A graduate of Garnet Valley’s class of 2021, Arjun Manjunath went to the 2026 Grammys on Sunday, February 1st! “I recently had the opportunity to travel to Los Angeles and be a seat filler at the Grammys, which is one of those industry secrets I never knew about until recently. I applied, not really knowing what to expect, and it turned into one of the coolest experiences I’ve ever had. Basically, when celebrities leave their seats, seat fillers step in so the live TV broadcast never shows empty chairs.”
“What really blew my mind was everything happening behind the scenes. The production at the Grammys is next level. Most of the cameras are free-moving robots controlled remotely, and every performance is perfectly timed, from lighting to camera movement to stage transitions. Watching the production team work felt like watching another performance happening at the same time.”
Manjunath quotes, “One of my favorite moments was noticing the teleprompters and realizing how unscripted things can still be. Watching Cher completely go off the teleprompter and say whatever she wanted was iconic. It was also interesting to see how the show works beyond TV, with commercial breaks acting as short windows for celebrities to walk around and socialize. I even got to talk to people like Noah Kahan and Nikki Glaser, and used the experience as a chance to meet and connect with people working in entertainment in Los Angeles.”
Earlier this year, he had made a vision board, and the Grammys were on it. It felt like a long shot, but it actually happened, and it reminded him to dream big and full send opportunities even when they feel unreal.
He’ll be sharing more from this experience and future side quests on social media. You can follow along at @arjunmanjunath_ on Instagram and TikTok to see what’s next!
