Will Smith made a highly anticipated return to a major televised awards show on Sunday night, appearing at the 2025 Grammy Awards to pay tribute to the late Quincy Jones. The actor and musician opened the segment by introducing Herbie Hancock on piano before bringing out Wicked star Cynthia Erivo, who delivered a powerful rendition of Fly Me to the Moon.
“This last year, we lost one of the most brilliant and influential icons of our eras: Quincy Jones,” says Smith. “You probably would not even know who Will Smith was if it were not for Quincy Jones. Quincy made so many music geniuses in various genres of music sound more genius, bringing out the best in legends.
The tribute had a great all-star cast, including Lainey Wilson singing Let the Good Times Roll followed by the duet Stevie Wonder and Hancock with songs such as Bluesette and We Are the World. Janelle Monáe closed the segment with an energetic performance of Michael Jackson’s Don’t Stop ’til You Get Enough.
Jones was also deceased last November; he had produced some of Smith’s biggest breakthrough work, like NBC’s popular sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, in which Smith had first shot to fame.
This was Smith’s first major awards night appearance since last year’s controversial incident involving an incident with Chris Rock during his hosting gig before the 2022 Oscars ceremony. Though un-nominated tonight, Smith himself is a quadruple Grammy Awards winner for performances on Gettin’ Jiggy Wit It, Men in Black, and Summertime.
Adding to the night’s unforgettable moments, Jaden Smith raised some eyebrows on the red carpet wearing his striking castle-shaped black headdress designed by Transylvanian designer Dora Abodi. His sister, Willow, wore a beautiful McQueen outfit with them to become one of the most talked-about families around town.
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