The Grammys were a hybrid event this year, with some guests attending virtually and some outside the Staples Center in person. Tiffany Haddish was on set filming though, and that’s where she found out that she won the Grammy for Best Comedy Album.
Haddish is currently serving as host for the CBS revival of “Kids Say The Darnedest Things,” an unscripted variety show that features children giving their unfiltered views on the world and what’s going on in it. So, when she got the news of her Grammy win, she got to share it with two young girls on set.
In a video posted to her Twitter, Haddish explained to the girls that she was just happy to be nominated. With prompting from an unseen producer, Haddish acknowledged that she’s previously been nominated for a handful of awards, before being told that she had won Best Comedy album.
“I just what?” Haddish said in disbelief. “I just won a Grammy? Are you serious?”
How I found out I won a Grammy while working on @KidsSayDarndest I am so Honored to share with the kids. Full situation is on my YouTube page. pic.twitter.com/pYzmt4nIgo
— Tiffany Haddish (@TiffanyHaddish) March 15, 2021
Haddish then broke down in tears, asking again if the producers were serious. The win makes Haddish the first Black woman to win the category in almost 40 years; Whoopi Goldberg was the last one to do it, back in 1985.
In lieu of a true acceptance speech, Haddish took the moment to inspire her young co-stars, letting them know that “Anything is possible.”
“Can I tell you why I’m crying?” Haddish asked the girls on set with her. “It’s a lot of bumpy roads that you cross, right? And it’s a lot of times you feel like ‘Well, am I doing the right thing? Is this good enough? Am I good enough? Am I strong enough to do this job?’ And then you just have to believe in yourself as much as you can.”
Check out the full list of Grammy winners here.