Grammys 2025: The five biggest talking points
The biggest awards ceremony in music has come to a close. Rather than the usual celebrity shenanigans and talk of snubs, this year’s Grammys were dominated by a sober reflection on the fires that have recently devastated the event’s home city of Los Angeles.
There was talk earlier in the year that the Grammys wouldn’t even go ahead. However, the music industry chose to come together in a show of support. “It’s not going to be a typical Grammy party atmosphere,” Harvey Mason Jr, the CEO of the Recording Academy, explained in advance.
“It’s not only ‘the show must go on’, but the show must provide a greater service. Of course, we’re going to honour the music, but our goal is to utilise music to make a difference,” he added. Setting the scene for the 67th edition to really reconcile its place in the world.
However, on the night, any notion of a sombre atmosphere was transcended by a sense of purpose and perseverance. There were tributes, calls for change, profound performances and even appearances by the Los Angeles Fire Department as the music industry did its best to bring light to a dark moment in Los Angeles’ history.
The five biggest talking points at the Grammys 2025:
Chappell Roan slams record labels
While Chappell Roan might now be one of the biggest stars in the world, cementing her rise by claiming the award for ‘Best New Artist’, up until recently, her fate was very different. In her speech, she spoke about the importance of record labels doing more to helpch artists. The pop performer who beat out the likes of Raye and Sabrina Carpenter in the category, spoke from experience about not being able to afford health insurance after being dropped during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Addressing the crowd, she commented, “I told myself if I ever won a Grammy and I got to stand up here in front of the most powerful people in music, I would demand that labels and the industry profiting millions of dollars off of artists would offer a livable wage, especially to developing artists.” This is something that she has brought attention to since her emergence, but espousing it on the biggest stage certainly raised a few eyebrows in the audience.
The Weeknd end Grammys boycott
One of the standout performers on the evening was The Weeknd. He was also the most unexpected, having previously boycotted the event. Lashing out after a perceived snub in 2021, he called the event “corrupt“ and vowed never to attend the ceremony or submit his music for award consideration. However, he brought a surprise end to that this year.
Recording Academy Chair Harvey Mason Jr. spoke at this year’s event about how the academy has taken steps to mitigate The Weeknd’s concerns. Clearly, the artist is satisfied, as he showed up to perform ‘Cry for Me’ with Playboi Carti from his new album Hurry Up Tomorrow. Once again, it was a move that seemed to highlight the fact that there are bigger things in Los Angeles right now than music, and the industry is pulling together to help in any way it can.
Charli xcx brings ‘Brat’ to the ceremony
2024 was a year dominated by the Brat sensation. Charli xcx and her bright green record became culture’s biggest talking point. So, it wasn’t all that unexpected that she played a big part at the Grammys. She turned the event into a temporary warehouse rave, beginning a short set with an amped-up version of the single, ‘Von Dutch’.
She followed that up with ‘Guest’ and had every star in attendance dancing. However, on the awards front, she was largely a runner-up. She missed out on the major categories she was nominated for, but still took home gongs for ‘Best Dance Pop Recording’ and ‘Best Dance / Electronic Music Album’. But it was Kendrick Lamar and Beyonce who took home ‘Record of the Year’ and ‘Album of the Year’ respectively.
Quincy Jones is remembered
There were many musical losses in 2024, but the Grammys proved how pivotal Quincy Jones was to the music industry by shining a bright light on his life and work at the event. Stevie Wonder led a touching tribute to the musician, producer and all-round musical behemoth, with Will Smith explaining how he changed his life forever.
In his career, Jones won a staggering 28 Grammy Awards, and worked with everyone from Frank Sinatra to Michael Jackson. In tribute to his work with Sinatra, Cynthia Erivo and Herbie Hancock combined to cover ‘Fly Me To The Moon’. There are few tracks that could’ve formed a more fitting tribute to the late star, who died in November at the age of 91.
The music industry comes together for Los Angeles
With the city devastated by the recent fires, the biggest take home of the evening was how the industry showed solidarity. Every speech, performance, and passing moment paid tribute to those who helped to bring light to a dark moment in the city’s history. There was even a profound moment where representatives of the Los Angeles Fire Department presented the award for ‘Album of the Year’.
This was also backed up by a special performance of ‘California Dreaming’ by Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars. The pair opted to go with the fitting track rather than their own new collaborative single ‘Die With a Smile’. Beyond the tributes, the event also looked to raise money for the relief fund with millions of dollars being donated.
The major winners:
‘Record of the Year‘
- The Beatles – ‘Now and Then’
- Beyoncé – ‘Texas Hold ’Em’
- Billie Eilish – ‘Birds of a Feather’
- Chappell Roan – ‘Good Luck, Babe!’
- Charli XCX – ‘360’
- Kendrick Lamar – ‘Not Like Us’ – WINNER
- Sabrina Carpenter – ‘Espresso’
- Taylor Swift featuring Post Malone – ‘Fortnight’
‘Album of the Year‘
- André 3000 – New Blue Sun
- Beyoncé – Cowboy Carter – WINNER
- Billie Eilish – Hit Me Hard and Soft
- Chappell Roan – The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess
- Charli XCX – Brat
- Jacob Collier – Djesse Vol. 4
- Sabrina Carpenter – Short n’ Sweet
- Taylor Swift – The Tortured Poets Department
‘Song of the Year‘
- Beyoncé – ‘Texas Hold ’Em’
- Billie Eilish – ‘Birds of a Feather’
- Chappell Roan – ‘Good Luck, Babe!’
- Kendrick Lamar – ‘Not Like Us’ – WINNER
- Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars – ‘Die With a Smile’
- Sabrina Carpenter – ‘Please Please Please’
- Shaboozey – ‘A Bar Song (Tipsy)’
- Taylor Swift featuring Post Malone – ‘Fortnight’
‘Best New Artist‘
- Benson Boone
- Doechii
- Chappell Roan – Winner
- Khruangbin
- Raye
- Sabrina Carpenter
- Shaboozey
- Teddy Swims
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