The 2025 Grammy Awards brought together the biggest names in music, celebrating talent across every genre with memorable performances, well-deserved wins and a few unexpected surprises that have everyone talking. From breathtaking stage shows to heartfelt speeches, Feb. 2 was the night to honor everyone involved in the industry and those who lost everything to the recent fires in Los Angeles.
The night opened up with Trevor Noah, hosting for the fourth consecutive year, addressing the devastating fires in Los Angeles. From the beginning, it was clear that this year’s ceremony was dedicated to the city’s recovery. Throughout the Crypto Arena, QR codes were spread around, leading attendees to donation links for MusiCares, a fire relief organization.
Throughout the three-hour-and-45-minute show, more than 25 musicians performed, but only nine out of the 94 categories were broadcast.
Billie Eilish returned to the stage singing “Birds of a Feather” alongside her brother Finneas. In true Billie Eilish fashion, she showed up to one of the most prestigious events in her signature look– oversized pants and a shirt. Her performance was a good icebreaker into the night, as she really showed off her vocals.
The next star needed no introduction–Sabrina Carpenter. This was her year, and she did not disappoint. Carpenter was nominated for what is known as the four big categories: Album of the Year, Record of the Year, Song of the Year and Best New Artist. She opened up by singing “Espresso” and then transitioned into “Please Please Please.” While her performance was very well choreographed, she seemed to prioritize humor, cracking jokes throughout her set. It was a little odd that she was more focused on getting laughs than singing, but overall it was still an outstanding job by her and her team.
The first award of the night, presented by Cardi B, was Best Rap Album. Doechii took home the trophy for her album “Alligator Bites Never Heal.” She became the third woman to win this alongside Lauryn Hill and Cardi B.
Members of the Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Anthony Kiedis and Chad Smith, presented the award for Best Pop Vocal Album. Before announcing the winner, the duo sang their iconic song, “Under the Bridge,” a heartfelt tribute to L.A., which was a very touching moment to those in the audience and watching at home. The night was made even more special when Carpenter was announced the winner and accepted her award. The crowd was filled with joy, especially Taylor Swift, as it was Carpenter’s first live Grammy win–though she had previously taken home an award during the pre-show.
Olivia Rodrigo introduced the next performer, her close friend Chappel Roan, who had an incredible year with six Grammy nominations, sold-out concerts and had one of the biggest festival crowds in history, 110,000 people. Roan’s first-ever Grammy debut performance opened with her on a plastic, somewhat eerie horse singing her hit, “Pink Pony Club.” Her extravagant eye makeup and playful personality shone through. The production of her set was remarkable, it was the definition of a performance, with lots of cowboy clowns, dancing, and, of course, her vocals that got the crowd up and moving. The crowd, while usually reserved at the Grammys, came alive, and Roan’s performance definitely got the energy up.
The Grammy spotlight then shifted to the Best Country Album category, introduced by Taylor Swift. This was the only time of the evening that she was on the stage, because, out of the six categories that she was nominated for, she didn’t pick up a Grammy, which was very sad for all of the Swifties. Her brief, sweet speech reflected on the time she won Best Country Album years ago, and the award went to Beyoncé for “Cowboy Carter,” her first live Grammy win of the night. In the pre-show, Miley Cyrus and Beyoncé won the category Best Country Duo, for their song “II Most Wanted,” featured on “Cowboy Carter.” Beyoncé was in absolute shock, but she expressed immense gratitude for the award. So far, this has been one of the most controversial moments of the evening since many people think that her album was not country and did not deserve the award.
One of the most unexpected and thrilling moments came when Trevor Noah walked into the crowd introducing artists who would soon take the stage. Noah highlighted Raye, Shaboozey, Doechii, Teddy Swims and Benson Boone before Boone transitioned seamlessly into a stunning performance of his infamous song “Beautiful Things.” The performance felt like a VMA repeat, with Boone performing almost identical to his VMA set, with the only difference being that his jumpsuit was a different shade of blue. Overall though, Boone knows how to work the crowd and was able to stun everyone with his outstanding backflips while also holding his notes. Then, the cameras moved into the crowd and Doechii emerged, capturing the audience’s attention with her very chaotic show but definitely the most well-choreographed performance of the evening. Teddy Swims then took over with his huge hit, “Lose Control.” Swims maybe sang for a minute before all of a sudden the real party showed up with Shaboozey singing his smash song, “Tipsy.” First of all, his stylist needs a raise because his suit was superior. The crowd was on a whole other level once he sang his first note. Additionally, everyone was on their feet dancing and singing, which just proves how big of a hit he created. Throughout the performance, he was just smiling and having a blast, likely because this was his, “I made it” moment. To end the ongoing, back-to-back performances, Raye sang for the first time at the Grammys. She was a phenomenal singer and somehow held a note for what seemed to be one full minute.
As the show continued, the tension mounted for the four major categories. First up was Best New Artist, introduced by last year’s winner Victoria Monet. All of the new artists had already performed, making this category feel especially fresh. The winner was Chappel Roan, who made an unforgettable entrance with a giant hat and gave a powerful speech about the struggles young artists face, particularly around the lack of health insurance and support from labels. Her statement, “Labels, we got you, but do you got us?” resonated with the audience, earning her a standing ovation from her fellow musicians.
Harvey Mason Jr., CEO of the Recording Academy, addressed the ongoing criticism of the Grammys, notably from The Weekend. Due to the problems that the Grammys have caused, Mason wanted to change the way the Grammys operated, by hiring more members, adding more categories and changing the motives of the event. To address this, Mason introduced The Weekend for a performance, a moment fans never thought would happen again due to past controversies.
Jennifer Lopez, attending newly divorced, introduced the Best Latin Pop Album category, which was won by Shakira for “Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran.” Later, Shakira performed a few tracks from the album, adding a lively Latin dance to the night.
One of the most anticipated categories, Best Pop Duo/Group Performance, was presented by SZA and awarded to Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars with their chart-topping hit, “Die With a Smile.” Earlier in the evening, they performed a special collaboration to raise money for fire relief in Los Angeles.
Chris Martin and Grace Bowers later presented a tribute to all of the individuals part of the industry who passed away this year. There were not many dry eyes in the audience since the music industry can almost be described as one extremely big family and everyone had connections to those who are not here anymore.
After this sad moment, the mood lightened up as Miley Cyrus was welcomed to the stage to present Record of the Year. Last year, Cyrus won this award for “Flowers,” one of the world’s biggest songs. Cyrus awarded the Grammy to Kendrick Lamar for his song, “Not Like Us.” In addition to this award, Lamar won four others with the same song. Lamar had a great year with the release of his latest album, which led to him being invited to perform at the Super Bowl next weekend, Feb. 9.
Queen Latifah presented the Dr. Dre Global Impact Award to Alicia Keys, who reflected on her legacy with a touching speech before Diana Ross presented the final award of the night– Song of the Year, which also went to Kendrick Lamar for “Not Like Us.”
For the last performance of the night, Charlie XCX made her Grammy debut with a bold set that got the crowd riled up, setting the stage for the most anticipated award–Album of the Year.
The award was presented by the Los Angeles Fire Department, who gave a heartfelt speech about the fires. After a tense build-up, Beyoncé was announced as the winner of her album “Cowboy Carter.” Beyoncé officially won her first-ever Album of the Year award after years and years of working hard for it. The crowd erupted as Beyoncé, overwhelmed with emotion, made history in what was an unforgettable conclusion to a remarkable night.
As the night came to a close, the 2025 Grammy Awards proved to be an unforgettable celebration of music, resilience and the power of the L.A. community. From the heartfelt tributes to the outstanding performances, it was clear that this year’s ceremony was more than just a night of awards, it was a reminder of the impact that music has on people’s lives, both within the industry and beyond.
