“The Grammys were hijacked in favor of Hamas agenda”: Annie Lennox’s calls for ceasefire during Sinéad O’Connor Grammys tribute divides the internet

Annie Lennox, the Scottish singer-songwriter, created an uproar on social media, as she ended her performance at the Grammys 2024, by calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. The New Wave icon gave an in memoriam tribute to the late Sinead O’Connor, alongside the iconic duo, Wendy & Lisa.

After their moving performance of Nothing Compares to U in the Crypto.com arena on Sunday, Lennox raised her fist in the air, saying,

“Artists for a ceasefire. Peace in the world.”

This comes after months of advocating for a ceasefire in Gaza on her personal social media handles. Earlier on Sunday, before her performance at the Grammys, Annie Lennox had also written a lengthy Instagram post, sharing a distressing picture from Palestine.

"Is there any point in posting every day to keep calling for peace and ceasefire, while it's perfectly obvious that the military objective is to bring about the total decimation of Gaza and her people? I find it impossible to witness these appalling atrocities and just be indifferent or silent. My moral compass compels me to do the only thing I can, which is to stand witness by writing.”

Noa Tishby, an Israeli actor, writer, and activist, took to X (formerly Twitter) to criticize Annie Lennox, who allegedly “hijacked" the Grammys "in favor of Hamas agenda.”

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Netizens share a mixed response to Annie Lennox’s demand for a ceasefire at the Grammys

Following Noa Tishby’s tweet, a number of other netizens uploaded their discontent with Annie Lennox's advocacy at the Grammys, after her Nothing Compares to U performance.

Some of them said Hamas had allegedly already said “no” to a ceasefire, while others referred to Lennox as an artist who apparently didn’t know “squat about the situation they’re protesting.”

While Lennox received criticism from some netizens, others stood in her support, praising her for using her platform for good. Some fans also celebrated the icon for giving Sinead O’Connor the most befitting tribute, as the late Irish singer-songwriter was also well-known for her activism.

In fact, after her performance at the 1992 Saturday Night Live, the artist had ripped up an image of the Pope on stage to call out the Catholic Church’s approach to clergy child physical abuse. Here are some of the other X reactions to the closing statement from Lennox's performance at the Grammys 2024:

In October 2023, Lennox became one of the dozen artists to sign an open letter to President Joe Biden asking for a ceasefire. The letter called on the President to:

“. . . honor all of the lives in the Holy Land and call for and facilitate a ceasefire without delay – an end to the bombing of Gaza, and the safe release of hostages.”

Despite the appeals, President Joe Biden has not called for a ceasefire yet.