Trevor Noah has reflected on hosting the Grammy Awards for a third-straight year in a new interview.
The former host of The Daily Show said he feels more comfortable leading the ceremony this year, but added that he still has some nervousness about superstars including Beyoncé, Adele and Harry Styles looking on.
“The nerves come in because you’re standing in front of not just some of the best, but some of the biggest performers in the world,” said the Emmy winner, counting on diligent preparation to get him through the show on Sunday (5 February).
“Nerves are part of what I do,” Noah, 38, added.
Noah returns for his third hosting stint at the Grammys, which airs live from Crypto.com Arena on Sunday. The ceremony returns to Los Angeles after it was held in Las Vegas for the first time, last year.
Noah said each year of hosting the Grammys has offered a different experience because of the logistical challenges stemmed from the pandemic. But he said the intimate but socially-distanced in-person award show in 2021 helped him build a rapport with music stars — especially when telling his jokes.
“Every year, I notice that I develop a different rapport with the people in the room,” he said. “That opens you up to a few more jokes and a few more conversations in a way where people understand the context of who you are in relations to them.
“It means you get to have a little bit of fun without anybody feeling like you’re dunking on them.”
The Las Vegas ceremony was a hybrid model that included fans.
As a music fan, Noah is looking forward to checking out the popular performers who will hit the stage including Bad Bunny, Mary J. Blige, Sam Smith, Lizzo, Steve Lacy and Brandi Carlile.
Beyoncé heads into the ceremony with a leading nine nominations, including record and song of the year nods for her song “Break My Soul.” Kendrick Lamar has the second-most nominations with eight, while Adele and Carlile enter the show with seven nods.
Styles, Blige, Future, DJ Khaled, The-Dream and mastering engineer Randy Merrill each received six nominations.
Additonal reporting by Press Association.
