Veteran pop singer-actress Cher mistakenly announced late R&B and soul musician Luther Vandross as the winner of this year’s Record of the Year Award at the Grammys.On Sunday (February 1) night, Cher, 79, was seen opening the envelope at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles and declaring Vandross’ name. However, she instantly rectified her error and announced:“Oh, no, Kendrick Lamar!”Hearing this, K-Dot hesitantly made his way onto the stage along with his Luther collaborator SZA. The confusion was seemingly a result of the title of Kendrick’s 2025 album.During his speech, Lamar, 38, gave a shoutout to Vandross.“This is what music is about. Luther Vandross… This is special for me. I gotta take my time. It’s one of my favorite artists of all-time. They granted us the privilege to do our version of it. When we got that clearance, I promise you, we damn near all dropped a tear,” Kendrick explained.He was referring to Vandross’ 1982 duet with Cheryl Lynn, If This World Were Mine, the samples of which were used by him and SZA, 36, for their joint project.In the wake of Cher’s flub, Vandross memes have erupted online. Here are a few from X.“Congrats to Luther Vandross! ICON!!! #GRAMMYs2026,” a netizen joked.“Not Cher saying the Grammy went to Luther Vandross #GRAMMYs2026,” another netizen wrote with a GIF of Vandross.“I know. But it’s funnier to believe that she was looking for THE Luther Vandros to walk out on stage and accept that award. Lol,” a fan quipped.Others continued to share similar wild reactions.“Congrats to Luther Vandross, who died 20 years ago but is about to trend,” another fan wrote.“Moral of the story is that Luther Vandross is the greatest of all time. THAT’S THE TAKEAWAY,” a user noted.“Luther Vandross, in heaven, after hearing Cher call his name,” another user joked.“I guess Cher turned back time when she announced Luther Vandross as the winner,” an individual noted.About Luther Vandross’ final yearsLuther Vandross battled diabetes and hypertension for a large part of his life. In April 2003, he suffered a stroke at his NYC home and was in a coma for over two months.During his recovery, Vandross used a wheelchair while relearning how to use vocals. While he later got back on his feet and could both speak and sing, he stayed away from the limelight.At the 2004 Grammy Awards, his mother, Mary, accepted the Song of the Year Award on his behalf for Dance of the Year. His pre-recorded video was played during the ceremony, where he said:“When I say good-bye, it’s never for long, because I believe in the power of love.”The recognition was one of his eight overall Grammy wins. Vandross is a member of the Grammy Hall of Fame.Luther made a rare public appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show in May 2004, before his death a year later.On July 1, 2005, the Busy Body artist succumbed to a heart attack at the JFK Medical Center in Edison, New Jersey. He was 54. A week later, his memorial service was held at a New York City church, which was attended by industry insiders, including Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, and Cissy Houston.Vandross was later buried at the George Washington Memorial Park in Paramus, New Jersey. He never married or had children. Luther was survived by his mother.Kendrick Lamar and SZA beat Bad Bunny (for DtMF), Sabrina Carpenter (for Manchild), Doechii (for Anxiety), Billie Eilish (for Wildflower), Bruno Mars and Rose (for APT), Lady Gaga (for Abracadabra), and Chappell Roan (for The Subway) to win the Record of the Year award.Kendrick also became the most awarded rapper in Grammy history with 27 wins, beating Jay-Z's 25. At the 68th Annual Grammy Awards, he won five out of nine categories where he was nominated.