TJ Osborne gives stirring speech after Grammy win for coming out song: ‘I’m here with a man I love’
John Osborne and TJ Osborne of Brothers Osborne, at the 64th Annual GRAMMY Awards Premiere Ceremony. (Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for The Recording Academy)
TJ Osborne gave a soul-stirring speech about coming out as gay after taking home the Grammy for Best Country Duo/Group Performance.
Osborne, one half of the country band Brothers Osborne, said bagging the trophy for the song “Younger Me” Sunday evening (3 March) was a triumph he thought would be impossible.
“I never thought that I’d be able to do this professionally because of my sexuality,” the 37-year-old, accepting the award during the pre-telecast portion of the Grammys.
In his tearful speech, TJ said that being “accepted” by the country music genre as well as the Recording Academy, which hands out the Grammys, was “amazing”.
“I certainly never thought I would be here on this stage accepting a Grammy after having done something I felt like was going to be life-changing, potentially in a very negative way,” he said.
TJ Osborne: ‘I just won a Grammy award, being an openly gay man’
TJ Osborne came out as gay last year, becoming the first openly gay artist signed to a major country music label.
Along with his brother, he attended the Grammys with his boyfriend, Abiezer Ventura. The significance was certainly not lost on him.
“For those of you who do not know, this song was written really in response to me coming out,” TJ told the Grammys audience at the MGM Grand Marquee Ballroom in Las Vegas.
“Here I am tonight, not only accepting this Grammy award with my brother, who I love so much, but I’m here with a man that I love and who loves me back.
“I don’t know what I did to get so lucky.”
John Osborne and TJ Osborne of Brothers Osborne accept the Best Country Duo/Group Performance award. (Denise Truscello/Getty Images for The Recording Academy)
John Osborne added: “I think if I want to thank somebody, I want to thank my younger self for just pursuing this.”
“We all have a younger self in us. Thank them, because they got you here, and take care of that person.”
TJ Osborne told E! red carpet host Laverne Cox that “Younger Me”, from the group’s 2020 album Skeletons, was an emotional account of what he wishes he could tell his younger self.
“I’m sure you know of all people the anguish and heartbreak you go through” in coming out, he explained.
“I think that’s really for everyone […] life is hard on people, and to be here tonight, if I could just be like: ‘Man, you’re gonna be okay, you’re gonna be happy, you’re gonna love who you are and people are gonna support you’.”
“I just won a Grammy award, being an openly gay man,” Osborne added. “I feel incredible. I did not ever think this moment would happen, and it has.”
