Trevor Noah had a particular visitor on his Spotify podcast What Now? With Trevor Noah on Thursday (Feb. 8) – Ben Winston, who was one of many govt producers of the Grammy telecast on Sunday, Feb. 4 (together with Raj Kapoor and Jesse Collins).
Noah, who has hosted the present the final 4 years and this yr was additionally credited as a producer, opened by saying “Can I let you know there are few gigs I’ve completed in my life which can be extra traumatic than the Grammys? It’s thrilling, it’s enjoyable, however … it’s an excessive amount of stress.”
Winston agreed. “I labored on that present for like 4 months after which the final three or 4 weeks it turns into intense after which the previous few days it’s much more intense after which the final hour earlier than the present is just like the worst of all of it as a result of that’s when all the things you’ve been planning for a yr falls aside as a result of artists aren’t displaying up … I’ve run the Grammys for 4 years now. For the final two years that half-hour earlier than we’ve gone dwell I might say with out query are the 2 most traumatic half-hours of my complete life. Simply the stuff that is available in and the way simply really feel such as you’re sinking on a ship that you simply’ve been constructing for months.”
One of many main stressors was quite a few prime stars arriving late for the 5:00 p.m. PT beginning time, the results of a mix of things – all the time heavy L.A. visitors aggravated by a rainstorm on present day, tight safety and demonstrations close to Crypto.com Enviornment the place the present was taped, which impeded visitors.
Trevor requested Winston if a narrative he had heard was true – that Mariah Carey, who was set to current the primary award, was picked up in a golf cart to get to the present on time.
“That’s 100% actual,” Winston stated. He recalled that at 4:48, not one of the first three presenters (Carey, Christina Aguilera and Kacey Musgraves) was within the constructing. “It was an absolute nightmare. So, Patrick Menton, head of expertise and co-executive producer of the present, obtained a man in a golf cart – that is the God’s trustworthy reality – to drive the improper approach down the [freeway] on the hard-shoulder, drove over a mile, obtained Mariah out of her SUV, caught umbrellas to every facet of it so she wouldn’t get soaked [and got her there].”
Winston communicated with Noah by means of an earpiece the host was carrying in the course of the telecast. “I’m making an attempt to not stress you out as a result of I’m in your ears the entire time. I’ve to provide him his props right here. Trevor is unbelievable at taking info dwell in your ear. I used to be slowing you down as a result of Mariah wasn’t prepared but. [As soon as] they went ‘Mariah is prepared,’ you went ‘Time for our first award.’”
Noah and Winston additionally mentioned Jay-Z’s calling out Grammy voters for repeatedly denying his spouse Beyoncé the album of the yr prize. Jay’s remarks have been sudden, however each males defended his proper to say what he stated.
The podcast performed an excerpt of Jay’s remarks: “Take into consideration that: essentially the most Grammys, by no means gained album of the yr. That doesn’t work. A few of you’re going to go dwelling tonight and really feel such as you’ve been robbed. A few of you might get robbed. A few of you don’t belong within the class. After I get nervous, I inform the reality.”
“I’ll let you know this a lot. I didn’t anticipate it,” Noah stated, likening it to the second in 2005 when Kanye West went off-script on the Hurricane Katrina telethon and stated “George Bush doesn’t care about Black individuals.” Noah stated when Jay made his shock remarks, “I felt just a little bit like Mike Myers” [who was West’s shocked co-presenter on that telethon].
Noah set the scene: “I’ve simply offered Jay with the Dr. Dre [Global Impact] Award. I’m on stage. I’m standing to the facet. I’m anticipating Jay-Z to come back up and make a speech and I anticipate it to be a speech the way in which all people makes a speech, “Attain for the celebs, dream large, that is inspiration, hope for the perfect, thanks a lot, I like you all, good evening.”
After which Jay will get up and begins his speech. There are moments the place I’m like, ‘Am I listening to this accurately?’ as a result of I’m behind and you’ll’t actually hear precisely what he did. … Persons are laughing. It was virtually like a roast meets an acceptance speech. I preferred it, although, I’ll say that. I prefer it when individuals are trustworthy, I gained’t lie.”
Winston agreed. “I don’t assume it was as disrespectful to the Grammys as has been taken. He and his spouse between them have gained 60 [56, actually] Grammys as a pair. So he stood there as an actual honored man. Hear, I’ve nothing to do with the awards. I’m not even within the Academy. I can’t vote. I make the TV present with you Trevor. I’ve completed it for the final 4 years.
“Of the final 4 years, they’ve turned up three out of the 4. The one one which they didn’t come to was the one in Vegas [in 2022]. So, I believe it issues to them. I believe the Grammys and the Recording Academy issues to them as an establishment. And any establishment that issues to you, you need it to be completed proper, and also you care about that. I respect that. And I additionally say ‘honest play’ to the Grammys for saying ‘converse no matter you are feeling.’ He additionally gave it credit score saying the Black Music Collective has completed a variety of good work. So yeah, he seems like Beyoncé ought to have gained an album of the yr…”
Noah interjected, “which I second, by the way in which.” Noah parodied West’s notorious interruption of Taylor Swift on the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards and stated, “Ben, I’mma allow you to end, however I do assume Beyoncé ought to have gained for one of many best albums of all time” [an apparent reference to Lemonade, which lost to Adele’s 25].
Later within the dialog, Noah returned to the topic of Jay-Z’s blast. “I respect the moments the place Jay-Z comes on stage and simply throws just a little spice into the pot. Man, thanks Jay-Z. If Jay-Z can’t do it, who can? Perhaps he’ll encourage extra individuals to do it. That is life. It will get individuals . It will get us speaking. It’s leisure.”
Each defended Swift, who has been criticized for not acknowledging Celine Dion, who offered her with album of the yr.
“To be honest, she was excited she had simply gained album of the yr,” Winston stated. “I don’t assume she meant disrespect by it in any approach. I believe she was simply excited.”
Noah concurred. “In these moments, talking from expertise, humbly, you do black out just a little bit when it’s like a serious second.”
Noah could have been referring to the second on Jan. 15 when he gained a Primetime Emmy as govt producer and host of The Each day Present With Trevor Noah, which was voted excellent speak sequence. For his half, Winston has gained at the least one Primetime Emmy in every of the final eight years. He gained final month as an govt producer of Elton John Farewell From Dodger Stadium, which was voted excellent selection particular (dwell).
Winston requested Noah if he was apprehensive when he began his monologue that so few of the individuals who have been talked about within the monologue have been within the room but.
“Reside TV is dwell,” Noah stated. “… On this second specifically, you’re about to do one thing in a room the place individuals aren’t even type of in but, but you’re speaking about them and to them they usually’re not there. I’m actually scanning the room praying that I’ll see anyone, anyone, anyone of their seats. So, you go searching and say, ‘Oh thank God, there’s Ed Sheeran, there’s 21 Savage.’
“Like when Meryl Streep got here in … To begin with, she’s Meryl Streep. She didn’t must run in as a result of she was late. She ran in. She apologized for being late in a very nice, respectful, human approach .. In that second I used to be like, ‘OK, all the things goes to be OK and thanks Jesus. I believe we’re doing to get by means of this factor.’”
Winston gave Noah credit score for his willingness to do his opening monologue within the viewers, among the many celeb company. “More often than not with comedians at first of the present, they’re on a stage, they’re secure, they’ve obtained their prompter. We actually stick you in amongst them, for 2 causes. Firstly, I believe it’s far more of an fascinating watch. You strolling across the room reveals off who’s within the room. The second purpose is … [we’ve] obtained to clear that stage for the subsequent artist. We don’t have house for you on that stage.”
“I each love and hate it,” Noah stated of performing his opening jokes whereas standing within the viewers. “I like it from a producer’s perspective. I see why you needed to do it and I take pleasure in that ingredient of it. As a performer, it’s chaos….I gained’t deceive you guys. It’s terrifying, however I do take pleasure in it.”
Winston concluded the podcast by explaining his function as one of many govt producers of the Grammys.
“My job I believe is to program that present to do the perfect I can to verify I’ve one thing for everyone, whether or not you’re Auntie Margaret in Alabama otherwise you’re Cool Child in New York, there’s one thing for you. You solely get a viewing determine [good rating] for a Burna Boy in case you observe it up with a Billy Joel. So, you’ve obtained to seek out that steadiness so you possibly can truly get viewers for these new artists, get individuals excited by Victoria Monét, Burna Boy, as a result of they’re watching these different ones that they got here for.”
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