Celine Dion Makes Surprise Return at Grammy Awards to Present Album of the Year Honour

Céline Dion

Céline Dion attends the 66th Grammy Awards at Crypto.com Arena on Sunday. Ahead of presenting Album of the Year to Taylor Swift, the Canadian music legend, who has been out of the spotlight while battling stiff-person syndrome, received a standing ovation for her surprise appearance. Photo: Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for The Recording Academy

Celine Dion made her first public appearance in three months at the Grammy Awards on Sunday night.

The 55-year-old Canadian music legend has stepped away from the spotlight following her diagnosis with stiff-person syndrome – a neurological disorder which affects her muscles – but she made a big comeback by taking to the stage during the glitzy event at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles to present the Album of the Year prize.

Dion was given a standing ovation as she walked on stage with her son Rene-Charles Angelil, 23, and she thanked the audience for the warm welcome, saying: “I love you right back. You look beautiful. When I say I’m happy to be here, I really mean it from my heart.

“Those who have been blessed enough to be here at the Grammy Awards must never take for granted the tremendous love and joy that music brings to our lives and to people all around the world.

“And now it gives me great joy to present a Grammy Award that two legends, Diana Ross and Sting, presented to me 27 years ago. These are the outstanding nominees for album of the year.”

Dion presented the award to Taylor Swift for her album Midnights, with the singer making history by winning the top prize for a record-breaking fourth time.

Dion, meanwhile, is set to document her health battle and raise awareness of the condition in a new feature-length documentary called I Am: Celine Dion.

She said of the project: “This last couple of years has been such a challenge for me, the journey from discovering my condition to learning how to live with and manage it, but not to let it define me.

“As the road to resuming my performing career continues, I have realized how much I have missed it, of being able to see my fans. During this absence, I decided I wanted to document this part of my life, to try to raise awareness of this little-known condition, to help others who share this diagnosis.”

The intimate documentary – which will be available on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide – will give fans a behind-the-scenes look at Dion’s life amid her health struggles.

The project, which doesn’t have a release date yet, was directed by Oscar-nominated filmmaker Irene Taylor.