Jon Batiste won album of the year for "We Are" at the 2022 Grammys on Sunday.- He told Stephen Colbert that he "didn't really know" he won because it was "so loud" in the room.
Jon Batiste won album of the year for "We Are" at the 2022 Grammys — but the hubbub at the ceremony nearly spoiled his big moment.
Batiste returned to "The Late Show With Stephen Colbert" on Tuesday night, where he serves as bandleader and musical director, after winning five awards in Las Vegas on Sunday.
Batiste was visibly stunned when Lenny Kravitz announced "We Are" as the evening's final winner. Colbert even joked, "The most surprised person in the room might be you."
Asked to explain his reaction, Batiste revealed the room was so noisy that he didn't immediately realize he won.
"The people were so loud," the jazz musician recounted. "It was so loud that I almost didn't really know it was me, because they didn't say my name until after the title. I was like, maybe that's somebody else's album that sounds like 'We Are.'"
Batiste's genre-bending album beat out several strong opponents, including Olivia Rodrigo's hit debut "Sour," Doja Cat's popular "Planet Her," and Billie Eilish's critically acclaimed "Happier Than Ever."
However, Batiste also revealed that Eilish and her brother-slash-producer Finneas O'Connell weren't rooting for themselves.
"Finneas and Billie, they turned around and they were like, 'We really hope you win this one,'" he told Colbert. "They were so nice and everybody was so supportive, the energy was so supportive. I was like, well, at least everybody's gonna be on a good vibe."
"Whoever wins, we'll be all just clapping for this person," he added. "It won't be me."
Batiste said he's "still processing" his victories, but grateful his family members were there to see him win.
"It's incredible," he shared. "Just so much went into that moment. Piano lessons, some civil rights marches."
To celebrate, Batiste said he went out to eat after the ceremony, but was "so tired" that he left in the middle of the meal and went to bed.