Joy Onuorah

Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, urged the audience at the 2022 Grammys to tell the truth about the ongoing war in the country.

In a pre-recorded video played at the show, the president appealed to musicians to fill the silence with their music as Ukraine continues to fight against Russian forces who first invaded on February 24.

Zelenskyy, who spoke from a bunker in the capital of Ukraine, Kyiv, also called on the millions of viewers watching the 64th Grammy Awards to support the country in any way they can.

“The war. What’s more opposite to music. The silence of ruined cities and killed people. Our children draw swooping rockets, not shooting stars. Over 400 children have been injured and 153 children died, and we will never see them drawing.” 

Volodymyr Zelenskyy

“Our parents are happy to wake up in the morning — in bomb shelters, but alive. Our loved ones don’t know if we will be together again. The war doesn’t let us choose who survives and who stays in eternal silence.”

“Our musicians wear body armor instead of tuxedos. They sing to the wounded in hospitals — even to those who can’t hear them. But the music will break through anyway. We defend our freedom to live, to love, to sound.”

“On our land, we are fighting Russia, which brings horrible silence with its bombs — the dead silence. Fill the silence with your music. Fill it today to tell our story. Tell the truth about this war on your social networks, on TV.”

Shortly after Zelenskyy’s message, John Legend performed ‘Free’ with Ukrainian musicians, Siuzanna Iglidan and Mika Newton and poet Lyuba Yakimchuk as images from the war were shown on screens behind them.