Trevor Noah hosts fourth Grammy Awards, balancing humour and nomination

NEW YORK (AP):

Trevor Noah is ready to face one of the toughest audiences of his career — the millions watching as he once again hosts the Grammy Awards.

“It is easily the most nerve-wrecking thing that I do, but I love it every single time,” Noah tells The Associated Press ahead of Sunday’s telecast. “Each year there’s a new highlight and a new moment that is embedded into my memory.”

The 2024 Grammy Awards will air live on CBS and Paramount+ from the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. The telecast, with SZA having a leading nine nominations, will be Noah’s fourth consecutive hosting gig for the awards. He said he’s looking forward to the live performances, especially ones by nominated artistes Burna Boy, Billie Eilish, Dua Lipa and Travis Scott.

“I always love seeing artistes who have an innate understanding of how different and powerful the live experience is, and I think Burna Boy is one of those artistes,” Noah said. “He really excels in transforming live energy into a special moment in time.

“Billie Eilish has never given a half-hearted performance. Every time she’s on stage, it feels like watching a vignette from a classic film. It’s really thought-out and beautiful. I think Dua Lipa is one of the best pop performers of our lifetime. She does a fantastic job for this generation. Travis Scott is definitely going to be doing something crazy, so we should get ready for that. I would tune in, because I think it’s a good mix of predictably amazing and then unpredictably amazing as well.”

The comedian, best known for hosting Comedy Central’s The Daily Show from 2015-22, just won an Emmy Award for Best Talk Series for the last season of the show. He previously won one in 2017 for hosting a spin-off show, The Daily Show — Behind the Scenes, which was voted Outstanding Short-Form Variety Series.

Noah is not only a host this year but he’s also a nominee, with his comedy album I Wish You Would up against I’m an Entertainer by Wanda Sykes, Selective Outrage by Chris Rock, Someone You Love by Sarah Silverman and What’s in a Name? by Dave Chappelle.

“I’ve looked into all the Grammy by-laws, and there’s nothing that says being the host will give you any leg up in winning the award,” Noah jokes. “I think Dave Chappelle is the favourite because he’s always the favourite, and rightfully so.”

If that happens, don’t expect Noah to be complaining that he lost the Grammy to Chappelle, or that it’s the second time he’s lost a best comedy album Grammy to Chappelle.

“I don’t understand how people live in a world where you can lose something that you never had. I’ve never won a Grammy. I don’t have a Grammy. Unless Dave Chappelle comes to my house and takes my Grammy. I can never lose the Grammy to him,” he says.

Award show hosts have had a rough few years, with The Slap marring the Oscars in 2022 and comedian Jo Koy getting critically panned at the Golden Globes earlier this year.

“In my head, it was always hard being a host. I always assumed anything could happen. I guess the very nature of comedy has always felt like that for me,” says Noah. “I never blame an audience. I might not enjoy an audience, but I never blame an audience.”

Harvey Mason Jr, president and CEO of the Recording Academy, has got Noah’s back, calling the comedian “a total pro” as host.

“There’s never a hesitation, never a hiccup. There’s never a stumble. Second of all, he relates so well to the artistes and to the music community, in my mind, because he’s a fan and he’s an appreciator and a lover of music,” says Mason.