Trevor Noah hosts The Daily Show for a living, but the South African comedian acknowledged in an interview with Billboard's Joe Lynch published Monday that hosting the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards for the first time will be a "a dream."
The 37-year-old also laid out what he hopes the Grammys can do for viewers who tune in next Sunday, March 14: "Numbers are down across the country, vaccinations are going up, it feels like life is slowly getting back to normal. Hopefully this can be a moment of hope. We've gone March to March and I'm as exhausted as everyone else of not living life. Hopefully this can be a respite from that for a moment and then we'll be like, 'oh yeah, that was the beginning of when we got to start living our lives again.'"
The show will test the waters of returning to the Before Times, ditching the wholly virtual approach that has become the norm to have all performers in-person outdoors and socially distanced at the Los Angeles Convention Center.
"It's almost taking on the feel of a music festival but designed for an audience at home, which is really cool," Noah said. That's one of the reasons I decided to jump on. I love working with [executive producer] Ben [Winston] and the Grammys is a dream, but I was interested in, 'How do you do an awards show that doesn’t feel pandemic-y?'"
The performers list was announced Sunday:
ONE WEEK till these performers hit the #GRAMMYs stage on CBS! Are you ready?! https://t.co/H1LzyGkilV pic.twitter.com/9gh3oJws8f
— CBS (@CBS) March 7, 2021
The show was originally scheduled for Jan. 31 at the Staples Center, its usual spot, before it was postponed over continued COVID-19 health and safety concerns.
We're counting down to the #GRAMMYs on @CBS! Award-winning @TheDailyShow host @TrevorNoah is making his debut as Grammys host on Sunday, March 14th.
— CBS This Morning (@CBSThisMorning) March 5, 2021
We spoke to Trevor about hosting the ceremony, and his unique brand of comedy. pic.twitter.com/SPRbWjn1cv
Nominations are led by Beyonce's nine, followed by Dua Lipa, Roddy Ricch and Taylor Swift, who each have six.
The Grammys will begin at 8 p.m. EST on CBS.
More must-reads:
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!