The most jarring slash was to Drake’s speech. For the Grammys, Drake’s presence was a major win, his first appearance at the awards since 2013, after years of criticizing the show‘s decision to not air most of its rap awards on TV.
Producers later defended the uncomfortable moment in a statement, saying, “Drake took a natural pause in his speech, which led producers to believe he was finished,” and that he was ultimately “happy” with what aired — though that didn’t stop critics on social media from mocking the choice to cut his speech.
Amusingly, the Grammys certainly seemed to find the time, after all those slashed speeches, to honor Portnow — who departs as the Recording Academy chair this year, partially driven by the dust-up over his comments about women — with both a tribute video and a speech.