Celine Dion made a surprise appearance at the 2024 Grammys to present the album of the year award, following her Stiff-Person Syndrome diagnosis.
“When I say that I’m happy to be here, I really mean it from my heart,” she said, as the audience stood up to cheer her on and sing along to her song “The Power of Love.” “Those who have been blessed enough 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 explained that she was on the Grammys stage to present an award that was given to her 27 years ago by “two legends” Diana Ross and Sting.
The awards show had teased a surprise presenter for the final award of the night. The Hollywood Reporter spotted Dion earlier in the evening with stylist Law Roach, who came out of retirement to style her for music’s biggest night.
This year’s album of the year award went to Taylor Swift for Midnights, making her the first artist in Grammys history to win the night’s top prize four times. She previously took home the award for Fearless in 2010, 1989 in 2015 and folklore in 2021.
Dion’s appearance at the 2024 Grammys was a surprise to all, considering the music icon has been candid about her health struggles over the last couple of years. She revealed her Stiff-Person Syndrome diagnosis in December 2022 and has since had to cancel her world tour.
A year after that announcement, her sister, Claudette Dion shared that the singer was working hard to battle through her disorder but had lost control of her muscles. Claudette also noted that Dion planned to return to the stage in some capacity, but she didn’t know what state she would be in when she did.
The “My Heart Will Go On” singer just announced Amazon MGM landed the rights to a documentary detailing her health struggles, I Am: Celine Dion, as she continues to navigate her career.
“This last couple of years has been such a challenge for me, the journey from discovering my condition to learning how to live with and manage it, but not to let it define me,” Dion said when news of the doc dropped. “As the road to resuming my performing career continues, I have realized how much I have missed it, of being able to see my fans. During this absence, I decided I wanted to document this part of my life, to try to raise awareness of this little-known condition, to help others who share this diagnosis.”