Joni Mitchell, 82, Stuns in Rare Red Carpet Appearance at 2026 Grammy Awards

Joni Mitchell showed up and showed out at the red carpet for the 68th annual Grammy Awards.

The 82-year-old music legend was shining from head to toe—quite literally—while arriving at the biggest night in music. Mitchell was photographed at the Sunday, February 1, event wearing a gold, silver, and black gradient sequin pantsuit. She accessorized her look with gold rimmed glasses and a matching hat, a black bag, and a black cane adorned with silver accents. 

The Canadian-born folk singer was nominated for (and won) the Best Historical Album award at the 2026 Grammy’s for her October 2024 release titled  Joni Mitchell Archives – Vol. 4: The Asylum Years (1976-1980). Mitchell’s presence at the ceremony comes as a surprise to some fans, as the veteran hasn’t released new work since Shine in 2007.

Mitchell suffered a severe brain aneurysm in 2015 that left her unable to walk, speak, and play guitar, but she has since recovered to a point where she can perform again. The songwriter spoke about her recovery in an interview with The Guardianin 2020.

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“I couldn’t walk,” she said before explaining, “I had to learn how again. I couldn’t talk.” She compared her health struggles to her experience with polio at age 9 and admitted, “Polio didn’t grab me like that, but the aneurysm took away a lot more, really. Took away my speech and my ability to walk”. When asked to recap the five years since her aneurysm, Mitchell told the outlet that she has been “just inching my way along. I’m showing slow improvement but moving forward.”

The California singer made a surprise return to the stage with a full-length set at the Newport Folk Festival in 2022. She also made her Grammy performance debut in 2024, at age 80. At that ceremony, Mitchell sang Both Sides Now accompanied by Brandi Carlilewho played the guitar and sang backup vocals.