NEW YORK ā Trevor Noah is ready to face one of the toughest audiences of his career ā the millions watching as he once again hosts the Grammy Awards.
āIt is easily the most nerve-wracking thing that I do, but I love it every single time," Noah tells The Associated Press ahead of Sunday's telecast. "Each year thereās a new highlight and a new moment that is embedded into my memory.ā
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The 2024 Grammy Awards will air live on CBS and Paramount+ from the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. The telecast ā with SZA having a leading nine nominations ā 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 artists Burna Boy, Billie Eilish, Dua Lipa and Travis Scott.
āI always love seeing artists who have an innate understanding of how different and powerful the live experience is, and I think Burna Boy is one of those artists,ā Noah said. āHe really excels in transforming live energy into a special moment in time.
āBillie Eilish has never given a half-hearted performance. Every time sheās on stage, it feels like watching a vignette from a classic film. Itās 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 itās a good mix of predictably amazing and then unpredictably amazing as well.ā
The comedian, best known for hosting Comedy Centralās āThe Daily Showā 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, āThe Daily Show ā Behind the Scenes,ā which was voted outstanding short-form variety series.
Noah is not only a host this year ā he's also a nominee, with his comedy album āI Wish You Wouldā up against āIām an Entertainerā by Wanda Sykes, āSelective Outrageā by Chris Rock, āSomeone You Loveā by Sarah Silverman and āWhatās in a Name?ā by Dave Chappelle.
āIāve looked into all the Grammy bylaws, and thereās nothing that says being the host will give you any leg up in winning the award,ā Noah jokes. āI think Dave Chappelle is the favorite because heās always the favorite, and rightfully so.ā
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.
āI donāt understand how people live in a world where you can lose something that you never had. Iāve never won a Grammy. I donāt have a Grammy. Unless Dave Chappelle comes to my house and takes my Grammy. I can never lose the Grammy to him,ā 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.
āIn 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,ā says Noah. āI never blame an audience. I might not enjoy an audience, but I never blame an audience.ā
Harvey Mason Jr., president and CEO of the Recording Academy, has got Noah's back, calling the comedian āa total proā as host.
āThereās never a hesitation, never a hiccup. Thereās never a stumble. Second of all, he relates so well to the artists and to the music community in my mind, because heās a fan and heās an appreciator and a lover of music,ā says Mason.
Noah says he's enjoying his life post-"The Daily Show," which includes hosting the interview podcast āWhat Now? with Trevor Noahā which has attracted the likes of Dwayne āThe Rockā Johnson, Bill Gates, Kerry Washington and DaBaby.
āIām trying to build a platform where I get really comfortable and people get really comfortable having honest and open conversations with each other,ā says Noah. āWeāre in a little short supply of that compassion for each other as human beings."
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Associated Press Music Writer Maria C. Sherman contributed to this report.
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Mark Kennedy is at http://twitter.com/KennedyTwits
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For more Grammys coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/grammy-awards