The Secret People Who Sit in Celebrity Seats at the Grammys—You Won’t Believe What They Do When Stars Step Away

At this year’s Grammy Awards, a group of unsung heroes made sure the star-studded audience always looked full: the seat-fillers. These are people hired to take the place of celebrities when they step away, keeping the camera shots seamless for the live broadcast.

One seat-filler, who spoke on Reddit about her experience, was selected from roughly 32,000 applicants. She spent the evening moving around the floor, surrounded by stars like Justin and Hailey Bieber, Billie Eilish, Miley Cyrus, and Sza’s parents. At one point, she even caught Jamie Foxx’s attention. “One of my first experiences on the floor was Jamie Foxx saying ‘looking beautiful tonight,’” she recalled. She wore a green velvet full-length dress, which she said got noticed by many in the audience.

The experience, she explained, was a mix of excitement and chaos. “It’s absolute chaos during the commercial breaks. The second they go to commercial, people are up and moving. About 60 seconds before it goes live again, everyone scrambles to take their seats—and that’s where we come in,” she said.

Seat-fillers aren’t paid and must surrender their phones before entering. Some were chosen for their “super LA” looks from casting agencies, while others were picked through a lottery system. “Apparently something happened at a previous event where a seat-filler made a celeb uncomfortable because they wouldn’t stop staring at them, so they had ‘preferred seat-fillers’ this year,” she explained.

The 2026 Grammys, hosted by Trevor Noah, awarded top prizes to artists including Bad Bunny for Album of the Year, Billie Eilish for Song of the Year, and Olivia Dean for Best New Artist. The seat-filler described being in the thick of all the action: moving between tables, filling in at moments when celebrity guests returned, and even scoring a prime spot for the final awards. She called it “a once in a lifetime experience.”

While the evening was thrilling, she admitted she felt a bit anxious that morning. “I was a little anxious, but when I arrived, I wasn’t nervous at all,” she said. Her role gave her a front-row view of performances, some of which were filmed offsite and broadcast on screens, showing the complexity of staging a show like the Grammys.

For many viewers, the glamour and star power is all they see. But behind the scenes, the seat-fillers ensure the cameras never show an empty chair. “It’s really interesting to see how the stage is set up for all the different acts and performances,” she said.

It’s a small but essential part of making one of music’s biggest nights look seamless, and the seat-fillers’ work often goes unnoticed by millions at home.

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