Joni Mitchell earns standing ovation for debut Grammy performance at age 80

Joni Mitchell received a standing ovation for her moving debut performance at the Grammy Awards at the age of 80.

The esteemed singer performed an emotional rendition of her 1966 classic Both Sides Now from an armchair alongside US singer Brandi Carlile on the guitar at the 66th annual ceremony held at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.

Mitchell also picked up the best folk award for her 2023 live album, Joni Mitchell At Newport (Live), during the awards show, which was dominated by female musicians.

Mitchell wore a black shirt with gold embroidery for the event, paired with a black beret and gold jewellery, and with her long hair braided in two plaits.

During the performance alongside her band, music superstars, including British-Albanian singer Dua Lipa and US superstar Beyonce, appeared emotional as the camera took in their reactions.

Afterwards, the audience applauded loudly as they gave Mitchell a standing ovation.

Her Grammy appearance comes on the heels of a gradual return to live appearances after suffering a brain aneurysm in March 2015.

The live album, Joni Mitchell At Newport, was recorded during a surprise appearance at the 2022 Newport Folk Festival, her first public performance in 20 years.

Since then she made two public concert appearances billed as “Joni Jam” in Washington state last summer, followed by a Brandi Carlile And Friends show at the Hollywood Bowl last autumn.

Mitchell is widely regarded as one of the greatest singer-songwriters of her time with hit tracks including Chelsea Morning, Big Yellow Taxi and Free Man In Paris.

Her previous Grammy wins span from 1970, when she won best folk performance for Clouds, to 2022 where she was honoured with best historical album for the boxed set Joni Mitchell Archives, Vol. 1: The Early Years (1963–1967).

During her decades-long career, Mitchell has been nominated for 18 Grammy awards.

The singer, who was born in Canada, picked up a lifetime achievement award from the Recording Academy in 2002.

In an interview with Sir Elton John in 2022, Mitchell said she felt her music did not get the recognition it deserved in the 1970s due to sexism in the music industry.