The 67th Annual Grammy Awards proved to be a night of celebration for artists and fans everywhere as the biggest names in Hollywood — including Beyoncé, Chappell Roan and Kendrick Lamar — were honored for their contributions to music. But Grammys host Trevor Noah made sure to kick off the ceremony with a sobering reminder of the country’s political climate since President Donald Trump took office in January.
“We’re going to make tonight special,” the South African comedian said. “We’re going to try and have some fun, and we’re going to do something different. I don’t know if you know this, there’s been a few changes in Washington, so I’m going to enjoy tonight, because it may be my last time I get to host anything in this country.”
Noah took several shots at the White House during his monologue, including a reference to the tariffs Trump recently imposed on imports from Canada, Mexico and China, and on his anti-immigration policies.
Referencing Beyoncé’s recently announced Cowboy Carter tour, Noah teased, “I will say though, Beyoncé, there’s tariffs, we can’t afford a new tour. Maple syrup is about to be $50.”
The comedian also faced backlash from viewers at home for cracking jokes about “illegal immigrants.”
“We’re going to be honoring the best in music as voted on by the 13,000 members of the Recording Academy,” he announced during his opening monologue, before adding,”And 20 million illegal immigrants.”
The quip earned criticism from many viewers watching from home. Rapper Doechii, who took home the first Grammy Award of her career that evening, could be seen visibly rolling her eyes at his joke during the broadcast.
Noah also roasted Colombian singer Shakira, who won Best Latin Pop Album, calling her “the greatest thing out of Colombia that isn’t a class A felony.”
Sunday evening marked Noah’s fifth consecutive year hosting the awards ceremony.
The comedian was nominated for Best Comedy Album for his 2023 stand-up special Where Was I?, but Dave Chappelle took the award home for his 2023 New Year’s Eve comedy special, The Dreamer.
The 67th Annual Grammy Awards ceremony is streaming now on Paramount+.
