Will Smith made his first appearance at an awards show since the infamous Oscars “slap” at the 2025 Grammy Awards on Sunday (2 February).
The 56-year-old I Am Legend actor attended the ceremony to present a tribute to the late producer Quincy Jones.
He had been absent from all entertainment industry awards shows since 2022 when he walked onstage and slapped comedian Chris Rock at the Academy Awards.
The incident, often referred to as “slapgate”, began when Rock made a joke at the expense of Smith’s wife, the actor Jada Pinkett Smith, who was also in attendance. Smith, who also won Best Actor award that night for his performance in the tennis biopic King Richard, was subsequently banned from all Academy-organised events, including Oscar ceremonies, for a decade.
Paying tribute to Jones, who died of pancreatic cancer last November, Smith took to the stage alongside pianist Herbie Hancock.
“This past year, we lost one of the most groundbreaking and influential figures of our time, Quincy Jones,” Smith said. “Known to friends around the world, simply as ‘Q’.”
“A brilliant 28-time Grammy Award-winning producer, arranger, film and television composer, conductor, trumpet player, recording artist and humanitarian,” Smith continued. “In his 91 years, Q touched countless lives.
“I have to say, he changed mine, forever. You probably wouldn’t know who Will Smith was if it wasn’t for Quincy Jones.”
The tribute to Jones also featured musical performances from Cynthia Erivo, Lainey Wilson, and Stevie Wonder.
After leaving the stage, Smith – a multi-Grammy winner himself, during his career as a rapper – returned to pay further tribute to the music titan, describing him as a “mentor, friend, and father figure”.
He described how he helped give him his break early in his career when Jones worked as an executive producer on the sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. According to Smith, it was Jones who pushed to cast him in the lead role, a role which eventually led to Hollywood stardom.
Viewers had a mixed reaction to Smith’s appearance at the Grammys, with one person writing: “I see they’re giving Will Smith all the screen time at the #GRAMMYs since he’s still banned from the Oscars for another 8ish years.”
“Not Will Smith being BANNED from the Oscars but at the #Grammys as a presenter,” another wrote.
“How is Will Smith at the #Grammys2025 ? He shouldn't be allowed at ANY awards show ever again!” said a third.
Smith’s son, actor and musician Jaden Smith, was also seen at the Grammys, wearing an outlandish outfit that involved a model house around his head.
