he Grammy Awards are the most prestigious music awards, and while many other award shows exist, the Grammys are often considered the Oscars of the music world. The categories are too many, so we won’t dive into all of them, just the most popular ones. Let’s start with the big winners.

Beyoncé has won numerous Grammy Awards since her first solo single, ‘Crazy in Love’ (featuring Jay-Z), dropped in 2003. She has remained an iconic figure throughout her 20+ years in the business, yet she had to change genres (from R&B to Country)— before she could win Album of the Year award for her eighth studio album, Cowboy Carter.

The singer dedicated her award to Linda Martell, a pioneer for Black musicians in country music. Martell is also featured on several tracks from Cowboy Carter. Beyonce deserved to win for Lemonade years ago in a major category like Album of the Year, but any trophy in this category has eluded her for years. Her victory ahead of Taylor Swift or Billie Eilish meant a great deal to not just her, but to an entire culture and community. “I just feel very full and very honored,” Beyoncé said. “It’s been many, many years. I hope we just keep pushing forward [and] opening doors,” she continued. “God bless y’all. Thank you so much.”

Notably, she is only the second African-American woman to win this award since 1999, when Lauryn Hill took home the honor for the terrific The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill album. Beyonce became the first woman to win in this category in the 21st century. With 35 Grammys, Beyoncé has made history with the maximum number of trophies to her name, but she didn’t forget to thank first responders after the ravaging LA fires. “I’d like to thank, acknowledge, and praise all the firefighters for keeping us safe,” she said.

Another major winner was Kendrick Lamar. He was nominated in five categories and he won in all of them for his top-tier lyrical gem of a song, ‘Not Like Us’, a famous diss track aimed at Drake, which is now his most critically acclaimed song as well. His five wins included Record of the Year and Song of the Year, making ‘Not Like Us’ only the second hip-hop song to win Record of the Year (following Childish Gambino’s ‘This is America’ in 2019). In his acceptance speech, Lamar dedicated his awards to the city of Los Angeles, which has been ravaged by fires, destroying thousands of homes and monuments. “We’re gonna dedicate this one to the city,” he said. Though his latest album, GNX, was not nominated since it released in November 2024, expectations are high for its nomination next year.

The only real disappointment of the night was Arooj Aftab leaving empty-handed despite receiving two nominations—Best Alternative Jazz Album for Night Reign and Best Global Music Performance for ‘Raat Ki Rani’. It was surprising, considering Night Reign was widely regarded as one of the best albums of 2024 by international press.

Given Arooj Aftab’s track record as an artist, we feel her Grammy run isn’t over. To be nominated is also a huge honor as well. Arooj Aftab didn’t make a fuss about not winning and congratulated those who did win in an Instagram post. “Well, we didn’t win, but we had a riot at the Grammys, as we always do in style,” noted Aftab in her post. “I am in absolute awe of all the nominees and a huge congrats to the giants @officialmeshell [Meshell Ndegeocello] and @sheilaedrummer [Sheila E]. Thank you for streaming Night Reign, for talking about it in the news, for sharing it with friends, and for coming to the shows! It was very inspiring to see LA music community @recordingacademy and @musicares stand together to rebuild all that was lost in the fires.”

Other notable wins included Chappell Roan, who won Best New Artist. She used her speech to advocate for equal pay and better working conditions in the music industry. “I told myself that if I ever won a Grammy and got to stand up here before the most powerful people in music, I would demand that labels in the industry profiting millions of dollars off of artists offer a liveable wage and health care, especially developing artists.”

Sabrina Carpenter may have lost Best New Artist, but her massively addictive (pun intended) song ‘Espresso’ won Best Pop Solo Performance, and her album Short n’ Sweet won Best Pop Album.

Meanwhile, Lady Gaga won the award for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance with Bruno Mars for their duet ‘Die with A Smile’.

Rapper Doechii became only the third female artist in Grammys history to win Best Rap Album, for Alligator Bites Never Heal, after Lauren Hill and Cardi B. “There are so many Black women out there watching me right now, and I want to tell you, you can do it,” she said while accepting her award.

In a surprising turn of events, Taylor Swift and Billie Eilish went home empty-handed despite having 13 nominations between them.

Shakira won Best Latin Album, while Alicia Keys was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award.

The show also paid an extensive tribute to Quincy Jones, who passed away last year at 91. As one of the most influential producers in pop history, Jones helped shape the sounds of legendary artists such as Frank Sinatra, Dizzy Gillespie, Michael Jackson, and Whitney Houston. The tribute featured Stevie Wonder performing ‘We Are the World’, followed by Janelle Monáe delivering an impeccable rendition of Michael Jackson’s ‘Don’t Stop ‘Till You Get Enough’.

Additionally, the show’s ‘In Memoriam’ segment began with a tribute to One Direction’s Liam Payne, who tragically passed away at 31 after falling from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina, last October.

Grammys 2025: list of winners

Album of the Year

New Blue Sun – André 3000

Cowboy Carter – Beyoncé (Winner)

Short n’ Sweet – Sabrina Carpenter

Brat – Charli XCX

Djesse Vol. 4 – Jacob Collier

Hit Me Hard and Soft – Billie Eilish

The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess – Chappell Roan

The Tortured Poets Department – Taylor Swift

Song of the Year

‘A Bar Song (Tipsy)’ – Shaboozey

‘Birds of A Feather’ – Billie Eilish

‘Die With A Smile’ – Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars

‘Fortnight’ – Taylor Swift featuring Post Malone

‘Good Luck, Babe!’ – Chappell Roan

‘Not Like Us’ – Kendrick Lamar (Winner)

‘Please Please Please’ – Sabrina Carpenter

‘Texas Hold ‘Em’ – Beyoncé

Record of the Year

‘Now and Then’ – The Beatles

‘Texas Hold ‘Em’ – Beyoncé

‘Espresso’ – Sabrina Carpenter

‘360’ – Charli XCX

‘Birds of A Feather’ – Billie Eilish

‘Not Like Us’ – Kendrick Lamar (Winner)

‘Good Luck, Babe!’ – Chappell Roan

‘Fortnight’ – Taylor Swift featuring Post Malone

Best New Artist

Benson Boone

Sabrina Carpenter

Doechii

Khruangbin

Raye

Chappell Roan (Winner)

Shaboozey

Teddy Swims

Best Pop Solo Performance

‘Bodyguard’ – Beyoncé

‘Espresso’ – Sabrina Carpenter (Winner)

‘Apple’ – Charli XCX

‘Birds of A Feather’ – Billie Eilish

‘Good Luck, Babe!’ – Chappell Roan

Best Pop Duo/Group Performance

‘Us’ – Gracie Abrams featuring Taylor Swift

‘Levii’s Jeans’ – Beyoncé featuring Post Malone

‘Guess’ – Charli XCX & Billie Eilish

‘The Boy is Mine’ – Ariana Grande, Brandy & Monica

‘Die with A Smile’ – Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars (Winner)

Best Pop Vocal Album

Short n’ Sweet – Sabrina Carpenter (Winner)

Hit Me Hard and Soft – Billie Eilish

Eternal Sunshine – Ariana Grande

The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess – Chappell Roan

The Tortured Poets Department – Taylor Swift

Best Music Video

‘Tailor Swif’ — A$AP Rocky

‘360’ — Charli XCX

‘Houdini’ — Eminem

‘Not Like Us’ — Kendrick Lamar (Winner)

‘Fortnight’ — Taylor Swift featuring Post Malone

Best Rap Performance

‘Enough (Miami)’ – Cardi B

‘When The Sun Shines Again’ – Common & Pete Rock featuring Posdnuos

‘Not Like Us’ – Kendrick Lamar (Winner)

‘Nissan Altima’ – Doechii

‘Houdini’ – Eminem

‘Like That’ – Future, Metro Boomin, & Kendrick Lamar ‘Yeah Glo!’ – GloRilla

Best Melodic Rap Performance

‘Kehlani’ — Jordan Adetunji featuring Kehlani

‘Spaghettii’ — Beyoncé featuring Linda Martell & Shaboozey

‘We Still Don’t Trust You’ — Future & Metro Boomin featuring The Weeknd

‘Big Mama’ — Latto

‘3’ — Rapsody featuring Erykah Badu (Winner)

Best Rap Song

‘Asteroids’ — Rapsody featuring Hit-Boy

‘Carnival’ — Kanye West & Ty Dolla $Ign featuring Rich the Kid & Playboi Carti

‘Like That’ —Future & Metro Boomin featuring Kendrick Lamar

‘Not Like Us’ — Kendrick Lamar (Winner)

‘Yeah Glo!’ —GloRilla

Best Rap Album

Might Delete Later — J. Cole

The Auditorium, Vol. 1 — Common & Pete Rock

Alligator Bites Never Heal — Doechii (Winner)

The Death Of Slim Shady (Coup De Grâce) — Eminem

We Don’t Trust You — Future & Metro Boomin

Best Country Solo Performance

‘16 Carriages’ — Beyoncé

‘It Takes A Woman’ — Chris Stapleton (Winner)

‘I Am Not Okay’ — Jelly Roll

‘The Architect’ — Kacey Musgraves

‘A Bar Song (Tipsy)’ — Shaboozey

Best Country Duo/Group
Performance

‘Cowboys Cry Too’ — Kelsea Ballerini
With Noah Kahan

‘II Most Wanted’ — Beyoncé featuring Miley Cyrus (Winner)

‘Break Mine’ — Brothers Osborne

‘Bigger Houses’ — Dan + Shay

‘I Had Some Help’ — Post Malone featuring Morgan Wallen

Best Country Song

‘The Architect’ — Kacey Musgraves (Winner)

‘A Bar Song (Tipsy)’ —Shaboozey

‘I Am Not Okay’ — Jelly Roll

‘I Had Some Help’ — Post Malone featuring Morgan Wallen

‘Texas Hold ‘Em’ — Beyoncé

Best Country Album

Cowboy Carter – Beyoncé (Winner)

F-1 Trillion – Post Malone

Deeper Well – Kacey Musgraves

Higher – Chris Stapleton

Whirlwind – Lainey Wilson

Best R&B Performance

‘Guidance’ — Jhené Aiko

‘Residuals’ — Chris Brown

‘Here We Go (Uh Oh)’ — Coco Jones

‘Made For Me (Live on BET)’ — Muni Long (Winner)

‘Saturn’ — SZA

Best R&B Song

‘After Hours’ – Kehlani

‘Saturn’ – SZA (Winner)

‘Burning’ – Tems

‘Here We Go (Uh Oh)’ – Coco Jones

‘Ruined Me’ – Muni Long

Best Progressive R&B Album

So Glad to Know You – Avery Sunshine (Winner – TIE)

Why Lawd? – NxWorries (Anderson
.Paak & Knxwledge) (Winner – TIE)

En Route – Durand Bernarr

Bando Stone and the New World – Childish Gambino

Crash – Kehlani

Best Dance/Electronic Recording

‘She’s Gone, Dance On’ — Disclosure

‘Loved’ — Four Tet

‘Leavemealone’ — Fred Again & Baby Keem

‘Neverender’ — Justice & Tame Impala (Winner)

‘Witchy’ — Kaytranada featuring Childish Gambino

Best Dance Pop Recording

‘Make You Mine’ – Madison Beer

‘Von dutch’ – Charli XCX (Winner)

‘L’amour De Ma Vie [over now extended edit]’ – Billie Eilish

‘Yes, and?’ – Ariana Grande

‘Got Me Started’ – Troye Sivan

Best Dance/Electronic Album

Brat — Charli XCX (Winner)

Three — Four Tet

Hyperdrama — Justice

Timeless — Kaytranada

Telos — Zedd

Best Alternative Jazz Album

Night Reign – Arooj Aftab

New Blue Sun – André 3000

Code Derivation – Robert Glasper

Foreverland – Keyon Harrold

No More Water: The Gospel Of James Baldwin – Meshell Ndegeocello (Winner)

Best Rock Performance

‘Now and Then’ — The Beatles (Winner)

‘Beautiful People (Stay High)’ — The Black Keys

‘The American Dream is Killing Me’
— Green Day

‘Gift Horse’ — Idles

‘Dark Matter’ — Pearl Jam

‘Broken Man’ — St. Vincent

Best Rock Song

‘Beautiful People (Stay High)’ – The Black Keys

‘Broken Man’ – St. Vincent (Winner)

‘Dark Matter’ – Pearl Jam

‘Dilemma’ – Green Day

‘Gift Horse’ – Idles

Best Rock Album

Happiness Bastards — The Black Crowes

Romance — Fontaines D.C.

Saviors — Green Day

Tangk — Idles

Dark Matter — Pearl Jam

Hackney Diamonds — The Rolling Stones (Winner)

No Name — Jack White

Best Latin Pop Album

Funk Generation – Anitta

El Viaje – Luis Fonsi

García – Kany García

Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran – Shakira (Winner)

Orquídeas – Kali Uchis

Best Global Music Performance

‘Raat Ki Rani’ — Arooj Aftab

‘A Rock Somewhere’ — Jacob Collier featuring Anoushka Shankar & Varijashree Venugopal

‘Rise’ — Rocky Dawuni

‘Bemba Colorá’ — Sheila E. featuring Gloria Estefan & Mimy Succar (Winner)

‘Sunlight To My Soul’— Angélique Kidjo featuring Soweto Gospel Choir

‘Kashira’ — Masa Takumi featuring Ron Korb, Noshir Mody & Dale Edward Chung

Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media (Includes Film And Television)

American Fiction – Laura Karpman, composer

Challengers – Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross, composers

The Color Purple – Kris Bowers, composer

Dune: Part Two – Hans Zimmer,
composer (Winner)

Shogun – Nick Chuba, Atticus Ross & Leopold Ross, composers