“Swift Snub: Exploring Emotion and Fashion”
In a moment that delighted fans and had the audience on their feet, Celine Dion made a surprise appearance at the 66th annual Grammy Awards.
Throughout the evening, the show had been teasing a mystery superstar to close out the night — a high bar for an evening wherein Mariah Carey presented the first award, Joni Mitchell made her Grammy stage debut at 80 and Tracy Chapman performed live on television for the first time since 2015.
Judging by the standing ovation she received when she walked onto the stage to the emotive strains of her megahit “The Power of Love,” however, Celine Dion’s appearance was worthy of the build up — and the rapturous applause.
Here’s everything you need to know.
Celine Dion has been battling a rare neurological condition
Even if the surprise was slightly ruined by the fact that social media video of her arriving backstage at the venue started circulating earlier in the evening, it was a triumphant moment for 55-year-old Dion.
The Quebecoise power ballader has been largely out of the spotlight for the past year, having revealed in December 2022 that she has stiff person syndrome, a rare autoimmune disorder affecting the spinal cord and brain that causes progressive muscle stiffness and uncontrollable muscle spasms.
The diagnosis caused Dion to cancel all future tour dates in May. As recently as December, her sister Claudette said, “she doesn’t have control over her muscles,” painting an uncertain path for the future of her career. “In our dreams and in hers, the idea is to return to the stage. In what state? I do not know,” Claudette Dion told 7 Jours of the illness that she says has affected her sister’s ability to walk and sing.
Dion thanked the enraptured crowd with an emotional speech
“Thank you all! I love you right back. When I say that I’m happy to be here, I really mean it, from my heart,” a visibly moved Dion told the audience, most of whom got to their feet. “Those who have been blessed to be here at the Grammy awards must never take for granted the tremendous love and joy that music brings to our lives, and to people all around the world.”
Dion presented the album of the year Grammy to Taylor Swift, a historic win
Dion, a five-time Grammy winner herself, was there to present the biggest award of the night, album of the year — an honour, which she noted, was presented to her by Diana Ross and Sting when she won 27 years ago for “Falling Into You.” This year, it was Taylor Swift who won for “Midnights.” It was Swift’s fourth win for album of the year, making her the most awarded artist ever in the Grammys’ most prestigious category.
The internet accused Taylor Swift of snubbing Celine Dion
When Swift received the award, the internet jumped on the singer’s apparent snub of Dion — Swift seemed to take the award without acknowledging Dion or what it meant for her to be there presenting it, drawing criticism from various corners of the internet. The two women were photographed embracing backstage, however, seeming to squash the manufactured controversy.
Dion’s stylist came out of retirement for this moment
The man behind Dion’s Valentino haute couture ensemble was Law Roach, a celebrity super-stylist who was behind the fashion renaissance Dion staged a few years ago, sitting front row at fashion weeks and going viral on social media for her joyful couture looks. Roach, who abruptly quit styling in 2022, took to social media last night to say that he was “unretired” for one night only to put together Dion’s look for this pop-culture making moment.
Sarah Laing is a Toronto-based freelance contributor for The Kit, writing about celebrity and culture. Follow her on Twitter: @sarahjanelaing.