Why Taylor Hawkins Wasn’t Included in 2023 Grammys In Memoriam Segment

Sunday night’s 65th Annual Grammy Awards ceremony paid tribute to music’s fallen figures, including Lisa Marie Presley, Loretta Lynn, and Takeoff, but one notable figure in the music industry was notably left out. Taylor Hawkins, the Foo Fighters drummer who tragically passed away in March 2022, was absent from the 2023 Grammy Awards In Memorium, as the awards ceremony previously included him in the 2022 Grammy Awards In Memorium.

Broadcast back in April 2022, the 2022 Grammy Awards were held just nine days after Hawkins died while on tour with the Foo Fighters in Bogota, Colombia. The Foo Fighters had been scheduled to perform at the awards ceremony, Their presence, however, was heavily felt during the ceremony, during which host Trevor Noah led a special tribute to Hawkins.

“So, this was the moment in the show when I was supposed to be introducing the Foo Fighters. We would have been celebrating with them as they won … three Grammy Awards earlier today. But they are of course not here due to the tragic passing of their legendary drummer, Taylor Hawkins,” Noah said before a tribute video of Hawkins set to “My Hero” played. “Our thoughts go out to Taylor’s family, his friends, the Foo Fighter family and all of their fans around the globe. We would like to take a moment now to remember Taylor.”

The Foo Fighters went on to win three Grammys that night: best rock performance (“Making a Fire”), best rock song (“Waiting On a War”) and best rock album (Medicine at Midnight). The wins were in recognition of their 10th studio album, Medicine at Midnight, which was released in February 2021 and was the least to feature Hawkins. Presenter Jimmy Jam accepted the GRAMMYs on the band’s behalf, “with prayers to their loved ones.”

Hawkins passed away shortly before Foo Fighters were set to take the stage at the Festival Estereo Picnic in Bogota, Colombia. Colombian health officials said that Hawkins was allegedly suffering from chest pains before his death, and emergency medical personnel were called to his hotel room on March 25. Although CPR was performed, Hawkins could not be revived, and he was declared dead at the scene. He was 50. In a statement shortly after his passing, Foo Fighters said they were “devastated by the tragic and untimely loss of our beloved Taylor Hawkins,” adding that Hawkins’ “musical spirit and infectious laughter will live on with all of us forever. Our hearts go out to his wife, children, and family, and we ask that their privacy be treated with the utmost respect in this unimaginably difficult time.”