Spiritbox’s Courtney LaPlante responds to THAT red carpet Poppy mix-up

(Image credit: Neilson Barnard/Getty Images for The Recording Academy)

Spiritbox vocalist Courtney LaPlante has revealed what went through her head when she was confused for Poppy during an interview at the Grammy Awards.

At the Los Angeles ceremony on February 2, both Spiritbox and Poppy, who’d collaborated with hardcore act Knocked Loose on the track Suffocate, were up for the Best Metal Performance prize.

One poor interviewer spoke to LaPlante on camera, confusing her for her fellow female nominee, and the footage went viral after LaPlante ran with it.

“I am Poppy,” she ‘confirmed’ to her interviewer, “and I am really happy to be here nominated with Knocked Loose. I really hope we win.

“I was actually nominated in, I believe, 2020,” the singer added, continuing to pretend to be Poppy. (Poppy was actually nominated for Best Metal Performance in 2021 with her song Bloodmoney.)

“Really happy to be here again; would love to take home the Grammy for Knocked Loose and myself because I would be the first woman to win this award.”

In an Instagram Live stream last week, shared to X (formerly Twitter) by user suffocatevoodoo, LaPlante explains what ran through her mind during the now-widely seen moment. She says that she wanted to run with the mix-up while also not saying anything too “crazy” about Poppy or Knocked Loose, as to not offend anyone.

The new issue of Metal Hammer starring Spiritbox — (Image credit: Future (cover photo: Jonathan Weiner))

“That was sickening,” she remembers. “I was like, ‘Don’t say anything too crazy,’ because I don’t know Poppy and Knocked Loose well enough to go crazy on it. ‘What if they don’t like this? What if they feel like I’m mocking their achievements?’”

LaPlante goes on to compare the gaffe to an interview she saw where pop singer/songwriter Charli XCX was confused for fellow superstar musician Lorde.

“Charli XCX was doing an interview and someone was like, ‘What was it like writing the song Royals?’” she continues. “Instead of being all shitty about it, she just talked about writing Royals and what it was like being a teenager in New Zealand. I took that as my inspiration.”

Ultimately, it seems Poppy and Knocked Loose weren’t offended by LaPlante’s actions. In fact, Poppy has also played it into it, having released t-shirts with ‘Hello, my name is… Poppy’ written on the chest.

Neither Spiritbox nor Poppy x Knocked Loose ended up winning the 2025 Grammy Award For Best Metal Performance. However, LaPlante’s hopes for a woman to win the trophy for the very first time ultimately came true. Gojira, opera singer Marina Viotti and composer Victor Le Masne took home the trophy for their rendition of French revolutionary song Ah! Ça Ira, which was performed at the 2024 Olympic Games opening ceremony.

Spiritbox are the cover stars of the new issue of Metal Hammer. Read all about their new album Tsunami Sea in our extensive interview. Order your copy online and get it delivered directly to your door.

That is LaPlante and not Poppy on the cover by the way. We double-checked.

Courtney Laplante of Spiritbox on being mistaken for Poppy: ‘It reminded me…. of charli xcx’ pic.twitter.com/gEzhkUx0ZLFebruary 7, 2025

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