The narrative of the night belonged to Nicki Minaj . After years of public feuds with the Recording Academy and multiple snubs, she finally won her first competitive Grammy: Best Rap Album for Pink Friday 3 . But the shock came earlier: Best Rap Song went to Central Cee & Dave for “Sprinter,” marking the first time a UK drill track won a major US rap category. The performance featured a rotating stage built to look like a London Underground carriage.
Later, (presenting Best Spoken Word Album) wore a suit covered in names of journalists detained abroad, urging the industry to “pay attention to the First Amendment,” a moment that split the room between enthusiastic applause and awkward silence. Technical Issues and Triumphs The broadcast ran 22 minutes over its scheduled runtime (a Grammy tradition). However, new producer Jesse Collins introduced a “silent disco” recovery segment during the final commercial break, allowing the audience to dance while producers fixed a teleprompter glitch during the Album of the Year presentation. The 67th Annual Grammy Awards -2025-2025
In an era of 15-second attention spans, the Grammys chose complexity. They chose the weird, the vulnerable, and the patient. And for one night in Los Angeles, that gamble paid off in gold. The narrative of the night belonged to Nicki Minaj
It was a stunning victory for the alt-pop poet, who had been nominated seventeen times prior without a win in this category. The track, a seven-minute odyssey that shifts from doo-wop balladry to glitch-hop breakdown, was hailed by the Academy for its structural audacity. Del Rey, visibly shaking, thanked her producer Jack Antonoff and “every woman who has ever been told she is too much.” Album of the Year went to SZA’s Lana (her sophomore major-label outing, following the SOS deluxe era). In a year dominated by country-pop crossover (Kacey Musgraves’ Deeper Well ), rock revival (The Rolling Stones’ Hackney Diamonds ), and dance (Beyoncé’s Renaissance: Act II ), Lana won for its raw vulnerability and genre-fluid production. SZA used her acceptance speech to advocate for mental health in the industry, revealing she had nearly canceled her tour due to anxiety. “This is for the scared kids in the back of the classroom,” she said, clutching her gramophone. Song of the Year: The Songwriter’s Prize The Song of the Year trophy (awarded to songwriters) went to Billie Eilish for “What Was I Made For?” , though the song was technically released in 2023, its cultural tailwind stretched deep into 2024 thanks to its use in Barbie ’s home video release and a viral orchestral rendition at the Paris Olympics. Eilish and her brother Finneas accepted gracefully, noting that this was their third win in the category, tying a record set by Paul McCartney and Lionel Richie. Best New Artist: The Breakout The most competitive category of the night, Best New Artist , resulted in a victory for the British R&B sensation RAYE . After a decade of writing hits for others, RAYE’s independent debut, My 21st Century Blues , made her a critical darling. She beat out stiff competition from country prodigy Zach Bryan, Indonesian pop star Nadin Amizah, and viral sensation Benson Boone. Her performance of “Escapism” later that night—a swirling, chaotic masterpiece with a 12-piece brass section and interpretive dancers—earned the evening’s only standing ovation that lasted the entire duration of the bleeped-out chorus. The Genre Highlights: Rock, Rap, and Country Rock Field: In a move that pleased purists, The Rolling Stones won Best Rock Album for Hackney Diamonds . At 81, Mick Jagger performed a high-octane version of “Angry” with Lady Gaga, who stepped in for the late Tina Turner in a bluesy duet. It was a moment of intergenerational respect. Paramore took home Best Rock Song for “This Is Why,” cementing their post-hiatus return. The performance featured a rotating stage built to
In a controversial twist, the Best Country Solo Performance was awarded to Beyoncé for “Texas Hold ‘Em” (from Act II: Cowboy Carter ). The win was met with a mixture of cheers and audible boos inside the arena. Beyoncé did not attend the ceremony (she was reportedly working on the visual component of Act III ), but her creative director accepted, saying, “Genre is a code. And codes are meant to be broken.” In Memoriam: A Tearful Tribute to 2024’s Losses The In Memoriam segment of the 67th Grammys was devastatingly long. 2024 saw the passing of icons across every genre. Stevie Wonder led a medley of the songs of Toby Keith , who died in late 2024, while Annie Lennox performed a chilling, a cappella version of “Nothing Compares 2 U” for Sinéad O’Connor .
A messy, emotional, historic, and occasionally infuriating night. In other words, exactly what music needs right now. The 67th Annual Grammy Awards were broadcast live on CBS from the Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, on February 2, 2025. Proceeds from the night supported the MusiCares charity and the Recording Academy’s new “Future of Music” grant fund for independent venues.
The narrative of the night belonged to Nicki Minaj . After years of public feuds with the Recording Academy and multiple snubs, she finally won her first competitive Grammy: Best Rap Album for Pink Friday 3 . But the shock came earlier: Best Rap Song went to Central Cee & Dave for “Sprinter,” marking the first time a UK drill track won a major US rap category. The performance featured a rotating stage built to look like a London Underground carriage.
Later, (presenting Best Spoken Word Album) wore a suit covered in names of journalists detained abroad, urging the industry to “pay attention to the First Amendment,” a moment that split the room between enthusiastic applause and awkward silence. Technical Issues and Triumphs The broadcast ran 22 minutes over its scheduled runtime (a Grammy tradition). However, new producer Jesse Collins introduced a “silent disco” recovery segment during the final commercial break, allowing the audience to dance while producers fixed a teleprompter glitch during the Album of the Year presentation.
In an era of 15-second attention spans, the Grammys chose complexity. They chose the weird, the vulnerable, and the patient. And for one night in Los Angeles, that gamble paid off in gold.
It was a stunning victory for the alt-pop poet, who had been nominated seventeen times prior without a win in this category. The track, a seven-minute odyssey that shifts from doo-wop balladry to glitch-hop breakdown, was hailed by the Academy for its structural audacity. Del Rey, visibly shaking, thanked her producer Jack Antonoff and “every woman who has ever been told she is too much.” Album of the Year went to SZA’s Lana (her sophomore major-label outing, following the SOS deluxe era). In a year dominated by country-pop crossover (Kacey Musgraves’ Deeper Well ), rock revival (The Rolling Stones’ Hackney Diamonds ), and dance (Beyoncé’s Renaissance: Act II ), Lana won for its raw vulnerability and genre-fluid production. SZA used her acceptance speech to advocate for mental health in the industry, revealing she had nearly canceled her tour due to anxiety. “This is for the scared kids in the back of the classroom,” she said, clutching her gramophone. Song of the Year: The Songwriter’s Prize The Song of the Year trophy (awarded to songwriters) went to Billie Eilish for “What Was I Made For?” , though the song was technically released in 2023, its cultural tailwind stretched deep into 2024 thanks to its use in Barbie ’s home video release and a viral orchestral rendition at the Paris Olympics. Eilish and her brother Finneas accepted gracefully, noting that this was their third win in the category, tying a record set by Paul McCartney and Lionel Richie. Best New Artist: The Breakout The most competitive category of the night, Best New Artist , resulted in a victory for the British R&B sensation RAYE . After a decade of writing hits for others, RAYE’s independent debut, My 21st Century Blues , made her a critical darling. She beat out stiff competition from country prodigy Zach Bryan, Indonesian pop star Nadin Amizah, and viral sensation Benson Boone. Her performance of “Escapism” later that night—a swirling, chaotic masterpiece with a 12-piece brass section and interpretive dancers—earned the evening’s only standing ovation that lasted the entire duration of the bleeped-out chorus. The Genre Highlights: Rock, Rap, and Country Rock Field: In a move that pleased purists, The Rolling Stones won Best Rock Album for Hackney Diamonds . At 81, Mick Jagger performed a high-octane version of “Angry” with Lady Gaga, who stepped in for the late Tina Turner in a bluesy duet. It was a moment of intergenerational respect. Paramore took home Best Rock Song for “This Is Why,” cementing their post-hiatus return.
In a controversial twist, the Best Country Solo Performance was awarded to Beyoncé for “Texas Hold ‘Em” (from Act II: Cowboy Carter ). The win was met with a mixture of cheers and audible boos inside the arena. Beyoncé did not attend the ceremony (she was reportedly working on the visual component of Act III ), but her creative director accepted, saying, “Genre is a code. And codes are meant to be broken.” In Memoriam: A Tearful Tribute to 2024’s Losses The In Memoriam segment of the 67th Grammys was devastatingly long. 2024 saw the passing of icons across every genre. Stevie Wonder led a medley of the songs of Toby Keith , who died in late 2024, while Annie Lennox performed a chilling, a cappella version of “Nothing Compares 2 U” for Sinéad O’Connor .
A messy, emotional, historic, and occasionally infuriating night. In other words, exactly what music needs right now. The 67th Annual Grammy Awards were broadcast live on CBS from the Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, on February 2, 2025. Proceeds from the night supported the MusiCares charity and the Recording Academy’s new “Future of Music” grant fund for independent venues.