On February 2, musicians and music business professionals from across the nation gathered in Los Angeles to celebrate a year of groundbreaking records and performances. The Grammys, originally The Gramophone Awards, is the most prestigious music award show that started in 1958. The first show featured only twenty-eight categories, while in 2025, the sixty-seventh show, there were ninety-four.
One of the most impressive nominees was Kendrick Lamar for his song Not Like Us. This diss track of the rapper Drake gained popularity during the two’s feud in 2024. At Kendrick’s Super Bowl Halftime performance, he performed Not Like Us, among other songs, despite the risk of being sued. At the Grammys, Not Like Us was nominated in five different categories: Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Best Rap Performance, Best Rap Song, and Best Music Video. Kendrick won in a clean sweep, taking home the award in every category he was nominated for.
This year’s Grammys featured a multitude of female nominees across all categories. One of the most notable wins was Beyonce for her album, Cowboy Carter, which won Album of the Year. This win marked a historical moment, as Beyonce was the first black women to win this category in the 21st century, and only the fourth black women in history. Her win followed in the footsteps of Natalie Cole, Whitney Houston, and Lauryn Hill.
One of the most powerful categories was the nominees for best new artist. This category featured global powerhouses such as Sabrina Carpenter, Benson Boone, Doechii, and Chappell Roan. These artists all got the opportunity to perform, outdoing themselves with a slapstick throwback from Carpenter, front flips from Boone, synchronized dancing from Doechii, and a massive pink pony from Roan. Chappell Roan went home with the Grammy for Best New Artist, but some of the other nominees for this category did not go home empty handed. Sabrina Carpenter won Best Pop Solo Performance and Best Pop Vocal Album, and Doechii took home Best Rap Album, only the third woman in history to do so.
“I was excited to see Doechii perform at the Grammys, and I was excited that she won an award. I was surprised that Beyonce won Best Album of the Year. I didn’t even know she came out with a country album. I watched the show because I like to keep up with pop culture,” explained Isabelle Zapalowski (10).
This year, the Grammys collaborated with FireAid to raise funds for the devastating Palisades and other fires in California. During the week of the Grammys, a combined 125 million dollars were raised for relief efforts. The event had many surprises and important moments, and the 2025 Grammys once again showed the power and talent of the artists of America.
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