As January transitions to February, the Grammys come to bring recognition to the year’s biggest names in music. The ceremony is about more than just the winners; it’s a spectacle of celebrity outfits, flashy performances, memorable speeches and guest appearances, all to capture the public’s attention, building anticipation for the latest group of musicians to get the appraisal they deserve. While I personally don’t hold the outcomes of the Grammys in high regard due to a frequent disconnect between the audiences and critics, it’s hard to deny the sensationalism and grandiosity of a ceremony celebrating new music. And this year’s Grammys, to my surprise, brought some well- deserved wins to balance out the usually disappointing losses and brief moments of controversy.
Sabrina Carpenter’s hard work finally paid off at this year’s Grammys, with her gaining recognition that she’s been on a path towards for almost a decade. After her debut record in 2015, Carpenter has transformed from a young Disney channel star to a leading figure in the pop industry. For this year’s ceremony, Carpenter won “Best Pop Solo Performance” for her hit single “Espresso”, and in the “Best Pop Vocal Album” for the album Short ‘n’ Sweet. Despite some critics claiming her sound lacks originality, there’s no denying her talents as a vocalist that, when coupled with her signature hooks and melodies, are guaranteed to make her songs stick with you. The mix of sweet and sensual tones from her latest outing have only further cemented Carpenter as a figure to keep an eye on. Her performance at the Grammys reflected this, with her stage presence and dazzling outfit adding to the evening’s allure.
With these wins comes some disappointment from both myself and other listeners. Billie Eilish’s latest album Hit Me Hard and Soft and its standout single Birds Of A Feather were among the most anticipated releases of the year. Unfortunately, despite seven nominations, Eilish left the ceremony without a single win. For me and many other fans, this album was a project that I felt contained some of her best work, in my opinion even surpassing her previous album Happier Than Ever. Perhaps the numerous accolades Eilish has garnered from years past for her other releases warrant her snubbing in the awards ceremony, but I felt that her work from the last year deserved at least one win from the seven nominations she was chosen for. Still, her performance of “Birds Of A Feather”, which I consider to be one of her best singles, showcased her delicate vocal delivery and hypnotic melodies, ensuring that her presence was felt throughout the night.
In better news, Chappell Roan was the recipient for the award of “Best New Artist” of last year. Don’t let the win fool you, though; she’s been working towards this moment since 2017 with singles like “Good Hurt” and “Bitter”. It wasn’t until 2023 that she began to reach nationwide success with her album The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess and singles such as “Hot to Go!” and “Good Luck, Babe!” Her infectious, enthusiastic pop sensibilities mixed with her unapologetically queer lyrics have managed to set her apart as an energetic new face in today’s pop world. Hopefully her dominating presence last year marks the start of an expansive new era for Chappell Roans. Her resilience was shown not only through her performance of the single “Pink Pony Club”, but also through her speech that called for livable wages and healthcare for artists. Although this was not without criticism, her commitment to raising awareness and her willingness to assist smaller artists has earned her plenty of goodwill, ensuring that she has no shortage of supporters.
With the cultural impact Charli XCX’s brat album made last year, it’s no surprise that she was in the running for several awards to take home. Though some listeners argue that the phenomenon surrounding brat’s popularity lasted too long for comfort, there’s no denying that the British pop star’s creative fusion of hyperpop, club music, electronica and indie sleaze made for one of the biggest music crazes in a career already full of iconic moments. Out of the eight categories she was nominated for, Charli XCX ended up winning three; “Best Dance Pop Recording”, “Best Dance/Electronic Album”, and “Best Recording Package”. Along with these, she was one of many artists in the roster for the night’s guest performances. Her performance of the singles “Von dutch” and “Guess” were as tantalizing, and culminated in an all out dance segment with numerous friends and collaborators such as The Dare and A.G. Cook.
Doechii’s rise from semi-obscurity to one of hip-hop’s brightest new stars was solidified at the 2025 Grammys with a win for “Best Rap Album” for her mixtape Alligator Bites Never Heal. Fusing old school boom bap hip-hop with modern production, her charisma and powerful lyricism earned her three nominations. Her win was a well-deserved victory, placing her as the third woman to ever claim “Best Rap Album”, and her performance of “Catfish” and “Denial Is A River” was unforgettable. With her mix of humor, unabashed sexuality and electrifying energy Doechii is poised to become a force in hip-hop to be reckoned with.
Even without the help of his own performance that night, Kendrick Lamar still dominated the awards ceremony with seven nominations. The unexpected release of his album GNX, proved that even almost ten years after what many people considered his best project, Lamar has quite a few surprises left for audiences with his wits as sharp as ever. From the seven nominations, he won a staggering five of them for “Best Rap Song”, “Best Music Video”, “Best Rap Performance”, “Song of the Year” and even the high award of “Record of the Year”. The roar of the audience shouting “A minor” as “Not Like Us” played is proof enough that Kendrick has firmly asserted his place in current pop culture as well as contemporary music history.
This year’s Grammys were a historic night for pop star extraordinaire, Beyoncé who was nominated for eleven awards, winning “Album of the Year” for Cowboy Carter—her first win in the category after a career spanning decades.. Additionally, her win for “Best Country Album” made her the first black woman to have ever won in that category. Adding that to her victory for “Best Country Duo/Group Performance” with Miley Cyrus on the song “II Most Wanted”, the night truly cemented Beyoncé’s talent and versatility as an artist. Of course, both these decisions were lambasted by fans of other artists here and there, particularly in her winning the “Best Country Album”. Regardless, her boldness to take her sound in a new direction with unexpected aesthetics stands as a testament to her ability to innovate for the last few decades of popular music.
Despite some surprises and disappointments, this year’s Grammys were filled with deserving winners. Artists like Sabrina Carpenter and Doechii received the recognition they’ve worked for, and established legends like Beyoncé and Kendrick Lamar showed that they still have plenty of fire left in their careers. Of course, the lack of wins for Billie Eilish and Taylor Swift, despite their many nominations was certainly a letdown for fans, and controversial moments like Chris Brown’s win for “Best R&B Album” along with Kanye West’s appearance with his wife Bianca Censori raised some eyebrows. Still, this year’s Grammys left me and many other audience members in a state of optimism for the future of music. Whether or not the Grammys will be as spot on in its doling out of awards in the future as it was this year is an entirely different matter. But for now, the history made at the 2025 Grammys ensures that the event will continue buzzing around in our minds for weeks, or months to come.
