After a huge year of new releases and rising artists, music lovers welcomed “music’s biggest night” this Sunday for the 67th-annual Grammy Awards. -- Kayla Katona
Known to music fans worldwide as “music’s biggest night,” the 2025 Grammys was one for the books. The 67th Grammy Awards helped to celebrate and recognize artists after a year filled with new music and new artists rising to the top. Trevor Noah returned to host the awards show for a night of performances, speeches, and entertainment. The Grammys helped to show their love for Los Angeles along with controversy that people will talk about for years.
Love Showed for LA
This year’s Grammys were held in honor of the wildfires in Los Angeles. These wildfires devastated the city, but artists helped to show their support and love for the city. During the show, Noah helped to direct viewers to a QR code that they could scan to help donate money to charities. Billie Eilish, Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars, and a group consisting of Dawes, Sheryl Crow, Brad Paisley, John Legend, Brittany Howard, and St. Vincent all took the stage to perform and show their support for all of the victims of the LA wildfires. However, many music fans were also a bit disappointed in this year’s Grammys. There was quite a bit of controversy this year regarding who was awarded a Grammy, as well as some of the outfits worn on the red carpet.
Finally! (Or Not)
The most awaited award every year is the “Album of the Year” award, which is given at the end of every Grammys. This year, Beyoncé finally won for her album COWBOY CARTER. Beyoncé has been previously nominated four other times for Album of the Year, but this year was finally her year, as some may say. However, the controversy starts here. After asking other students around the school, I found that many of them had never listened to Beyoncé’s album or even heard of it until now. Many people feel as though some of the other nominees deserved this award more than she did. The other nominees for this category included New Blue Sun by André 3000, Short n’ Sweet by Sabrina Carpenter, BRAT by Charli xcx, Djesse Vol. 4 by Jacob Collier, and HIT ME HARD AND SOFT by Billie Eilish.
Beyoncé Controversy Continues
Continuing the controversy, Beyoncé went on to win Best Country Album as well. As someone who enjoys country music, I was surprised to hear that Beyoncé won this award. She’s talented, no doubt about that. However, most people know her for writing more pop than anything else. Many artists have been transitioning to country, such as Post Malone, so it makes sense that other artists are branching out as well. The other nominees for this category included F-1 Trillion by Post Malone, Deeper Well by Kacey Musgraves, Higher by Chris Stapleton, and Whirlwind by Lainey Wilson.
Kendrick Lamar's Huge Win
Moving on from Beyoncé, let's talk about the rap portion of the night. The artist who won the most awards from the 67th Grammys was none other than Kendrick Lamar. Lamar is going to have a very successful February; won five Grammys and is going to perform at the Super bowl LIX Halftime Show with SZA. Kendrick’s 5 Grammy Awards were all for his diss track against Drake after their heated, long-standing feud. Not Like Us won Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Best Music Video, Best Rap Song, and Best Rap Performance. Many critics believe that Kendrick Lamar is the winner of this dispute, CNN writer Lisa Respers France stating “[a]fter the court of public opinion gave him a decisive win in his spring rap feud with Drake, a Super Bowl halftime performance days away and an upcoming tour, Lamar is on a dominant winning streak.” In just one night, Kendrick won as many Grammys as Drake has in his entire career. I think it’s pretty clear who has won this battle.
Many Other Winners
There were many other notable winners at the Grammys as well. Sabrina Carpenter won Best Pop Solo Performance for Espresso and Best Pop Vocal Album for Short n’ Sweet. Charli xcx won three Grammys; Best Dance Pop Performance for Von dutch, Best Dance/Electronic Album for BRAT, and Best Recording Package for BRAT. Doechii was the third female rapper to ever win Best Rap Album for her album Alligator Bites Never Heal. Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars won Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for their hit Die With a Smile, and Chappel Roan won Best New Artist. Additionally, The Weeknd made a surprise appearance at the Grammys after he had boycotted the ceremony for years.
Billie Eilish and Taylor Swift Snubbed?
Another major controversy that occurred this year at the Grammys was the fact that Billie Eilish and Taylor Swift did not win in any category for the first time in three years. Fans of each artist were surprised, shocked, and confused. Billie Eilish’s song, BIRDS OF A FEATHER, was the most streamed song on Spotify in 2024, leading many to wonder how she didn’t win a single Grammy. However, the two were seen being supportive and happy for their fellow artists. Taylor Swift had the honor of presenting Beyoncé with the Best Country Album Grammy, and Eilish had the chance to perform BIRDS OF A FEATHER early on in the evening to show support for her hometown of LA.
Questionable Fashion Statement
This brings us to the last piece of controversy that I am sure many of you have already heard about: Kanye West and his wife. West was there for his song Carnival, which was nominated for Best Rap Song. This was a rare public appearance for Kanye West due to previous years of assault allegations, lawsuits, and discriminatory online rants. New information tells us that West and his wife did not have seats reserved for them inside the ceremony, which leaves many confused as to why the couple walked the red carpet in the first place. They are seen walking the red carpet, posing, then walking back to their car and driving off. The piece of controversy that comes from this couple is what his wife, Bianca Censori, was revealed to be wearing. When they first walked onto the red carpet, Censori was seen wearing a long fur coat before she took it off to reveal a see-through dress, with no undergarments. Jaws dropped as the couple posed. She was completely nude, showing off for the cameras. You can see why their appearance at the Grammys was so controversial. Some shrug it off as just another Kanye West antic, but others are outraged.
Wrapping It Up
The Grammys are always a memorable night for music artists, bands, writers, and fans alike. It helps to acknowledge all of the talented and unique people we have in our world and award them for their hard work and effort. While some people love the Grammys, others strongly dislike them, which leads to the controversy that pops up every year. Some people may think that others are more deserving of an award or are content with those who win, but ultimately, it all comes down to your own opinion. This next year is bound to be a memorable year for music, so all we can do is wait and see what the music industry will provide us with.
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