The Grammys 2025: From ‘Album of the Year’ controversy to newsworthy speeches

The Grammys is one of the most prestigious awards ceremonies on the musical calendar. The 2025 Grammys generated public discourse over which artists were celebrated or snubbed as Kendrick Lamar and Beyoncé were the night’s biggest winners, but this left some highly nominated artists with no awards at all. There were also some unforgettable performances and moments from the show.

The awards show was predicated on fundraising in response to the LA wildfires, with a group of LA firefighters joining the ceremony amid rapturous applause, and two presenting the final award of the night, ‘Album of the Year’. Beyoncé, the most nominated artist at the Grammys, has never been successful in this category until this year, making her win for Cowboy Carter all the more significant. This album encapsulates American country music, drawing on the greats of the country scene and highlighting Black influence on the genre.

Beyoncé continued to break records throughout the night by becoming the first Black female artist to win ‘Best Country Album’

The Grammy awarded to Cowboy Carter generated debate over whether it ‘deserved’ the win. The nominations for the category were very strong, with industry giants Taylor Swift and Billie Eilish nominated for The Tortured Poets Department and HIT ME HARD AND SOFT, respectively. Despite having several nominations, neither artist took home awards, leaving many fans disappointed. Both albums would have been equally deserving winners, garnering much critical and popular acclaim. Nevertheless, Beyoncé’s album, a modern take on the country genre, eclipsed the other nominees to finally give Beyoncé a win in the most prestigious category.

Beyoncé continued to break records throughout the night by becoming the first Black female artist to win ‘Best Country Album’. This is ironic given that she was snubbed for nominations at the Country Music Awards despite ‘Texas Hold Em’ being a chart-topping country single. This is one of the most publicised moments of the night, not least because of Beyoncé’s humorous response to her name being announced. Beyoncé was presented with this award by Taylor Swift, which is significant given their history, dating back to the infamous Kanye West moment at the 2009 VMAs. West did make a shocking appearance on the red carpet with Bianca Censori but did not attend the ceremony amid rumours of the couple being kicked out of the Grammys.

Kendrick Lamar had an incredibly successful Grammys sweep for his diss track, ‘Not Like Us’, which effectively concluded the long-standing and heavily publicised feud with Drake. Lamar won five awards, including two out of the ‘Big Four’ categories, Record of the Year and Song of the Year. This is a testament to his strengths as an artist, as the track dominated the media with its biting lyrics and tongue-in-cheek music video. He is among one of the most awarded rap artists at the Grammys, with 57 nominations and 22 wins. 2025 will prove a big year for Lamar, given that he is headlining the Super Bowl.

The 2025 Grammys were a celebration of new artists as well as forerunners in the industry

The 2025 Grammys were a celebration of new artists as well as forerunners in the industry. Chappell Roan took to the stage to perform queer anthem ‘Pink Pony Club’, complete with a huge pink pony. Roan took home the award for ‘Best New Artist’ in recognition of her staggering growth and incredible success of her debut album The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess. Roan used her acceptance speech to call on record labels to financially support new artists by offering liveable wages and healthcare. She mentioned her own experience of being dropped by her label in 2020 and struggling to afford health insurance. Roan directly addressed record labels by asking, “We got you, but do you got us?”, which garnered a standing ovation from the audience, reflecting Roan’s enduring commitment to standing up against the problems of the industry.

Sabrina Carpenter took home two awards for ‘Best Pop Vocal Album’ and ‘Best Pop Solo Performance’ in recognition of her dominance over the pop genre in the past year. Her comedic renditions of hit singles ‘Espresso’ and ‘Please Please Please’ on the Grammys stage cement her notability as a performer.

Speaking of live performances, one artist who brought their energy to the stage was Doechii. This rising figure in the hip-hop/rap scene stunned audiences with her performances of ‘Catfish’ and ‘Denial is a River’. She took home the award for Best Rap Album for her celebrated Alligator Bites Never Heal, becoming the third woman to win in this category since its inception in 1989. This album draws on growing up in Florida, rap influences, and her personal experiences of spirituality and mental health issues, and the well-deserved win recognises her position within the rap scene.

The cultural impact of brat is undeniable, given the success of the various iterations and remixes of the album

Despite losing out on ‘Album of the Year’, Charli XCX was awarded three Grammys in recognition of her chart-topping dance-pop album, brat. The cultural impact of brat is undeniable, given the success of the various iterations and remixes of the album, as well as the coining of the term ‘Brat Summer’. She closed out the show with performances of ‘Von Dutch’ and ‘Guess’, bringing the club scene to the Grammys stage.

The 2025 Grammys were a celebration of music, rewarding the achievements of new artists as well as industry giants. It generated media attention, both in the awards themselves and the events of the night, while also representing how music can bring people together in response to tragedy by greatly contributing to the LA fundraising efforts.