South African talk show host, Trevor Noah, has been selected as host of the 2023 Grammy Awards, for a third-straight year, but the former “The Daily Show” host says he still has some nervousness about leading the ceremony with big-time acts like Beyoncé, Adele and Harry Styles, in attendance.
“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,” the multiple award winner said on Wednesday while looking forward to the event coming up on Sunday.
But Noah says he expects his diligent preparation to get him through show.
“Nerves are part of what I do,” the comedian said as he returns for his third hosting stint at the Grammys which is returning to the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles after relocating to Las Vegas for the first-time ever because of rising COVID-19 cases in 2020.
Noah said each year of hosting the Grammys has offered him a different experience because of the logistical challenges stemmed from the pandemic.
“Every year, I notice that I develop a different rapport with the people in the room.
“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 relation to them.
“It means you get to have a little bit of fun without anybody feeling like you’re dunking on them,” Noah said in an interview ahead of the Grammy Awards.
Noah said he 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 is leading the nominations with nine, including record and song of the year for her song “Break My Soul,” while Kendrick Lamar has the second-most nominations with eight, with Adele and Carlile entering the show with seven nominations.
Styles, Mary J. Blige, Future, DJ Khaled, The-Dream and mastering engineer Randy Merrill each received six nominations.