The 2025 Grammy Awards had been about celebrating a lot greater than the very 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 leading a star-studded carpet — host Trevor Noah set the tone of what music’s greatest night time can be about.
“As normal, we’re coming to you reside from Los Angeles. What’s uncommon are the circumstances this night,” Noah mentioned. “Only a few weeks in the past, we weren’t certain tonight’s present would even occur. This metropolis has simply been by one of many greatest pure disasters in American historical past.”
Beyoncé, Taylor Swift. JC Olivera/WireImage
With a number of wildfires — together with the Palisades and Eaton Fire — now 100% contained, Noah defined why the town of Los Angeles additionally deserves to be celebrated.
They might be huge photographs within the musical business now, however each star has had a primary time on the Grammys. From Girl Gaga’s spiky headdress to Justin Timberlake’s perm, listed below are essentially the most memorable first Grammys appearances.
“Within the darkest of occasions, the very best of humanity shines by, and the individuals of Los Angeles proper now are the proper instance of that,” he mentioned. “Tonight we determined we’re not simply going to be celebrating our favourite music. We’re additionally celebrating the town that introduced us a lot of that music.”
Us Weekly stored observe of all the very best and worst moments on the purple carpet and within the present (check out the full winners list right here). Maintain studying to see all of the jaw-dropping reminiscences that may have everybody speaking:
Greatest 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 tune “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’.”
Greatest Efficiency: Sabrina Carpenter
For the file: 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, nevertheless, 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 gained Greatest Pop Vocal Album for Quick & Candy.
Greatest Acceptance Speech: Doechii
After changing into the third girl to win the Grammy for Greatest 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 gained the distinction in 2019. (Lauryn Hill was the primary girl 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 ladies — watching me proper now. And I wanna let you know, you are able to do it,” she mentioned by tears. “Something is feasible. Don’t enable anyone to venture any stereotypes on you.”
Greatest Speech With a Message to the Trade: Chappell Roan
Whereas accepting the award for Best New Artist, Roan referred to as for music labels to offer new artists a habitable wage and healthcare.
“I instructed myself if I ever gained a Grammy and I received to face up right here in entrance of essentially the most highly effective individuals in music, I’d demand that labels and the business profiting hundreds of thousands of {dollars} off artists would supply a habitable wage and healthcare, particularly to growing artists,” she mentioned. “Labels we received you, however do you bought us?”
Greatest Diss Monitor Win: Kendrick Lamar
After profitable Report of the 12 months and Track of the 12 months for “Not Like Us,” his diss track against Drake, the Tremendous Bowl 2025 halftime present performer devoted his trophy to the communities of Los Angeles.
“Compton, Watts, Lengthy Seaside, Inglewood, Hollywood, out to the Valley, Pacoima, IE, San Bernardino, all that,” he mentioned. “That is my neck of the woods that held me down since I used to be within the studio scrapping to write down the very 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 individuals and the households out within the Palisades and Altadena. It is a true testomony that we will proceed to revive this metropolis. We gonna maintain rocking.”
To make the night time much more particular, Lamar skilled the entire crowd shouting out the road “A minor” as his Grammy-winning tune performed within the stadium.
Greatest Response to Grammys Win: Beyoncé
Swift had the distinction of presenting the award for Greatest Nation Album. As quickly as Beyoncé’s identify was referred to as because the winner for final 12 months’s Cowboy Carter, no one was extra shocked than the Queen Bey herself. Her response shortly went viral on social media after she delivered a heartfelt acceptance speech in front of husband Jay-Z, daughter Blue Ivy and 1000’s of attendees.
“I actually was not anticipating this. Wow!” Beyoncé mentioned after making history as the primary Black girl to win within the class. “I believe typically style is a code phrase to maintain us in our place as artists and I simply need to encourage individuals to do what they’re obsessed with and to remain persistent.”
Greatest Seatmates: Taylor Swift and Cynthia Erivo
In a viral video posted to X throughout the present, Erivo was noticed wandering by the venue in search of 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 a laugh as they loved Noah’s opening monologue.
Greatest Lastly Second: Beyoncé
Generally, they honestly save the very best for final. Los Angeles firefighters had the distinction to current Beyoncé together with her very first Album of the Year trophy due to Cowboy Carter.
“I simply really feel very full and really honored,” Beyoncé mentioned 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 — the entire 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 Greatest Rap Track 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 completely sheer dress. (Censori wasn’t the one star going semi-naked on the red carpet, after all.)
A supply later confirmed to Us Weekly that West and Censori departed “on their own accord” proper after posing for photographs. “They only received of their automobile and left,” the insider added.
In keeping with multiple reports, the pair tried to copy the quilt of West’s Vultures album.
Worst Crimson Carpet Second: Reporters Snub Babyface to Interview Chappell Roan
Whereas the purple carpet can get a bit traumatic and chaotic — particularly throughout awards reveals — fans were not 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 reduce off as one purple 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 have a good time her a number of nominations, together with Greatest Pop Vocal Album due to Everlasting Sunshine.
The singer, nevertheless, 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 set up her efficiency in time. “I’ve stored my mouth shut however now you’re mendacity about me,” she later wrote through X. “I can pull collectively a efficiency in a single day and you recognize that.”
Worst Manufacturing Alternative: A Almost 4-Hour Present
Sure, we all know it may’t be simple celebrating an entire 12 months of music in only one awards present. However 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 in case you’re on the East Coast. Whereas we’re not advocating for winners to have their speeches wrapped in file time, we will’t assist however marvel if there’s a method 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 kinds over time, however within the twenty first century, a lot of the commentary has centered on the awards present’s historical past of excluding ladies and Black artists from the key 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 may have witnessed the singer settle for any of her three wins: Greatest Dance Pop Recording for “Von Dutch,” Greatest Dance/Digital Album for Brat and Greatest Recording Package deal for Brat. Whereas Brat Summer time could also be over, the popularity shouldn’t cease.
