“I’m always grateful to be working. I’m always grateful to be working with people I enjoy, and the Grammys is an event I’ve become to be a fan of because I don’t know how many other events you can say you’ll go to where you’re going to see every single person who creates every single moment of your life in musical form,” the 38-year-old said. “Why would you not want to be in that room, why wouldn’t you want to be there witnessing them in their success and why would you not want to be a part of it? I’m chosen and I’m lucky.”

The comedian is currently on his Off The Record comedy tour, but fans shouldn’t expect him to give you a sneak peek of his jokes from the road. Instead, the music fanatic revealed that the best part of hosting the Grammys is creating an entirely new script from scratch and going off the cuff sometimes.

“I think what makes the Grammys amazing for me is that it’s completely unique,” he told Blavity. “I don’t come in with any canned ideas or jokes. I make a completely original script for this. Most importantly for me, it’s not my night, it’s music’s night. I’m there in service of the show and in service of the artists but also there for the audience, so if something happens, I’m going to say something. I’m never trying to be mean. I’m never trying to rain on anybody’s parade, but I am myself. If I see something, I will say something.

In 2021, the pandemic vastly changed the typical layout of the show as the guest list was minimal, face masks were required, and parts of the show were outdoors instead of indoors. And last year, with the surge in omicron cases, the show was moved from Los Angeles to Las Vegas for the first time.

The political commentator shared that fans can expect a special show this year since it’s back in LA without COVID-19 restrictions. Noah believes that because the city is home to most artists, they will walk in with a different vibe since they’ll be surrounded by the people that support and contribute to their success, which was missing the previous two years.

“I’m most excited for the artists to be able to come with all of the people in their lives who make what they do possible. That wasn’t available to everybody in the previous two Grammys in the same way. So, the first year was really restricted, and the second year was in Vegas so some people just couldn’t come out, and they weren’t able to make the trip. But this year, it’s almost home ground because so many call this [LA] home,” the Emmy award winner said.

It’s important to create an inclusive environment for all music artists and genres when creating the show, according to Ben Winston, the executive producer of the Grammys. Noah is happy to work alongside Winston again to help develop the show, especially since they both started their Grammys journey together.

“I’ve been a part of the process in many ways before becoming a producer on the show. I think that is probably a testament to Ben and how he leads the team. It’s wonderful to work with people where you feel like everybody has a role but there isn’t necessarily a hierarchy. I think in any team effort, everybody recognizes that everybody needs to follow a certain role but that doesn’t mean that anybody’s position is minimized and that’s something that I’ve enjoyed.”

He continued, “If we’re watching a show and Ben has a question about what he thinks should be on the show or shouldn’t and he has an opinion that he asks of me, I’ll gladly offer it. Luckily, the team is diverse. The team ranges in age and you see it in the performances on stage.”

In addition, he appreciates how the Grammys brings multiple generations together for music’s biggest night, which isn’t something you see anywhere else, in his opinion.
He used the album of the year category as an example of music’s “ability to both reconnect with people it may have connected with a while ago.”

“I think it’s what makes the Grammys particularly special is that there are few instances you can watch a show where it might be your favorite artist and your parents’ favorite artist, and for all you know, they might be doing a collaboration of some sort that brings it all together,” the host said.

As a music lover, he admitted that working behind the scenes has been an amazing experience that’s created a newfound respect for the work artists put into performances, and he’s become a new fan of some after seeing them live.

“I’ve always known that performing live is extremely difficult but seeing an artist craft a performance that they don’t have as much time as they normally do to craft is out of this world,” he said. “I remember like really really appreciating Black Pumas watching them my first year. I’ve never seen anything like it, just the way they performed, the way they put 100% into every single rendition of the song over and over again.”

He added, “Brandi Carlile has become an instant favorite for me. I’ve seen few human beings who can transform a room that is giant into what feels like a really intimate space just because of how they perform.”

From having an inspirational exchange with Harry Styles, where the singer looked Noah in the eyes and told him he had what it took to host the Grammys his first year, to getting a one-on-one dance lesson from rapper Cardi B on how to twerk backstage, Noah has experienced some of the “greatest moments of all time.”

While he likes living in the moment so that he doesn’t miss what’s happening before him, Noah says he’d always be open to hosting the award show if asked to return.

“Myself and Ben Winston, the executive producer of the show, have had a wonderful working relationship. What I’ve loved is just working with him, and we both trust each other. It’s been wonderful to work on this production with people I enjoy working with, so yeah, as long as I’m having fun, I don’t think there’s ever a reason for me to say ‘no’ to anything. And if I have the time and energy, I will gladly do it,” Noah disclosed.

Tune in to Trevor Noah hosting the 2023 Grammy Awards, airing live on CBS on Sunday, Feb. 5, at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT.