The 67th annual Grammy Awards, held at Crypto.com Arena on February 2, 2025, was a night filled with historic moments. From Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter winning Best Country Album to Doechii’s incredible performance, this year’s Grammys were one for the books. Hosted by Trevor Noah for the fifth year in a row, the event highlights artists throughout all genres, including artists like Sabrina Carpenter, Chappell Roan, Kendrick Lamar, and Charli XCX, who have dominated the charts this year.
The ceremony also highlighted the unfortunate fires in California that happened earlier this year in January, with the Recording Academy promising to utilize the Grammys to support local fire relief efforts, raising $9 million in just that one night. In light of the fires, Bruno Mars and Lady Gaga performed “California Dreamin’” in tribute to the devastating Los Angeles fires that took many lives. “I feel like this year’s Grammys was especially important because of all the LA fires; everyone in the music community connected because of all the donations aiding people affected,” sophomore Tigran Akopyan said.
Some of the biggest moments in music happened that night. Beyoncé made history as the first-ever Black woman to win Best Country Album with Cowboy Carter. She also won Best Country Duo/Group Performance with Miley Cyrus for “II Most Wanted” from the same album. Another incredible win was Doechii winning Best Rap Album with Alligator Bites Never Heal, being the third-ever woman after Lauren Hill and Cardi B to do so.
Kendrick Lamar also had an outstanding night, taking home five awards. He won Record of the Year and Best Rap Performance for “Not Like Us,” a song originally a diss track for fellow rapper Drake, which later became one of his biggest hits.
The biggest surprise of the night was the fact that neither Taylor Swift nor Billie Eilish won any awards. Despite Swift’s nomination for six categories and Eilish’s nomination for seven, they failed to win any of them, a revelation that surprised many fans. “Billie’s album deserved to win against Beyoncé’s album since her songs were all over social media. I didn’t even know Beyoncé released an album,” sophomore Zhina Salamat Ravandi said. Additionally, Sabrina Carpenter won Best Pop Vocal Album for Short n’ Sweet, making this win a giant milestone in her career.
The Weeknd, who boycotted the Grammys for years, calling it “corrupt,” made a dramatic return and performed “Cry For Me” and “Timeless” from his recent release, Hurry Up Tomorrow, with Playboi Carti as a special guest. Because of his claim that the Recording Academy was not diverse enough, they added more than 3,000 women voting members, nearly 40 percent people of color, and 66 percent of new, young members.
The 2025 Grammys emphasized how music is constantly evolving and changing, from highlighting artists who have been in the industry for years to new rising stars. Just being nominated makes artists feel like all their hard work has paid off, making it a milestone in their careers. With all these unforgettable wins and performances, the 2025 Grammys once again proved why it is still the biggest night in music.
