Celine Dion Surprises Audience in Rare Appearance to Present Top Grammy

The Canadian singer, known for her megahit ‘My Heart Will Go On,’ presented Taylor Swift with the Album of the Year award.
Celine Dion Surprises Audience in Rare Appearance to Present Top Grammy
Canadian singer Celine Dion presents the Album Of The Year award on stage during the 66th Annual Grammy Awards at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Feb. 4, 2024. Valerie Macon/AFP via Getty Images
Jana J. Pruet
Updated:

Celine Dion surprised fans when she made a surprise appearance as the final presenter at the 66th Grammy Awards at the Crypto.com arena in Los Angeles.

Just over a year ago, the Canadian singer announced that she had been diagnosed with a rare neurological disorder known as Stiff Person Syndrome (SPS), forcing her to cancel her “Courage” world tour dates. In 2021, Ms. Dion canceled her Las Vegas residency due to health concerns.

“Thank you all. I love you right back,” Ms. Dion said on the evening of Feb. 4 following a standing ovation after being escorted on stage by her eldest son, René-Charles Angélil, 23.

“When I say that I’m happy to be here, I really mean it from my heart,” she said.

The 55-year-old singer also has 13-year-old twin sons, Nelson and Eddy, with her late husband, René Angélil, who died in 2016.

Ms. Dion presented Taylor Swift, 34, with the night’s biggest award, the Album of the Year, for “Midnights,” noting that Ms. Dion also received the award at the 39th Grammys in 1997.

Ms. Swift’s historic win was her fourth win in the category, surpassing Stevie Wonder, Paul Simon, and Frank Sinatra, who each won the award three times. She previously won the category for her albums, “Fearless” in 2010, “1989” in 2016, and “Folklore” in 2021.

The record-breaking pop star rushed onto the stage, where she hugged those accompanying her before she grabbed the trophy from Ms. Dion, appearing to snub the legendary singer.

“I would love to tell you that this is the best moment of my life, but I feel this happy when I finish a song, or when I crack the code to a bridge that I love, or when I’m shot listing a music video, or when I’m rehearsing with my dancers, or my band, or getting ready to go to Tokyo to play a show,” Ms. Swift said.

“For me, the award is the work. All I want to do is keep being able to do this,” she continued. “I love it so much. It makes me so happy.

“It makes me unbelievably blown away that it makes some people happy that voted for this award, too. So, thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to do what I love so much. Mind blown.”

Social media quickly lit up, calling out the “Anti-Hero” singer for not making eye contact with the “My Heart Will Go On” crooner as they shared the stage.

“My biggest disappointment of the Grammys was Taylor Swift winning Album of the Year and hugging all of her people but taking the trophy from Celine Dion as if she was the hat-check girl, and not seeming to realize how very amazing it was that Celine was there at all,” one viewer wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
But the two stars were later captured smiling and hugging each other in photos taken backstage.

Possible Comeback

This past week, Ms. Dion announced the release of her upcoming documentary, “I Am: Celine Dion,” which promises to take viewers on an intimate journey inside the pop legend’s battle with SPS.

“The last couple of years has been such a challenge for me, the journey from discovering my condition to learning how to live with and manage it, but not to let it define me,” she said in a press release on Jan. 30.

“As the road to resuming my performing career continues, I have realized how much I have missed it, of being able to see my fans.”

Ms. Dion said she hopes to bring awareness to her illness. The progressive autoimmune condition causes muscle stiffness and painful spasms, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine.

“During this absence, I decided I wanted to document this part of my life, to try to raise awareness of this little-known condition, to help others who share this diagnosis,” she continued.

In December, Ms. Dion’s sister shared an update on the singer’s condition, saying, “She doesn’t have control over her muscles now.”

Fans are hopeful that the Grammy appearance is a signal that Ms. Dion will once again perform on the stage at some point.

Jana J. Pruet
Jana J. Pruet
Author
Jana J. Pruet is an award-winning investigative journalist. She covers news in Texas with a focus on politics, energy, and crime. She has reported for many media outlets over the years, including Reuters, The Dallas Morning News, and TheBlaze, among others. She has a journalism degree from Southern Methodist University. Send your story ideas to: [email protected]
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