Grammy Awards Plan to Pay Tribute to Kobe Bryant Hours After News of Athlete's Death
The 2020 Grammy Awards are reportedly quickly planning a tribute to Kobe Bryant, hours after the basketball legend was killed in a helicopter crash on Sunday morning.
A representative for the Recording Academy, the organization that puts on the Grammys, confirmed to Billboard that a tribute to Bryant is being planned for Sunday night’s awards ceremony. The outlet reports that producers are “working quickly” on the tribute.
Many stars on the Grammys red carpet have paid tribute to the athlete as well, including BJ the Chicago Kid, Wycleff Jean and Diplo.
“He was so young,” Diplo told E! on the red carpet Sunday night. “My age, 41. And he had so much more to do. To be here at Staples right now, and to look up. We see his jersey up there. Just feel the energy because we do the Grammys right here but you know, 82 games a year they’re playing in the stadium. Kobe brought this energy to Los Angeles for 20 years.”
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Ryan Seacrest and Giuliana Rancic also honored the retired NBA player at the beginning of E!’s red carpet pre-show, saying, “His loss will be felt even more deeply tonight at a place he considered home — this, the Staples Center.”
Seacrest then said he and Rancic received the “unthinkable” news this morning. “This is a man in a family that we’ve gotten to know over the years. We’ve seen him play here before. He was on the phone with me a few months ago talking about the love of being a father, talking about his daughters so pridefully, and I think that so many artists here tonight will be thinking about this, and wanting to share their stories.”
RELATED: Stars Pay Tribute to Kobe Bryant at the Grammys Hours After He & Daughter Died in a Helicopter Crash
Bryant, 41, died Sunday morning alongside his 13-year-old daughter Gianna and an additional seven other people when their helicopter went down in Calabasas, California, authorities said at a press conference.
Bryant and Gianna are survived by Vanessa, Bryant’s 37-year-old wife, and their daughters Natalia, 17, Bianka, 3, and Capri, 7 months.
Tune into the 62nd annual Grammy Awards at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on CBS.
