Controversial rapper XXXTentacion was left out of the In Memoriam tribute at the Grammy Awards. The decision was presumably due to the domestic violence accusations he faced before his death. XXXTentacion had a rapid rise to fame before his untimely death at the age of 20. He was known for his legal troubles, including domestic violence charges and a 2015 incident of armed home invasion. Despite requests to include him, Grammy organizers chose to exclude him from the tribute.

Other late artists, such as Mac Miller, Avicii, and Aretha Franklin, were honored during the segment.