Naya Rivera’s fans took to Twitter to express shock at her Grammy 'In Memoriam' snub

Fans of the late, great Glee star Naya Rivera were shocked during last night’s Grammy broadcast when her name was not mentioned during the “In Memorium” section that saw big names like Bruno Mars, Brittany Howard, Chris Martin, Anderson .Paak, and Lionel Richie pay homage to other music greats lost in 2020.

While other late stars like Kenny Rogers, John Prine, Little Richard, Bonnie Pointer, and Eddie Van Halen received mentions or tribute performances, Naya’s name was nowhere to be seen.

"Gleeks" and music fans alike took to Twitter to let the Recording Academy know that they were not going to let her memory go un-honoured on that night.

“@RecordingAcad you broke are [sic] hearts even more!! Broken heart by forgetting to mention @NayaRivera we #Gleeks miss her so dearly,” wrote one fan on Twitter, while another more heated fan wrote, “Naya Rivera just know that I think about you everyday. I'm still pissed at the Grammys for not even acknowledging you. You had an impact on many. They're disgusting and unbelievable for what they have done. Your fans will always keep you in thoughts, hearts and prayers. Love you.”

While this seems like a snub, her name is listed in the Grammy’s program book under the "In Memorium" section, but that was not enough to satiate fans.

“She deserved so much more than a no mention. She was not only a prior nominee, she was a huge role model #shameonyou,” another Gleek wrote, and their sentiments were matched by dozens of other tweets. In fact, Naya’s name was trending last night as fans took it upon themselves to speak her name if the Grammy’s wouldn’t. 

Naya, who was nominated twice for a Grammy (in 2011 and 2012 respectively for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals for “Don’t Stop Believing,’” and Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media for “Glee: The Music, Volume 4”) passed away last year by accidental drowning while swimming off a boat with her son. She went missing on July 8^th, 2020 and her body was found July 13^th after a five-day search. Her son was found alone asleep in the boat wearing his life jacket.

Ventura County Sheriff Bill Ayub explained the circumstances surrounding her disappearance at the time as such: "There are a lot of currents on the lake that appear particularly in the afternoon. We believe it was mid-afternoon when she disappeared, the idea perhaps being that the boat started drifting, it was unanchored, and that she mustered enough energy to get her son back onto the boat, but not enough to save herself."

BEFORE YOU GO: Here's everything you may have missed at the 2021 Grammys