The 64th annual GRAMMY Awards is being held for the first time in Las Vegas on April 3, bringing music’s biggest night to the south Strip at MGM Grand Garden Arena. Making the landmark event even more special is the fact that Trevor Noah, the award-winning comedian, writer and host of TV’s seminal satirical program The Daily Show With Trevor Noah, has returned as host after guiding the GRAMMYs last year under intense pandemic restrictions. This time around, he’s ready to cut loose, just as everyone should when in Las Vegas.
Are you excited to host this year’s event without COVID playing such a big role in the show?
Definitely! I can’t wait to share the electricity of the night with 15,000 people live. It’s going to be energizing and so insane. We’ve spent two years as a society kept away from each other, and as we move back to normal these types of moments are a great way to celebrate.
It’s a big deal for Las Vegas to host the GRAMMYs. Do you anticipate the show will have a different energy?
How could it not? Vegas seems like the perfect fit for the GRAMMYs. Everyone goes to Vegas to party and enjoy the best performers in the world, and now on one night everyone shares the same stage. It’s going to feel special.
You’re also going to be the first comedian to perform at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner since 2018 later this month. What are your expectations for that very different event?
It’s going to be interesting because of how much has changed in the four years since. I have no expectations because I’ve never been, but I do know I’m rounding out my experiences in life—GRAMMYs in Vegas to start the month, White House Correspondents’ Dinner in D.C. to end the month.
Not many comedians tour internationally as extensive as you do. Why is that important to you, and how much do you change your material for audiences in different countries?
It’s important for me because I’ve always seen myself as a global citizen. I’ve been shaped by so many different peoples and cultures, and so traveling and learning whilst also performing is such a soul-nourishing way for me to live life. I change a lot of my material depending on the country I’m in because there are often so many topics to delve into. It’s honestly my greatest joy.
The Daily Show continues to evolve coming out of the pandemic and the successful at-home version. How do you see it changing this year?
Well, just like the GRAMMYs, we’re excited to be working towards a full live audience and starting a new chapter on a familiar road. We’ll be incorporating everything we’ve learned from the “hybrid” format into everything we know from doing it old school. It’s going to be fresh and fun. I can’t wait.
MGM Grand, 5 p.m. April 3. mgmgrand.mgmresorts.com
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