Lauryn Hill to Honor D'Angelo and Roberta Flack in 2026 Grammy Awards Tribute
- - Lauryn Hill to Honor D'Angelo and Roberta Flack in 2026 Grammy Awards Tribute
Yasmine ColemanJanuary 30, 2026 at 10:05 PM
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(Photo by Simone Joyner/Getty Images)
The 2026 Grammy Awards has found its lead performer for a high-profile tribute during its annual In Memoriam segment, which honors those who died in the year past: Lauryn Hill.
The iconic artist will headline the ceremony's celebrations of D'Angelo and Roberta Flack, it was announced this week. The Recording Academy revealed that the legendary singer and rapper will lead a performance in honor of both Flack, who died on Feb. 24, 2025, at age 88, and the neo-soul trailblazer, who died on Oct. 14 of the same year at 51.
"Lauryn Hill is set to lead a high-profile 'In Memoriam' tribute at the 68th Annual Grammy Awards," the caption of a social media post uploaded by radio station Hot 97 read.
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Hill—who holds eight Grammys herself and made history on the 1999 Grammys stage when she became the first hip-hop artist ever to win Artist of the Year, as well as the first woman to take home five Grammys in a single ceremony—shared a personal connection with both late music pioneers. The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill singer-rapper helped reintroduce Flack's catalog to a new generation while lead singer of the Fugees, releasing a reimagined version of “Killing Me Softly With His Song.” The two later performed the track together at the 1996 MTV Movie Awards.
After Flack's death, the hip-hop-soul star penned a moving tribute on Instagram, writing, "I grew up scouring the records my Parents collected. Mrs. Flack was one of their favorites and quite instantly became one of mine as soon as I was exposed to her. She looked cool and intelligent, gentle and yet militant."
She continued at the time, "Killing Me Softly, a song Mrs. Flack didn’t write, but made hugely popular became the song that catapulted myself and the Fugees into household phenomena. We wanted to honor the beauty and brilliance of this song and her performance of it to our generation. I will forever be grateful for the sensitivity and delicate power of her Love and Artistry."
Meanwhile, D'Angelo lent his vocals to a collab track on Hill's standout album. "Nothing Even Matters" quickly became a soulful, melodic fan-favorite of the project. The "Brown Sugar" crooner's death prompted another reflective sentiment from the 50-year-old, who insisted his "undeniable beauty and talent" was "not of this world."
"You sir, moved us, stirred us, inspired and even intimidated others to action with your genius. Thank you for being a beacon of light to a generation and beyond who had no remembrance of the legacy that preceded us. Thank you for charting the course and for making space during a time when no similar space really existed," Hill wrote in an Instagram tribute.
In addition to the "Ex-Factor" songstress, Reba McEntire will perform alongsideBrandy Clark and Lukas Nelson in a separate tribute segment during the event, while Post Malone is slated to joinAndrew Watt, Chad Smith, Duff McKagan, and Slash to pay tribute to Ozzy Osbourne.
The 68th Annual Grammy Awards takes place on Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026, at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, broadcasting live on the CBS Television Network and streaming live and on demand via Paramount+.
Related: Diamond-Selling '90s Music Legend Mourns the Loss of 'Genius' Neo-Soul Pioneer in Emotional Tribute
This story was originally published by Parade on Jan 31, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
