This is Trevor Noah’s fourth straight year hosting the Grammys, so he knows what to expect from the experience. However for The 66th Annual Grammys—airing live Sunday at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on CBS and Paramount+—he’s also a producer. As he began his latest road to the Grammys, the former “Daily Show” host spoke with The Root about his preparation for the big event and how he juggles the unexpected moments of music’s biggest night.
The Emmy winner joked about being his own boss and possibly firing himself if things didn’t work out, before noting that despite the responsibilities that come with the new title, his approach hasn’t changed.
“My goal is still to have as much fun as possible, and to be the best possible conduit for the audience watching from home,” Noah told The Root. “If I can make you feel like you have somebody you know, or a friend who’s at the show chatting to you, then then I’ve done a good job.”
Though it feels like he’s making all these jokes up on the spot, Noah and his team actually begin their process months before Grammys night. He explained that every announcement adds another layer of content to the material. Then he has to blend in any crazy moments that happen during the show to create a seemingly seamless night.
“I prepare maybe two months in advance. I start thinking about what’s going to happen, and then as the information comes out, my team and I start changing what the script is,” he said. “Every time they announce a new performance, we start thinking of jokes to add on. Every time we see something new happen in the news, we think of new jokes that we can add on. It really becomes a combination of everything that was, everything that is and then on the night it’s live, so everything that’s going to be.”
So many amazing performances and moments happen during the show, it seems unfair that Trevor is stuck working the whole night. However, it turns out that being so closely involved in the production allows him fun sneak peeks during rehearsals that let him relax and focus on his job.
“I get to watch the performances five or six times. The one thing that does for me is it means on the night I get to be a little less mesmerized and a little more focused on the show itself,” Noah said. “I like that for myself because it means I get to be a good chaperone for the evening, where I’m not distracted by what I just witnessed on stage. I get to share that with the audience. I get to go ‘Man, that was crazy.’ But I also like that I don’t have to experience that for the first time. Sometimes though, the performance changes on the night, so you have to figure out what just happened, and you have to comment on that accordingly. It’s a tightrope walk to get to the other side.”
I think we can all agree that the “Black Panther” actor handles that tightrope walk perfectly.
Trevor Noah hosts The 66th Annual Grammy Awards airing live on Sunday, Feb. 4 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on CBS and streaming live on Paramount+ With SHOWTIME. The event is available to stream the next day for those with a Paramount+ Essential subscription.