17 People We Really Wish Had Shown Up at the Grammys

The Grammys went down in LA on Monday night, and the event was full of fantastic performances, heartfelt acceptance speeches, and fun, candid moments. A slew of stars stepped out for the show, including Taylor Swift, Selena Gomez, Justin Bieber, and Beyoncé, but there were a handful of people missing from the fun that we really would have loved to see — Rihanna had to cancel her gig at the last minute, and it was pretty weird to witness a high-profile event with zero Kardashian-Jenner turnout. Keep reading to see 17 people who would have made the night that much better, from missing family members to missing technical skills.

Rihanna
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Rihanna

The singer had to cancel her planned Grammys performance just an hour before hitting the stage. Rihanna was reportedly dealing with a case of bronchitis and an on-site doctor at the Staples Center recommended that she not perform because she could permanently damage her vocal cords. She tweeted out a message to fans, saying, "So sorry I couldn't be there. . . Thanks Grammys and CBS for your support tonight." While we appreciate the sweet apology, Rihanna's presence really would have made the show that much more awesome.

Katy Perry
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Katy Perry

Katy revealed earlier this month that she wouldn't be attending the show, but instead hosted a pre-Grammys party meant for "artists, producers, and songwriters." She reportedly extended an invite to Taylor Swift, who she's been feuding with since 2014 — Taylor was spotted at the bash, but it would have been pretty amazing if Katy had shown up to the Grammys anyway and witnessed Taylor's album of the year win in person.

Nicole Richie
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Nicole Richie

Lionel Richie, Nicole's dad, was the recipient of the MusiCares person of the year award, and his decades-long career was highlighted with an epic musical tribute by Demi Lovato, Tyrese, Luke Bryan, John Legend, and Meghan Trainor. While all those people were on stage, Nicole was missing from the fun: the fashion designer and mom of two was overseas with her husband, Joel Madden, who is currently on tour with his band, Good Charlotte. Nicole tweeted out her support to Lionel, saying, "SO PROUD! Dad you are DOPE. So awesome!! wishing I was there, & beaming from across the pond!" We would have loved to see her moving and grooving along with the rest of the stars in the audience!

Any Member of the Kardashian-Jenner Crew, but Especially North West
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Any Member of the Kardashian-Jenner Crew, but Especially North West

Kanye West staged a low-key boycott of the Grammys this year, so it makes sense that Kim Kardashian and her family would stick by him — however, it was pretty weird to see not one of them hit the red carpet or pop up in the audience. It could have been a fantastic opportunity for North or Penelope Disick to wear tiny ballgowns or Mason and Reign Disick to wear suits. And since Rob Kardashian has been resurfacing more and more with his romance with Blac Chyna, it would have been great to see him out and about again.

A Damn Good Audio Engineer
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A Damn Good Audio Engineer

Adele's performance of "All I Ask" was plagued with technical issues, which the singer later explained via Twitter: "The piano mics fell on to the piano strings, that's what the guitar sound was. It made it sound out of tune," she wrote. A CBS spokesperson confirmed that there was a "five-to-eight-second technical issue" and that it was "out of the network's control." Despite the hiccups, Adele powered through, but we still wish that they would have brought in some sort of audio engineer or dedicated piano mic specialist.