers assumed he was American and misread his immigrant joke
- •He believes criticism is usually smaller than it appears and treats it as feedback on craft
- •He cites 'art is getting away with it' and Chappelle's SNL line as an example of precision
- •Trevor says the Grammys puts people in a shared space that society needs, even with the risk of offense
- •He says he has gone the opposite way of self-censoring, but works harder on context
Ben's Take on Controversy and Hindsight on the Night
Ben reflects on past Grammys controversies like WAP and Sam Smith and how fatherhood has made him more mindful. He says this year wasn't his favorite Grammys but brought the biggest relief, while Trevor shares his 'answer to a question' philosophy and a moment with a firefighter.
- •Ben says he won't censor artists but is more conscious now as a father of two girls
- •He misses creating daily television, not the chance to respond
- •Ben says it wasn't his favorite Grammys but was his biggest relief
- •Trevor says viewers fixate on the 'car crash' of negativity
- •Trevor shares his idea of letting each experience answer a question and a firefighter chief's hug as his example
Performance Booking and Camera Cuts That Define Moments
Ben describes booking the opening performance, including calling The Doors, and Sizwe raises how camera cuts can shape perceptions. Ben explains the timing of cutaways, his plan to change how names are called out, and why he scrapped the nominee quadrant.
- •Ben describes building the I Love LA opener after a call with Brandi Carlile, who suggested The Doors
- •Sizwe says who you cut to defines a moment, and Trevor cites the Diplo example
- •Ben explains how he directs camera cuts from the control room and that split-second timing matters
- •Ben plans to change the name order in announcements so the technical director can react faster
- •He removed the nominee reaction quadrant to protect artists and doesn't cut to nominees who look upset
Wrapping Up: Thanks to the Crew
Sizwe congratulates Ben and shares a stagehand's pre-show speech. Ben credits the producing team behind the show and says he feels relief more than self-congratulation, and the conversation ends.
- •Sizwe describes a lead stagehand's motivational speech as feeling like a football team
- •Ben calls the conversation therapy and credits his crew by name
- •He calls it the hardest show in television
- •Ben says he feels relief, comparing it to getting the 12 nice emails

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