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Grammys 2025 as it happened: Beyoncé finally wins album of the year; Not Like Us named song of the year
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That’s a wrap
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Thank you for joining us for all the fun, chaos and nakedness that was the 67th Grammy Awards. They were far from Short ’n Sweet, but you can catch up on all the drama in music writer Robert Moran’s wrap here.
Five key takeaways from this year’s Grammys
By Thomas Mitchell
Well, that’s it for another year. The 67th Grammy Awards have come to a close. Taking place just weeks after wildfires burnt through Los Angeles, the lingering impact loomed large over the evening.
Despite the sombre mood, the awards ceremony doubled as a changing of the guard, as pop’s new bright lights, Sabrina Carpenter, Charli XCX and Chappell Roan, stole the show.
Was it the most memorable Grammys of all time? No. Did it get the tone right for a city in recovery? Probably. So, what did we learn tonight? Here are five key takeaways from the Grammys.
Taylor Swift had a quiet night: Zero from six as pop’s new girls take over
Don’t say it too loudly, but could Taylor Swift’s stranglehold on pop music be waning? Swift was up for six awards but ended up going home empty-handed as the Grammys celebrated a changing of the guard. Instead, the night belonged to Sabrina Carpenter and Chappell Roan.
A history of Beyoncé at the Grammys
By Nell Geraets
Beyoncé has finally done it. She has taken home the Grammy for album of the year, the one award that has eluded her for decades.
Despite already being the most-awarded Grammy artist in history (she claimed this title in 2023 with her album Renaissance), she had never been able to secure the coveted best album award. In fact, Beyoncé has been nominated, and missed out, four times previously.
In 2010, her album I Am... Sasha Fierce was passed over for Taylor Swift’s Fearless. Five years later, she received a nod for her self-titled album, Beyoncé. However, this was pipped by Beck’s Morning Phase.
Confusion (and anger) around her misfortune in the category began to rise in 2017 when Adele’s 25 beat Beyoncé’s critically acclaimed Lemonade, an album that many consider her best and most vulnerable studio album to date. While accepting the trophy, Adele said she couldn’t “possibly accept this award”, adding that Lemonade was a “monumental” album.
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Beyoncé finally gets her album of the year
By Robert Moran
In an emotional touch, a group of the city’s firefighters are brought out to present the night’s top prize, album of the year. And it goes to Cowboy Carter. Beyoncé has finally smashed her album of the year ceiling. This is huge.
She accepted the award flanked by her daughter Blue Ivy – and with Taylor Swift doing champagne salutes with Jay-Z down in the crowd.
“I just feel very full and very honoured. It’s been many, many years,” Beyonce laughed onstage.
She dedicated the win to “Miss Martell” – Linda Martell, the black female country pioneer who featured on Cowboy Carter – and added: “I hope we can keep pushing forward, opening doors.”
The Grammys goes brat
By Nell Geraets
It isn’t a party until Charli XCX, aka the UK’s pop-rave queen, takes the stage (though we have to give credit to Shakira’s performance for at least getting the party started).
Honestly, I don’t know where her performance began exactly – I’m assuming underneath the arena? If so, that’s very on-brand for her. She rocked up in a big, black SUV before leading a large group of party-goers up to the main Grammys space while singing club hit Von Dutch.
She then transformed the stage into an all-out rave during Guess, a naughty track she co-created with Billie Eilish. People were making out, undressing, writhing on the ground. To sum up, it was sex on stage (featuring Julia Fox). Looking at some of the shocked faces in the audience was priceless.
During her opening video montage aired before the performance, Charli said she wanted to cause a bit of a stir. I think it’s safe to say she fulfilled the assignment.
Kendrick Lamar’s Not Like Us wins song of the year
By Nell Geraets
Whose songwriting prowess spoke to us the most this past year? Kendrick Lamar for his diss track Not Like Us.
This win is quite the achievement given Lamar was up against the likes of Shaboozey’s A Bar Song (Tipsy), which was the longest-running No. 1 single of 2024, and Chappell Roan’s breakout track Good Luck, Babe!, which cuts through internalised homophobia like a knife through butter.
It’s also quite a shock choice for the typically conservative Recording Academy given the context behind the song, which is all about taking Drake down (and calling him a paedophile).
“There’s nothing more powerful than rap music. We are the culture,” Lamar said after accepting the award – his fifth Grammy of the night (out of seven nominations). “To the young artists … I just hope you respect the art form, it’ll get you where you need to go.”
And we must take a moment for the presenter of this award: the absolutely iconic Diana Ross. Yes, the Diana Ross, who floated onto the stage like an angel in her bejewelled white get-up. The crowd buzzed for her.
For those scratching their heads over what the difference is between song of the year and record of the year, the former celebrates achievements in the art of songwriting (think poetry in the form of music). Meanwhile, the latter celebrates the year’s best single.
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Alica Keys gets the hall of fame treatment
By Robert Moran
Queen Latifah presents Alicia Keys with the Dr Dre Global Impact Award. She uses her speech to discuss the plight of women in the recording industry.
“I always had to fight for a certain level of respect as a songwriter and composer, and especially a producer. It’s strange that we don’t think of women as producers like Quincy or Dre or Swizzy,” Keys says, noting her husband Swizz Beats.
“It’s a beautiful feeling to be acknowledged for a thing I always thought people didn’t really recognise about me.”
It’s quite touching and the crowd get on their feet, even though her most famous song echoes the wrong city (Nooo Yaaaawk!).
Shakira and her truthful hips perform medley
By Thomas Mitchell
The most truthful hips in music have stormed onto the Grammys stage.
Fresh from winning her fourth Grammy for Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran, which took home the trophy for best Latin pop album, Shakira performed a medley of her hits.
While fans hoped they might see Shakira and Beyoncé perform their 2006 record, Beautiful Liar, there was no such luck. Though Shakira did check in with Beyoncé as she made her way through the crowd.
The birthday girl (Shakira turns 48 today!) proved why she remains an industry icon, earning a standing ovation from the crowd.
Somebody check on Drake, please
By Robert Moran
Well, this is uncomfortable for everyone – not least for Drake, the world’s biggest rapper currently watching this somewhere in Melbourne. Record of the year, one of the night’s biggest prizes, is a shock result: it goes to Kendrick Lamar for Not Like Us.
It’s a stunning result, especially considering the song is, infamously, the diss track where Lamar insinuated that Drake is a paedophile. It’s currently at the centre of a lawsuit from Drake, too.
Beyond that, it’s also only the second rap song to ever claim the prize, after Childish Gambino’s This is America in 2019.
But really, who can deny it? Record of the year is the category celebrating performer and production, and Kendrick’s intensity over that Mustard beat made this a worldwide smash.
“We gonna dedicate this one to the city,” Kendrick says accepting the win, before roll-calling every suburb in south central LA. A real win for the home team, just a week before Kendrick’s set to perform at the Super Bowl.
Drake, this will all end soon (maybe).
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Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars scoop best pop duo/group performance
By Nell Geraets
It shouldn’t be too much of a surprise that Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars scooped best pop duo/group performance tonight – their masterful ballad Die With a Smile is like catnip for Grammys voters.
Beating out collabs including Us (Gracie Abrams and Taylor Swift) and Levii’s Jeans (Post Malone and Beyoncé), the pair took the opportunity to sing each other’s praises.
“Gaga, I’m so honoured to be part of this song with you. I’m so honoured to be a small part in your giant musical legacy. I believe God gave us this song to sing together,” Mars said of his collaborator.
Gaga similarly complimented Mars, saying she “doesn’t know music without Bruno”. She then took the opportunity to defend trans rights.
“I want to say tonight that trans people are not invisible. Trans people deserve love, they deserve to be lifted up. Music is love,” she said while seemingly holding back tears.
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