“Good evening, and welcome to the 67th Annual Grammy Awards,” comedian and host Trevor Noah said opening 2025’s biggest night in music. Just hours later, the industry’s biggest names walked away with gold awards in hand – some no stranger to the Grammys, like Beyoncé and Kendrick Lamar, and some new to the game, like Chappell Roan and Sabrina Carpenter.
A performance by Dawes, including John Legend, Sheryl Crow, Brad Paisley, Brittany Howard and St. Vincent set the show in motion, as “We heart LA” reads on the screen in the background, alongside clips of the city’s firefighters. The sympathetic tone remained throughout the night, in many acceptance speeches, performances and tributes.
Noah continued his speech with mentions of nominees like Beyoncé, Taylor Swift and Chappell Roan, sparking anticipation for the night ahead. He carried into Billie Eilish’s performance of song of the year nominee, “Birds of a Feather.” In her usual fashion, her brother Finneas was by her side, strumming an acoustic guitar.
One of the most talked about names of the year, whether for her music and tour or trendsetting blowout and curtain bangs, Sabrina Carpenter then took the stage. She stunned in a hemmed black suit, which she ripped off mid-performance to reveal an also dazzling blue bodysuit. Her performance, a theatrical one with scripted malfunctions and a showgirl dance routine, featured a medley of her 2024 hits “Espresso” and “Please Please Please.”
The first award of the televised show, best rap album, was awarded to Florida-native Doechii, making history as the third woman to ever win in this category.
While tearing up, she told her fans, “anything is possible.” She was also nominated for best new artist, and later delivered an exciting performance of “Catfish” and “Denial is a River.”
“Espresso” was the song of the summer. It’s only natural that “Short n’ Sweet” became the pop vocal album of the year. As Sabrina Carpenter’s sixth studio album and her first Grammy-winning release, the record is a skipless piece of pop-perfection.
This award could have just as easily been granted to Chappell Roan for “The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess,” which has accumulated over 1 billion streams on Spotify. Chappell did go on to receive credit from The Recording Academy, however. She made her debut to the Grammys stage with a circus-themed “Pink Pony Club” performance, brimming with high-energy, accompanied by her iconic hair and vocal flips.
She received the award for best new artist, an earned feat. In her victory speech, she brought attention to a matter racking the music industry.
She demands that record labels should “offer a livable wage and health care, especially to developing artists.” Roan said. “Labels, we got you, but do you got us?”
This category was a nail-biter, as every artist nominated made significant impacts on the radio and across streaming platforms in the past year. The list included Benson Boone, Shaboozey and Teddy Swims– who all performed nearly back-to-back earlier, familiarizing the audience with their artistry before the big reveal.
Kendrick Lamar was another notable name of the night, beating out songs like “Texas Hold ‘Em” and “Good Luck, Babe!” for both song and record of the year, two voting-based categories. This stunned many, including University of Miami freshman Daniella Vega who thought, “either Bruno Mars and Gaga or Chappell [were] going to win.”
Prior to this year’s show, Beyoncé had 32 Grammy awards to her name, setting the record for the most wins. On February 2, she added to the record, taking the trophies home for Best Country Album and Album of the Year, for “Cowboy Carter.”
This prestigious win doesn’t come without controversy, however, with many believing the honor should have gone to someone else. UM student Pearl Amromin believes, “Beyoncé did not need that many wins.” She felt artists like Billie Eilish were “snubbed,” as Eilish’s new album, “Hit Me Hard and Soft” was a chart-topping, record-breaking success.
Timeless hitmakers Bruno Mars and Lady Gaga were among the catalog of performers — but they didn’t perform their Grammy-winning “Die with a Smile” as many may have thought. Instead, they serenaded the arena with a cover of “California Dreamin’” by The Mamas and The Papas. Their voices reunited in support of the California wildfire relief effort.
Other performances included a golden-dressed, best Latin pop album-winning Shakira with “Ojos Asi” and “Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53” and Charlie XCX with “Von dutch” and “Guess” off of her best electronic album winner, “brat.”
New songs were even promoted, such as The Weeknd with a flickering-redlit live performance of “Cry for Me” and “Timeless.” His surprise performance marked his return to the Grammys for the first time in four years, following his boycott. Lady Gaga, meanwhile, premiered “Abracadabra” with its music video, an electro-pop song that draws similarity to her early work like “Bad Romance” and “Poker Face.”
Towards the end of the night, artists who recently passed away were acknowledged. Will Smith led the honor for Quincy Jones, as Stevie Wonder, Herbie Hancock, Cynthia Ervivio, Lainey Wilson and Jacob Collier contributed their musical talents to the memorial. In honor of Liam Payne, former One Direction member, Chris Martin of Coldplay crooned a heartfelt rendition of “All My Love.”
Before nominees were even announced, everyone knew the 2025 Grammys would be high-staked, with every category riddled with big names and collective talent. Though not everyone could win on Feb. 2, the 67th Annual Grammy Awards was a night to remember.
