In honor of the Grammy Awards this Sunday, February 5th, I wanted to shared the most unforgettable experience I had sitting second row in the crowd of A-List celebrities.

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Ever since I was young, I've always been mesmerized by celebrities.  I used to take mini vacations, by myself, to California to see Red Carpet events and movie premieres!

These are 8 famous people I've met before the age of 25 - Tom Higgins, Ty Burrell, Kelly Ripa, Bart Johnson, Wiz Khalifa, David Harbour, Bernie Sanders, and Anna Kendrick!

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My first time seeing stars in person was at Hugh Jackman's star ceremony at the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2012 - there were soooo many celebs.  I was 15!

Hands down one of the best days of my life, I was living every teenager's dream.

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Anyway, I discovered a Facebook group called Seatfillers and More that gives the average person a chance to attend Awards shows and be a part of TV audiences.

I thought it was a joke, until I signed up to win a Seatfiller ticket to see the Grammy Awards Live in Los Angeles and WON A TICKET!

Emily Sotakoun
Emily Sotakoun
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My Once In A Lifetime Experience At The 59th Grammy Awards in 2017

I was chosen to fill an empty seat in the first 5 rows of the audience - a celebrity arrived late, so I filled in.  I'm sitting second row and realized Jay Z, Rihanna, Tim McGraw, and DJ Khaled were sitting all around me.  I WAS STAR STRUCK!

There I am.  Living proof I was there when Twenty One Pilots won an award!

Recording Academy / 59th Grammys
Recording Academy / 59th Grammys
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I wasn't allowed to talk to celebrities unless they initiated the conversation.  If I tried, I was instantly kicked out of the show.  So, I kept to myself!

After a lot of sitting, seeing Adele, Ed Sheeran, and Lukas Graham perform, everybody accept their awards, and the show was coming to an end, I made a run for the stage Adele performed on.

Then I got kicked out lol. TOTALLY WORTH IT, THOUGH!

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RELATED: HOW TO WATCH THE 2023 GRAMMY AWARDS

Was it was a once in a lifetime opportunity I got?  Yes.  Would I do it again?  Probably not.  It was a journey I never expected to take, but I'm glad I got to do it!

If you're looking to attend award shows just like I did, you should follow the Seatfillers and More page!  They have so many chances for you to see your favorite stars all the time - who knows, you might even get a picture with a celeb!

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