Trevor Noah has proven to be one of the most impressive and successful comedians in the television industry today despite coming from extremely humble beginnings.
With an extensive list of awards and accomplishments behind him, he had also hosted the Grammy Awards for four consecutive years.
In an extraordinary journey from apartheid-era South Africa to the United States, Noah’s unique charm and wit have made him the Recording Academy’s favorite host.
Early Life
Noah was born in Johannesburg, South Africa on February 20, 1984. His mother was born in South Africa and his dad was a Swiss-German who had worked in the country under apartheid where people of color were discriminated against.
Growing up, Trevor was raised by his mother and grandmother on the outskirts of Johannesburg, in Soweto.
Noah recalled often having to hide from the police as his biracial origins put him at risk and made him illegal in his #1 New York Times bestseller “Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood.”
Career & Accomplishment
After hosting and appearing on several local shows in his hometown early on in his career, Trevor eventually decided to give comedy a try which immediately stuck.
After moving to the United States in 2012, Noah became the first South African comedian to appear on the well-known American television talk show The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.
From there he went on to become co-host of Comedy Central’s satirical news program The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, and then to become the host of his program, “The Daily Show with Trevor Noah,” and things just went up from there!
Noah has a plethora of grand works that have earned him a name among the top shots in the Industry.
Just a little over 10 years later from moving to the U.S., Trevor Noah has hosted the Grammys four consecutive years in a row
To name a few more, Noah has served as host of the Emmy® Award-winning “The Daily Show” on Comedy Central for seven years,
He wrote the #1 New York Times bestseller “Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood” (and its young reader’s adaptation, released in 2019 sold over 3 million copies across all formats),
Noah also wrote, produced, and starred in 12 comedy specials, including Emmy-nominated “I Wish You Would.”
Hosting the Grammys
Trevor Noah hosted his first Grammy Awards in 2021. Following his success in 2021, he reprised his role as host till 2024.
In an interview with Forbes, Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason stated why Noah was a Grammy host favorite,
“Looking at it from the viewer’s perspective, does he resonate or mean something to the viewers and absolutely the answer is yes. From the music community standpoint, from the Academy standpoint, I look at him as someone who loves music.”’
“He’s very smart, intelligent, so well spoken, but more than all of that he’s a music lover and somebody that the music community also respects.”
Noah also reiterated why he loved hosting the Grammys in an interview with CBS,
“It feels like they forgot to get someone else and so they just called me again, and you what? I don’t mind that.”
“My favorite part of hosting the Grammys is the room. There’s no other room in the world like it. There’s no other room in the world where you get to walk through your Spotify playlist. That doesn’t exist anywhere else.”
Beyond his role as the host, Noah was a nominee for the 66th Grammys. His comedy album “I Wish You Would” competes against notable names like Wanda Sykes, Chris Rock, Sarah Silverman, and Dave Chappelle.
Despite obstacles during his upbringing, Trevor maintained a positive spirit and was able to not only make light of his situation but entertain and educate the world around him on how they shaped the lens through which he sees the world and how it got him to where he is today!
Written by: Jordan Turrentine
