Grammy 2022: Presenter Nate Bargatze wears helmet onstage, jokes on Will Smith slap

Los Angeles, April 4

Grammy presenter Nate Bargatze wore a helmet as he stepped out to present awards during the Grammys' premiere ceremony Sunday afternoon in Las Vegas.

Said LeVar Burton, who hosted the webcast in which most of the day's Grammys were handed

out, "Now, I want to warn you all that our next presenter is a comedian, if you know what I mean," reports Variety'.

"So I need to caution everybody, remain in your seats and keep your hands to yourselves. All right?" Burton introduced Bargatze as a comic who is "selling out shows across America with clean family-friendly comedy and reaching another milestone today with a nomination for best comedy album."

Further referencing Will Smith striking Chris Rock at the Oscars a week ago, Bargatze

said, "They said comedians have to wear these now at award shows during the joke parts. It doesn't even cover your face, I think it just focuses where you would hit me. All right, this is stupid, I'll take it off."

Bargatze was nominated for comedy album this year for his album 'The Greatest Average American' against competition from Lavell Crawford, Chelsea Handler, Louis C.K., Lewis Black and Kevin Hart.

The Nashville-based comic's Netflix specials include 'The Tennessee Kid' as well as 'The Greatest Average American'.