The 2025 Grammy Awards had been about celebrating a lot greater than one of the best music of the previous 12 months.
Because the annual awards present kicked off Sunday, February 2, at Crypto.com Enviornment in Los Angeles — with Taylor Swift main a star-studded carpet — host Trevor Noah set the tone of what music’s largest evening can be about.
“As regular, we’re coming to you reside from Los Angeles. What’s uncommon are the circumstances this night,” Noah stated. “Only a few weeks in the past, we weren’t positive tonight’s present would even occur. This metropolis has simply been by way of one of many largest pure disasters in American historical past.”
Beyoncé, Taylor Swift. JC Olivera/WireImage
With a number of wildfires — together with the Palisades and Eaton Hearth — now one hundred pc contained, Noah defined why town of Los Angeles additionally deserves to be celebrated.
They might be large pictures within the musical trade now, however each star has had a primary time on the Grammys. From Girl Gaga’s spiky headdress to Justin Timberlake’s perm, listed here are probably the most memorable first Grammys appearances.
“Within the darkest of occasions, one of the best of humanity shines by way of, and the folks of Los Angeles proper now are the right instance of that,” he stated. “Tonight we determined we’re not simply going to be celebrating our favourite music. We’re additionally celebrating town that introduced us a lot of that music.”
Us Weekly saved monitor of all one of the best and worst moments on the crimson carpet and within the present (take a look at the complete winners checklist right here). Maintain studying to see all of the jaw-dropping recollections that can have everybody speaking:
Finest Tribute to Los Angeles: ‘I Love L.A.’
All through the published, the Grammys and CBS took steps to honor these affected by the wildfires in Los Angeles. Along with inviting first responders, highlighting native companies in commercials and elevating funds for victims all through the present, the Grammys additionally opened up the occasion with a particular rendition of Randy Newman’s 1983 track “I Love L.A.”
Sheryl Crow, Brittany Howard, Brad Paisley, John Legend and St. Vincent joined Dawes for the star-studded efficiency. Taylor and Griffin Goldsmith, who make up Dawes, each misplaced their properties within the wildfires and have since been concerned in aid efforts.
In a while within the present, Girl Gaga and Bruno Mars got here collectively for a rendition of The Mamas & the Papas’ “California Dreamin’.”
Finest Efficiency: Sabrina Carpenter
For the report: Shakira, Chappell Roan, Janelle Monáe, Charli XCX and extra artists introduced the home down with their performances. Witnessing Carpenter’s dream of performing on the present come true, nonetheless, was additional particular. Whereas taking the stage, the singer carried out a medley of “Espresso” and “Please Please Please.” Whereas she began her set in a bedazzled swimsuit, she shortly become a powder blue leotard for a theatrical, cabaret-inspired efficiency.
Moments after her spectacular set, Carpenter received Finest Pop Vocal Album for Brief & Candy.
Finest Acceptance Speech: Doechii
After turning into the third lady to win the Grammy for Finest Rap Album, the Alligator Bites By no means Heal artist couldn’t maintain again tears when she acquired the award from Cardi B, who beforehand received the distinction in 2019. (Lauryn Hill was the primary lady to win within the class in 1997 when she triumphed as a part of the Fugees.)
“I do know there’s some Black woman — so many Black girls — watching me proper now. And I wanna let you know, you are able to do it,” she stated by way of tears. “Something is feasible. Don’t permit anyone to venture any stereotypes on you.”
Finest Speech With a Message to the Trade: Chappell Roan
Whereas accepting the award for Finest New Artist, Roan known as for music labels to offer new artists a habitable wage and healthcare.
“I instructed myself if I ever received a Grammy and I received to face up right here in entrance of probably the most highly effective folks in music, I’d demand that labels and the trade profiting tens of millions of {dollars} off artists would provide a habitable wage and healthcare, particularly to growing artists,” she stated. “Labels we received you, however do you bought us?”
Finest Diss Observe Win: Kendrick Lamar
After profitable Document of the Yr and Music of the Yr for “Not Like Us,” his diss monitor in opposition to Drake, the Tremendous Bowl 2025 halftime present performer devoted his trophy to the communities of Los Angeles.
“Compton, Watts, Lengthy Seashore, Inglewood, Hollywood, out to the Valley, Pacoima, IE, San Bernardino, all that,” he stated. “That is my neck of the woods that held me down since I used to be within the studio scrapping to jot down one of the best raps and all that, with the intention to do data like these. I can’t give sufficient thanks to those locations that I rolled round since highschool. And most significantly, the folks and the households out within the Palisades and Altadena. This can be a true testomony that we are able to proceed to revive this metropolis. We gonna maintain rocking.”
To make the evening much more particular, Lamar skilled the entire crowd shouting out the road “A minor” as his Grammy-winning track performed within the stadium.
Finest Response to Grammys Win: Beyoncé
Swift had the distinction of presenting the award for Finest Nation Album. As quickly as Beyoncé’s title was known as because the winner for final 12 months’s Cowboy Carter, no one was extra stunned than the Queen Bey herself. Her response shortly went viral on social media after she delivered a heartfelt acceptance speech in entrance of husband Jay-Z, daughter Blue Ivy and hundreds of attendees.
“I actually was not anticipating this. Wow!” Beyoncé stated after making historical past as the primary Black lady to win within the class. “I feel generally style is a code phrase to maintain us in our place as artists and I simply need to encourage folks to do what they’re obsessed with and to remain persistent.”
Finest Seatmates: Taylor Swift and Cynthia Erivo
In a viral video posted to X throughout the present, Erivo was noticed wandering by way of the venue on the lookout for her seat. Luckily, she caught the attention of Swift, who waved her over to her desk.
As soon as Erivo was seated on the chair subsequent to Swift, the pair shared fun as they loved Noah’s opening monologue.
Finest Lastly Second: Beyoncé
Generally, they honestly save one of the best for final. Los Angeles firefighters had the distinction to current Beyoncé along with her very first Album of the Yr trophy due to Cowboy Carter.
“I simply really feel very full and really honored,” Beyoncé stated throughout her acceptance speech. “It’s been many, a few years, and I simply need to thank the Grammys and each songwriter, each collaborator, each producer — all the exhausting work. … I simply hope we maintain pushing ahead and opening doorways.”
Worst Entrance: Kanye West and Bianca Censori
As West celebrated his nomination for Finest Rap Music due to his “Carnival” collaboration with ¥$, Ty Dolla $ign, Wealthy the Child and Playboi Carti, his spouse shortly grabbed the eye of photographers when she took off her fur coat to disclose a utterly sheer costume. (Censori wasn’t the one star going semi-naked on the crimson carpet, in fact.)
A supply later confirmed to Us Weekly that West and Censori departed “on their very own accord” proper after posing for pictures. “They simply received of their automobile and left,” the insider added.
In line with a number of stories, the pair tried to duplicate the duvet of West’s Vultures album.
Worst Pink Carpet Second: Reporters Snub Babyface to Interview Chappell Roan
Whereas the crimson carpet can get a bit nerve-racking and chaotic — particularly throughout awards reveals — followers weren’t impressed with how two reporters dealt with their interview with Babyface. Because the 12-time Grammy winner was answering a query mid-sentence, Babyface was minimize off as one crimson carpet reporter observed Roan within the background.
“You guys need to try this?” he requested earlier than strolling away. “Go try this.”
Worst No-Present: Ariana Grande
Though Grande seemingly has a wonderfully good purpose why she didn’t attend Sunday’s present, followers had been hoping to rejoice her a number of nominations, together with Finest Pop Vocal Album due to Everlasting Sunshine.
The singer, nonetheless, hasn’t been the largest fan of the Grammys. In 2019, she criticized a Grammys producer who claimed she pulled out of the present as a result of she couldn’t manage her efficiency in time. “I’ve saved my mouth shut however now you’re mendacity about me,” she later wrote by way of X. “I can pull collectively a efficiency in a single day and you already know that.”
Worst Manufacturing Alternative: A Almost 4-Hour Present
Sure, we all know it might probably’t be simple celebrating an entire 12 months of music in only one awards present. Nevertheless it’s exhausting for viewers to decide to greater than 210 minutes of nonstop tv — and keep up previous 11:30 p.m. on a Sunday should you’re on the East Coast. Whereas we’re not advocating for winners to have their speeches wrapped in report time, we are able to’t assist however marvel if there’s a strategy to make the present just a bit shorter.
For nearly so long as the Grammys have existed, musicians have criticized the voting course of, the nominations and the winners. Grammy disses have taken many varieties over time, however within the twenty first century, a lot of the commentary has centered on the awards present’s historical past of excluding girls and Black artists from the most important classes. […]
Worst Omission: No Primetime Awards for Charli XCX
Though Charli XCX was the ultimate star to carry out throughout the very lengthy awards present, followers want they might have witnessed the singer settle for any of her three wins: Finest Dance Pop Recording for “Von Dutch,” Finest Dance/Digital Album for Brat and Finest Recording Bundle for Brat. Whereas Brat Summer time could also be over, the popularity shouldn’t cease.
