The 67th Annual Grammy Awards, presented on February 2, 2025, at Los Angeles’ Crypto.com Arena, recognized a night of outstanding musical performances, historic achievements, and heartwarming tributes. For the fifth year in a row, Trevor Noah hosted the event, which celebrated the industry’s greatest artists and honored those who have left an unforgettable influence on music.
Beyoncé made history when she won Album of the Year for her country-inspired album, Cowboy Carter, becoming the first Black woman to do it in 26 years. This achievement raised her total Grammy victories to 35, reinforcing her legendary status in the music industry. She also took home the Grammy for Best Country duo/group Performance with Miley Cyrus, and Best Country Album. Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” swept the night winning Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and other awards, establishing itself as the most-awarded rap song in Grammy history.
Chappell Roan, the indie-pop singer-songwriter, won Best New Artist. Roan, used her victory speech to speak up for aspiring artists and demand for increased business support for musicians who are still establishing themselves. Along with Roan, many other musicians became first-time Grammy winners by the end of the night, with aspiring artists like Sabrina Carpenter and Doechii establishing their iconic status and established performers like Charli XCX finally receiving their well-deserved Grammy award.
Sabrina Carpenter had become a Grammy winner entering into Sunday night’s ceremony; “Espresso” won Best Pop Solo Performance prior to the show, but she also had an important victory when her 2024 album, Short n’ Sweet, won Best Pop Vocal Album. Doechii, who had also been nominated for Best New Artist and Best Rap Performance, was overjoyed to win her first Grammy for Best Rap Album. By doing so, she became only the third woman to win the Category in its 36-year history, following Lauryn Hill and Cardi B, who she proudly praised in her heartfelt winning speech. The Best New Artist division was extremely talented, as seen by the exciting performances of RAYE, Benson Boone, Shaboozey, and others.
Shakira’s first GRAMMY performance since 2007 marked a successful moment for the Colombian star, who had recently won her fourth career Grammy. She performed her 1998 hit, “Ojos Así”, immediately following her popular Bizarrap collaboration, “Shakira: Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53” which came from her Grammy-winning album Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran. Las Mujeres received two Latin Grammy nominations and won the newly issued Best Latin Electronic Music Performance. As an outcome of its accomplishment, Shakira was the first woman with No. 1 albums over four decades on the Billboard Latin album charts.
Along with the competitive honors, the night featured touching tributes, including one to Quincy Jones, the iconic producer and songwriter. Stevie Wonder, Janelle Monáe, and Will Smith led the tribute, which honored Jones’ decades of contributions to music. Later on Alicia Keys became the first woman to be awarded the Dr. Dre Global Impact Award, which had previously gone to Dr. Dre and Jay-Z. When Keys took the stage, she used it to promote various voices in the music industry.
The evening was full of surprises, the most impressive being The Weeknd’s sudden comeback to the Grammy stage. The artist, who had formerly boycotted the ceremony after his album After Hours was snubbed in 2021, produced an interesting performance of his most recent single, indicating a potential reunion with the Recording Academy. His appearance sparked excitement among fans and artists.
Charli XCX was one of the most nominated artists at this year’s Grammys, and she won three awards, for Best Dance Pop Recording (“Von dutch”), Best Dance/Electronic Album, and Best Recording Package. She was also one of the evening’s last performers. Charli kicked off her Brat performance with “Von Dutch,” walking around the arena’s parking garage surrounded by her friends, such as supermodels Alex Consani and Gabbriette Bechtel. Charli concluded her performance with “Guess,” her popular song featuring Billie Eilish, as underwear and clothing fell from the top of the stage.
The Grammys also included a moment of support for the victims of the devastating Los Angeles wildfires, with first responders and firefighters delivering the night’s last award. A special charity project held during the event raised more than $7 million for wildfire relief efforts.
