The 2025 Grammy Awards hit the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Feb. 2, in the wake of devastating wildfires that wiped out thousands of homes and racked up over $250 billion in damage across Southern California.
The night was electric with a spirit of hope and recovery. More than just an awards show, it turned into a love letter to LA. Fans could chip in through a QR code displayed on screen, and host Trevor Noah announced they’d pulled in $7 million for wildfire relief during the show.
That’s definitely something to celebrate. And speaking of celebrations – the awards themselves brought the heat. Two major storylines had everyone buzzing: Would the Recording Academy embrace Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” – his no-holds-barred takedown of Drake? And could Beyoncé finally snag that elusive Album of the Year trophy, despite already being the most decorated Grammy artist ever?
Well, the Grammys came through. Both artists dominated the night, even with powerhouses like Billie Eilish, Taylor Swift, Charli XCX, Chappell Roan, and Sabrina Carpenter in the running.
Sure, we had some minor gripes, but this Grammy show mostly hit all the right notes. Let’s break down the wins, fails, and jaw-droppers from the 2025 ceremony.
What Worked
Beyoncé Gets Her Crown: Album of the Year at Last
Last year, Jay-Z called out the Grammys for making his wife Beyoncé – the most decorated Grammy artist ever – wait forever for their biggest prize: Album of the Year. Get this – out of the four major Grammy categories (Album of the Year, Song of the Year, Record of the Year, and Best New Artist), Bey had only grabbed one: Song of the Year for “Single Ladies” back in 2010.
After Jay put them on blast, and Bey dropped Cowboy Carter – a mind-blowing album that shatters genre boundaries – the voters finally had to give her her flowers.
Queen Bey finally got that Album of the Year Grammy, and it’s about time, especially considering she’s now hit 99 career nominations (snagging 11 nods this year alone and taking home three wins). Real talk – she probably should’ve won this every time she dropped an album.
When she hit the stage, she gave props to country pioneer Linda Martell, who appears on Cowboy Carter, saying:
“I want to dedicate this to Ms. Martell. I hope we just keep pushing forward, opening doors.” —Dimas Sanfiorenzo
TDE had a massive night with Kendrick, SZA, and Doechii all bagging Grammys. But Doechii really stole the show – this was her true arrival as a superstar. While other Best New Artist nominees Sabrina Carpenter and Chappell Roan shined bright, Doechii’s light hit different.
She grabbed her first Grammy for Best Rap Album with Alligator Bites Never Heal, becoming just the third female artist to snag this award. The trophy came straight from Cardi B, the last woman to win it. And she did it in a crazy stacked category, beating out big names like Future & Metro Boomin, J. Cole, and Eminem.
Her acceptance speech had everyone in their feels. Through tears, she dropped this gem:
“I know that there is some black girl out there…and I want to tell you that you can do it. Anything is possible. Don’t allow anybody to project any stereotypes onto you. You are exactly who you need to be to be right where you are, and I am a testimony.”
Then she killed it on stage with “Catfish” and “Denial Is a River.” Even though Roan took Best New Artist, winning the rap category was the perfect cherry on top of her insane six-month run since dropping Alligator Bites Never Heal.
As if that wasn’t enough, she dropped a fresh track “Nosebleeds” right after the show. The wildest part? She hasn’t even dropped her official debut album yet – just imagine what’s coming next. —Jordan Rose
The Weeknd Makes Peace with Grammy Drama, Teams Up with Carti for Epic Return
Remember when The Weeknd went off on the Grammys in 2020? He called them “corrupt” after they completely snubbed his mega-hit After Hours, and swore he was done with the whole thing – even telling his label to stop submitting his music.
Now look at him – The Weeknd’s back on the Grammy stage for the first time since 2017, and he didn’t come alone. He brought Playboi Carti out to perform “Timeless” (these two are about to hit the road together promoting The Weeknd’s new album Hurry Up Tomorrow.) Their performance was straight fire – giving us one of those rare, truly shocking Grammy moments that actually had our jaws on the floor. —Jordan Rose
Kendrick’s Drake Diss “Not Like Us” Enters Grammy History
“Somebody get the broom out.”
It’s set in stone now. No debate needed. Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” just claimed its spot as hip-hop’s most lethal diss track ever. Not only did it land heavy hits on a rap legend, but it’s now the most awarded rap song we’ve seen. “Not Like Us” didn’t just win – it swept the board, five for five.
Mustard hit the stage early to grab Best Music Video, Best Rap Song, and Best Rap Performance. Then K-Dot rolled in fashionably late to scoop up Song of the Year and Record of the Year.
Rocking all denim – which some fans think was a shot at Drake – Kendrick didn’t even mention the beef. Instead, he kept it real about what matters most to him: his hood and LA.
When he grabbed Song of the Year, he showed major love to his Compton roots, big-upping his TDE family and underground LA rap heroes like Problem, Bad Lucc, Glasses Malone, and the crew. He wrapped it up with these words: “Nothing more powerful than rap music.”
“Not Like Us” isn’t just one of hip-hop’s deadliest disses anymore – it’s now got more Grammys than any rap track ever. Wild considering this is the same song with that brutal chant calling Drake a “pedophile.”
The craziest part? Every time the track played, the crowd went nuts singing along. Ice cold. —Dimas Sanfiorenzo
What Flopped
Too Many Awards Got the Boot from TV
A four-hour show and we only got to see nine awards handed out on TV.
Look, nobody’s asking to air all 90+ categories, but nine is kinda weak for such a marathon broadcast. Instead, we got hit with performance after performance until they started blending together.
Showing more award presentations would’ve let viewers catch a wider range of artists in action. Sure, the Grammys picked some solid moments to air – like Chappell Roan, Sabrina Carpenter, and Doechii’s wins – but fans missed out on so much talent with this tiny selection.
Just think about who we didn’t get to see accepting their awards: Tems, SZA, NxWorries, Charli XCX… and that’s just scratching the surface. —Dimas Sanfiorenzo
Trevor Noah Needs to Pass the Grammy Torch
Trevor Noah’s been running the Grammy show for five straight years, and while he hasn’t dropped the ball, maybe it’s time for some fresh blood.
Sure, Noah played it safe tonight – probably smart given everything going on. But being a solid host isn’t about stirring up drama; it’s about having that smooth confidence. Problem is, his bits felt rushed and scattered. Plus, his opening monologue was straight-up awkward – not a single joke hit right.
Feels like the Grammys could use a shake-up in the host department. Hey, anybody know what LL Cool J’s schedule looks like? —Dimas Sanfiorenzo
What Left Us Speechless
That Bizarre Quincy Jones Tribute Had Us Lost
Paying tribute to Quincy Jones is no easy task. How do you pack decades of genre-bending genius into just 10 minutes?
The Grammys pulled out all the stops, bringing in the heavy hitters: Will Smith kicked it off, followed by powerhouse performances from Cynthia Erivo, Herbie Hancock, Stevie Wonder, and Janelle Monáe.
But something just didn’t click. Like, the pieces were all there – especially Monáe, who brought the heat with her take on “Billie Jean” – but the whole thing felt off. What should’ve been epic turned into a lengthy, uneven tribute that had us checking our watches. —Dimas Sanfiorenzo
Stars Make Bold Political Statements Without Dropping Trump’s Name
The Grammys got pretty political this time around. Chappell Roan came out swinging, demanding record labels step up with health insurance for artists; Trevor Noah tackled immigration issues; Lady Gaga showed major love to the trans community, reminding them they matter; and Alicia Keys went hard about keeping DEI alive.
Here’s the wild part – all these issues are exactly what the Trump administration’s been targeting. But nobody dropped his name once, which kinda took some of the punch out of these messages. —Dimas Sanfiorenzo
