The 2016 Grammy Awards featured several memorable duets and medleys, but the most intriguing collaboration of all is the one that didn’t happen.
Ms. Lauryn Hill was supposed to take the stage during the Weeknd’s performance, but she failed to show up, leading to conflicting reports and finger-pointing after the ceremony.
Ms. Lauryn Hill’s Missed Surprise Appearance
Neil Portnow, President of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, told reporters after the broadcast that Hill was expected as a surprise guest during the second half of the Weeknd’s mashup of “Can’t Feel My Face” and “In the Night.” In fact, she showed up to rehearsals Monday morning, but by the evening, she was nowhere to be found.
“The plan was, the Weeknd would do his first song and do a verse of the second song, and then he would say, ‘Ladies and gentlemen, Ms. Lauryn Hill,’ and she would come out,” Portnow said. While Hill appeared at rehearsal and everything sounded fine, Portnow bluntly claimed that she simply didn’t bother coming back for the broadcast: “She did not get back in time to make the show.”
Portnow says the Grammys waited until the last minute to pull the plug. “We were ready for her even up until the first beat of the song,” he insisted.
Hill’s rep issued a forceful statement to Billboard that read, “The Grammys announced a performance by Ms. Lauryn Hill prematurely and without approval. Ms. Hill had concerts all weekend, leaving no time to prepare, and was uncertain she would even be able to make it to LA in time to rehearse for the event. Any performance that could have happened was never confirmed, and should not have been advertised as such. Ms. Hill was invited to do a collaboration with an artist she appreciates. The performance was intended to be a surprise and unfortunately due to its last minute nature, was unable to come to fruition.”
Portnow, however, refused many of those claims. The Grammys never did publicly announce that Hill would be performing – the only evidence that she would be there was a blurry Instagram photo claiming to show the pair together at rehearsal and a few tweets.
Given that Hill did arrive in time for rehearsal, her absence from the telecast several hours later was a head-scratcher.
Despite Hill’s absence, the Weeknd’s performance was well-received, with most observers not realizing anything was missing. The singer took home two awards: Best R&B Performance for “Earned It” and Best Urban Contemporary Album for Beauty Behind the Madness.
Lauryn Hill and the Weeknd Perform After the Grammys
The wild part is that Hill joined the Weeknd just a few days after the Grammys to sing together on The Tonight Show.
The vocalists shared time on “In the Night,” the song they were supposed to do at the 2016 Grammy Awards.
Hill became an instant Grammy legend in 1999 when she won five awards, including Album of the Year, becoming the first hip-hop artist to take home that trophy. She has never released another studio album after that, dropping out of the spotlight to focus on her family and dealing with personal issues and legal troubles.
The Weeknd would go on to have mixed success at the Grammys. He’s won 4 Grammy Awards, but was also mysteriously shut out of nominations in 2021 for “Blinding Lights,” then was shut out again in 2026.
Hill finally appeared at the 2026 Grammys, as part of an In Memorium tribute to D’Angelo and Roberta Flack. It was her first performance on the show since 1999, when The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill won the big prize.
Hill led a lengthy musical tribute that concluded with her Fugees bandmate Wyclef Jean joining her for “Killing Me Softly.” It was one of the standout performances of the night.
Last Updated on February 3, 2026