'Damage control': Sources say Taylor Swift's team scrambled for backstage photo with Celine Dion

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By James Kay

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Taylor Swift found herself under scrutiny when she appeared to snub Celine Dion at the Grammys, and a source has revealed that her PR team went into "damage control".

After clinching the prestigious Album of the Year award for a history-making fourth time for her 2022 album Midnights, Swift faced accusations of snubbing Dion who appeared at the event despite battling stiff-person syndrome (SPS).

As Swift accepted her accolade, some fans noted what they perceived as a lack of acknowledgment towards Dion.

Instead of engaging with the icon, Swift hugged her collaborators before turning to the microphone to deliver her acceptance speech, sparking a social media storm of criticism, with some branding her "classless."

If you haven't seen it yet, have a look at the awkward moment below:

Backstage, Swift and Dion shared smiles, posing for pictures and silencing critics of the 'All Too Well' star, but one source has claimed this was allegedly set up.

In a recent episode of The Town with Matthew Belloni podcast, Bloomberg reporter Lucas Shaw stirred the pot with discussions centering on the Grammy Awards, particularly focusing on Taylor Swift’s alleged misstep.

According to a source present at the Grammys, Swift’s team quickly went into damage control mode upon recognizing the blunder.

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Celine Dion and Taylor Swift hug backstage after an awkward snub at the event. Credit: Kevin Mazur/Getty/The Recording Academy

Belloni revealed on the podcast: "I talked to someone who was backstage, and the Taylor camp knew immediately it was a misstep, and they were scrambling backstage to get a photo of Taylor with Céline Dion, which they promptly put out and that was damage control for the Céline moment."

Highlighting the traditional etiquette of award acceptance, Belloni added: "Traditionally, the PR people will say when you go on stage, 'Make sure you acknowledge the person who is giving you the award.' ... Taylor typically knows better than to grab the award and try to summon pals to celebrate their big win."

Belloni and Shaw also dissected Swift’s announcement of her upcoming album, The Tortured Poets Department, during her acceptance speech for Best Pop Vocal Album.

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Swift was accused of ignoring Dion. Credit: Timothy Norris/Getty

Shaw critiqued: "I personally thought it wasn’t the greatest move. You just won an award and you wanna use that to promote yourself even more?" He further labeled Swift as a "master capitalist."

While Shaw admitted finding flaws in Swift’s Album of the Year speech, he commended her prolific output, noting: "If you count the re-recordings and the new albums, this will be her eighth album in less than four years, that’s insane, while putting on the biggest concert tour in music industry history."

Featured image credit: Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/Getty