2025 GRAMMY Awards: Black Artists Break Barriers and Make Award History

The 2025 GRAMMY Awards, held on February 2 at Los Angeles’ Crypto.com Arena, celebrated not only artistic excellence across genres but also pivotal moments in the ongoing transformation of the music industry. It was especially historic for Black artists on several fronts as artists broke new ground and celebrated long-awaited victories.

Beyoncé once again stole the show.

Beyoncé’s achievements on the night were historic: not only did she become the most-awarded GRAMMY winner ever with 35 wins, but she also became the first Black woman to take home the Best Country Album prize for her 2024 record, Cowboy Carter.  Accepting the award from Taylor Swift, she appeared genuinely surprised, admitting, “Wow, I really was not expecting this.” In her heartfelt speech, she thanked God and all the country artists who collaborated on the album. Beyoncé also challenged industry labels by saying, “I think sometimes ‘genre’ is a code word to keep us in our place as artists. And I just want to encourage people to do what they’re passionate about, and to stay persistent.” 

Later, upon winning Album of the Year for Cowboy Carter—her first win in that category after several nominations—she dedicated the honour to Linda Martell, the pioneering Black woman who first performed at the Grand Ole Opry, remarking, “It’s been many, many years. I want to dedicate this to Ms. Martell.” During the ceremony, the Los Angeles Fire Department presented her with the trophy—a symbolic moment amplified by host Trevor Noah’s remark, “We finally saw it happen, everyone.”

Tems is HER 

In another historic moment, Nigerian singer, songwriter, and producer Temilade Openiyi, known as Tems, took home the GRAMMY for Best African Music Performance for her hit “Love Me Jeje.” Held at Crypto.com Arena, the ceremony recognized Tems’ talent amid stiff competition. On stage, she expressed deep gratitude, saying, “Dear God, thank you so much for putting me on this stage and bringing me this team,” and she dedicated her award to her mother. 

And she was immediately congratulated by colleagues Ayra Starr and Davido who took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to celebrate with her. 

With this win—her second GRAMMY—Tems now holds the record for the most GRAMMYs won by any Nigerian artist. Her previous victory in 2023 for Best Melodic Rap Performance on “Wait For U” with Future and Drake further cemented her status as an influential force in music.

Additional honours included recognition for Davido and Lojay for their contributions on Chris Brown's 11:11Deluxe, which won the Best R&B Album award. 

HIP HOP: A W for “Protest Music" Artists 

On the hip-hop side, Kendrick Lamar delivered a standout performance by sweeping every category in which he was nominated. He brought home awards for Record of the Year, Best Rap Performance, Best Rap Song, Best Music Video, and Song of the Year for “Not Like Us”—a groundbreaking diss track that became the most awarded rap song in GRAMMY history. Reflecting on his achievement, Kendrick dedicated his success to his hometown, declaring, “We’re gonna dedicate this one to the city,” while giving shout-outs to various Los Angeles neighborhoods. With 57 nominations and 22 wins over his career, he further solidified his status as one of rap’s most decorated artists.

Emerging rapper Doechii also made headlines by becoming only the third woman to win Best Rap Album for her mixtape Alligator Bites Never Heal. Presented by previous winner Cardi B, Doechii’s acceptance was a powerful moment of vulnerability and triumph.

“I put my heart and soul into this mixtape—I went through so much and I dedicated myself to sobriety and God told me I would be rewarded and he would show me just how good it can get,” she said. In closing, she offered an inspiring message to Black women everywhere: “I know that there is some Black girl out there, so many Black women out there who are watching me right now, and I want to tell you, you can do it. Anything is possible. Don’t allow anybody to project any stereotypes on you, that tell you that you can’t be here, that you’re too dark or that you’re not smart enough or that you’re too dramatic or you’re too loud. You’re exactly who you need to be to be right where you are and I'm a testimony.”

Below is the complete list of the night’s winners.

THE "BIG FOUR" AWARDS

ALBUM OF THE YEAR

• Beyoncé - Cowboy Carter — WINNER 
• André 3000 - New Blue Sun
• Sabrina Carpenter - Short n' Sweet
• Charli XCX - Brat
• Jacob Collier - Djesse Vol 4
• Billie Eilish - Hit Me Hard and Soft
• Chappell Roan - The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess
• Taylor Swift - The Tortured Poets Department

RECORD OF THE YEAR

• Kendrick Lamar - Not Like Us— WINNER
• The Beatles - Now And Then
• Beyoncé - Texas Hold 'Em
• Sabrina Carpenter - Espresso
• Charli XCX - 360
• Billie Eilish - Birds of a Feather
• Chappell Roan - Good Luck, Babe!
• Taylor Swift ft Post Malone - Fortnight

SONG OF THE YEAR

• Kendrick Lamar - Not Like Us— WINNER
• Beyoncé - Texas Hold 'Em
• Sabrina Carpnter - Please Please Please
• Billie Eilish - Birds Of A Feather
• Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars - Die With a Smile
• Chappel Roan - Good Luck, Babe!
• Shaboozey - A Bar Song (Tipsy)
• Taylor Swift ft Post Malone - Fortnight

BEST NEW ARTIST

• Chappell Roan— WINNER
• Benson Boone
• Sabrina Carpenter
• Doechii
• Khruangbin
• Raye
• Shaboozey
• Teddy Swims

POP AND DANCE

BEST POP VOCAL ALBUM

• Sabrina Carpenter - Short N' Sweet—WINNER
• Billie Eilish - Hit Me Hard And Soft
• Ariana Grande - Eternal Sunshine
• Chappell Roan - The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess
• Taylor Swift - The Tortured Poets Department

BEST POP SOLO PERFORMANCE

• Sabrina Carpenter - Espresso —WINNER
• Beyoncé - Bodyguard
• Charli XCX - Apple
• Billie Eilish - Birds of a Feather
• Chappell Roan - Good Luck, Babe!

BEST POP DUO/GROUP PERFORMANCE

• Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars - Die With A Smile —WINNER
• Gracie Abrams ft Taylor Swift - Us
• Beyoncé ft Post Malone - Levii's Jeans
• Charli XCX & Billie Eilish - Guess
• Ariana Grande, Brandy & Monica - The Boy Is Mine

BEST DANCE/ELECTRONIC RECORDING

• Justice & Tame Impala - Neverender—WINNER
• Disclosure - She's Gone, Dance On
• Four Tet - Loved
• Fred Again & Baby Keem - Leavemealone
• Kaytranada ft Childish Gambino - Witchy

BEST DANCE/ELECTRONIC ALBUM

Charli XCX - Brat—WINNER

Four Tet - Three

Justice - Hyperdrama

Kaytranada - Timeless

Zedd - Telos

BEST DANCE/POP RECORDING

• Charli XCX - Von Dutch—WINNER
• Madison Beer - Make You Mine
• Billie Eilish - L'Amour De Ma Vie [Over Now Extended Edit]
• Ariana Grande - Yes, and?
• Troye Sivan - Got Me Started

BEST TRADITIONAL POP VOCAL ALBUM

• Norah Jones – Visions—WINNER
• Cyrille Aimée – À Fleur De Peau
• Lake Street Dive – Good Together
• Aaron Lazar – Impossible Dream
• Gregory Porter – Christmas Wish

BEST LATIN POP ALBUM

• Shakira - Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran—WINNER
• Anitta - Funk Generation
• Luis Fonsi - El Viaje
• Kenny García - García
• Kali Uchis - Orquídeas

ROCK AND METAL

BEST ROCK PERFORMANCE

• The Beatles - Now And Then—WINNER
• The Black Keys - Beautiful People (Stay High)
• Green Day - The American Dream Is Killing Me
• Idles - Gift Horse
• Pearl Jam - Dark Matter
• St. Vincent - Broken Man

BEST ROCK SONG

• St Vincent - Broken Man—WINNER
• The Black Keys - Beautiful People (Stay High)
• Pearl Jam - Dark Matter
• Green Day - Dilemma
• Idles - Gift Horse

BEST ROCK ALBUM

• The Rolling Stones - Hackney Diamonds—WINNER
• The Black Crowes - Happiness B******s
• Fontaines DC - Romance
• Green Day - Saviors
• Idles - TANGK
• Pearl Jam - Dark Matter
• Jack White - No Name

BEST ALTERNATIVE MUSIC ALBUM

• St Vincent - All Born Screaming—WINNER
• Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Wild God
• Clairo - Charm
• Kim Gordon - The Collective
• Brittany Howard - What Now

BEST ALTERNATIVE MUSIC PERFORMANCE

• St Vincent - Flea—WINNER
• Cage The Elephant - Neon Pill
• Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds – Song of the Lake
• Fontaines D.C. – Starburster
• Kim Gordon – Bye Bye

BEST METAL PERFORMANCE

• Gojira, Marina Viotti & Victor Le Masne - Mea Culpa (Ah! Ça ira!)—WINNER
• Judas Priest - Crown of Horns
• Knocked Loose Featuring Poppy - Suffocate
• Metallica - Screaming Suicide
• Spiritbox - Cellar Door

RAP

BEST RAP PERFORMANCE

• Kendrick Lamar - Not Like Us—WINNER
• Cardi B - Enough (Miami)
• Common & Pete Rock ft Posdnuos - When The Sun Shines Again
• Doechii - Nissan Altima
• Eminem - Houdini
• Future, Metro Boomin & Kendrick Lamar - Like That
• GloRilla - Yeah Glo!

BEST MELODIC RAP PERFORMANCE

• Rapsody ft Erykah Badu - 3:AM—WINNER
• Jordan Adetunji ft Kehlani - Kehlani
• Beyoncé ft Linda Martell & Shaboozey - Spaghettii
• Future & Metro Boomin ft The Weeknd - We Still Don't Trust You
• Latto - Big Mama

BEST RAP SONG

• Kendrick Lamar - Not Like Us—WINNER
• Rapsody ft Hit-Boy - Asteroids
• Kanye West & Ty Dolla $Ign - Carnival
• Future & Metro Boomin ft Kendrick Lamar - Like That
• GloRilla - Yeah Glo!

BEST RAP ALBUM

• Doechii - Alligator Bites Never Heal—WINNER
• J Cole - Might Delete Later
• Common & Pete Rock - The Auditorium, Vol 1
• Eminem - The Death Of Slim Shady (Coup De Grâce)
• Future & Metro Boomin - We Don't Trust You

COUNTRY

BEST COUNTRY SOLO PERFORMANCE

Chris Stapleton - It Takes A Woman—WINNER

Beyoncé - 16 Carriages

Jelly Roll - I Am Not Okay

Kacey Musgraves - The Architect

Shaboozey - A Bar Song (Tipsy)

BEST COUNTRY DUO/GROUP PERFORMANCE

• Beyoncé ft Miley Cyrus - II Most Wanted—WINNER
• Kelsea Ballerini With Noah Kahan - Cowboys Cry Too
• Brothers Osborne - Break Mine
• Dan + Shay - Bigger Houses
• Post Malone ft Morgan Wallen - I Had Some Help

BEST COUNTRY SONG

• Kacey Musgraves - The Architect—WINNER
• Shaboozey - A Bar Song (Tipsy)
• Jelly Roll - I Am Not Okay
• Post Malone ft Morgan Wallen - I Had Some Help
• Beyoncé - Texas Hold 'Em

BEST COUNTRY ALBUM

• Beyoncé - Cowboy Carter—WINNER
• Post Malone - F-1 Trillion
• Kacey Musgraves - Deeper Well
• Chris Stapleton - Higher
• Lainey Wilson - Whirlwind

R&B AND AFROBEATS

BEST R&B PERFORMANCE

• Muni Long - Made For Me (Live On BET)—WINNER
• Jhené Aiko - Guidance
• Chris Brown - Residuals
• Coco Jones - Here We Go (Uh Oh)
• SZA - Saturn

BEST R&B SONG

• SZA - Saturn—WINNER
• Kehlani - After Hours
• Tems - Burning
• Coco Jones - Here We Go (Uh Oh)
• Muni Long - Ruined Me

BEST PROGRESSIVE R&B ALBUM

• Avery Sunshine - So Glad to Know You—Joint Winner
• NxWorries (Anderson .Paak & Knxwledge) - Why Lawd?—Joint Winner
• Durand Bernarr - En Route
• Childish Gambino - Bando Stone And The New World
• Kehlani - Crash

BEST R&B ALBUM

• Chris Brown - 11:11 (Deluxe)—WINNER
• Lalah Hathaway - Vantablack
• Muni Long - Revenge
• Lucky Daye - Algorithm
• Usher - Coming Home

BEST AFRICAN MUSIC PERFORMANCE

• Tems - Love Me JeJe—WINNER
• Yemi Alade - Tomorrow
• Asake & Wizkid - MMS
• Chris Brown ft Davido & Lojay - Sensational
• Burna Boy - Higher

PRODUCTION AND SONGWRITING

PRODUCER OF THE YEAR, NON-CLASSICAL

• Daniel Nigro—WINNER
• Alissia
• Dernst "D'Mile" Emile II
• Ian Fitchuk
• Mustard

SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR, NON-CLASSICAL

• Amy Allen—WINNER
• Edgar Barrera
• Jessi Alexander
• Jessie Jo Dillon
• Raye

FILM AND TV

BEST COMEDY ALBUM

• Dave Chappelle - The Dreamer—WINNER
• Ricky Gervais - Armageddon
• Jim Gaffigan - The Prisoner
• Nikki Glaser - Someday You'll Die
• Trevor Noah - Where Was I

BEST COMPILATION SOUNDTRACK FOR VISUAL MEDIA

• Maestro: Music By Leonard Bernstein - London Symphony Orchestra, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Bradley Cooper —WINNER
• The Color Purple - Various Artists
• Deadpool & Wolverine - Various Artists
• Saltburn - Various Artists
• Twisters: The Album - Various Artists

BEST SCORE SOUNDTRACK FOR VISUAL MEDIA (includes film and television)

• Hans Zimmer - Dune: Part Two—WINNER
• Laura Karpman - American Fiction
• Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross - Challengers
• Kris Bowers - The Color Purple
• Nick Chuba, Atticus Ross & Leopold Ross - Shōgun

BEST SCORE SOUNDTRACK FOR VIDEOGAMES AND OTHER INTERACTIVE MEDIA

• Winifred Phillips - Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord—WINNER
• Pinar Toprak - Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora
• Bear McCreary - God of War Ragnarök: Valhalla
• John Paesano - Marvel's Spider-Man 2
• Wilbert Roget, II - Star Wars Outlaws

BEST SONG WRITTEN FOR VISUAL MEDIA

• Jon Batiste - It Never Went Away (From American Symphony)—WINNER
• Luke Combs - Ain't No Love In Oklahoma (From Twisters: The Album)
• *NSYNC & Justin Timberlake - Better Place (From Trolls Band Together)
• Olivia Rodrigo - Can't Catch Me Now (From The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes)
• Barbra Streisand - Love Will Survive (From The Tattooist of Auschwitz)

BEST AUDIO BOOK NARRATION

• Jimmy Carter - Last Sunday in Plains: A Centennial Celebration—WINNER
• George Clinton - ...And Your Ass Will Follow
• Guy Oldfield - All You Need Is Love: The Beatles In Their Own Words
• Dolly Parton - Behind the Seams: My Life in Rhinestones
• Barbra Streisand - My Name Is Barbra

BEST MUSIC VIDEO

• Kendrick Lamar - Not Like Us—WINNER
• A$AP Rocky - Tailor Swif
• Charli XCX - 360
• Eminem - Houdini
• Taylor Swift ft Post Malone - Fortnight

BEST MUSIC FILM

• American Symphony—WINNER
• June
• Kings From Queens
• Stevie Van Zandt: Disciple
• The Greatest Night In Pop

JAZZ AND CLASSICAL

BEST JAZZ VOCAL ALBUM

• Samara Joy - A Joyful Holiday—WINNER
• Christie Dashiell - Journey In Black
• Kurt Elling & Sullivan Fortner - Wildflowers Vol 1
• Milton Nascimento & Esperanza Spalding - Milton + Esperanza
• Catherine Russell & Sean Mason - My Ideal

BEST JAZZ INSTRUMENTAL ALBUM

• Chick Corea & Béla Fleck - Remembrance
• Ambrose Akinmusire ft Bill Frisell & Herlin Riley - Owl Song—WINNER
• Kenny Barron ft Kiyoshi Kitagawa, Johnathan Blake, Immanuel Wilkins & Steve Nelson - Beyond This Place
• Lakecia Benjamin - Phoenix Reimagined (Live)
• Sullivan Fortner - Solo Game

BEST ALTERNATIVE JAZZ ALBUM

• Meshell Ndegeocello - No More Water: The Gospel Of James Baldwin—WINNER
• Arooj Aftab - Night Reign
• André 3000 - New Blue Sun
• Robert Glasper - Code Derivation
• Keyon Harrold - Foreverland

BEST JAZZ PERFORMANCE

Samara Joy feat. Sullivan Fortner – Twinkle Twinkle Little Me—WINNER

The Baylor Project – Walk With Me, Lord

Lakecia Benjamin feat. Randy Brecker, Jeff "Tain" Watts, & John Scofield – Phoenix Reimagined (Live)

Chick Corea & Béla Fleck –Juno

Dan Pugach Big Band feat. Nicole Zuraitis & Troy Roberts – Little Fears

BEST MUSICAL THEATRE ALBUM

• Hell's Kitchen—WINNER
• Merrily We Roll Along
• The Notebook
• The Outsiders
• Suffs
• The Wiz

BEST OPERA RECORDING

• Saariaho: Adriana Mater - Esa-Pekka Salonen, conductor (San Francisco Symphony; San Francisco Symphony Chorus; Timo Kurkikangas)—WINNER
• Adams: Girls Of The Golden West - John Adams, conductor (Los Angeles Philharmonic; Los Angeles Master Chorale)
• Catán: Florencia En El Amazonas - Yannick Nézet-Séguin (The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra; The Metropolitan Opera Chorus)
• Moravec: The Shining - Gerard Schwarz, conductor (Kansas City Symphony; Lyric Opera Of Kansas City Chorus)
• Puts: The Hours - Yannick Nézet-Séguin, conductor (Metropolitan Opera Orchestra; Metropolitan Opera Chorus)

BEST ORCHESTRAL PERFORMANCE

• Ortiz: Revolución Diamantina - Gustavo Dudamel, conductor (Los Angeles Philharmonic)—WINNER
• John Adams: City Noir - Fearful Symmetries & Lola Montez Does The Spider Dance - Marin Alsop, conductor (ORF Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra)
• Kodály: Háry János Suite; Summer Evening & Symphony In C Major - JoAnn Falletta, conductor (Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra)
• Sibelius: Karelia Suite, Rakastava, & Lemminkäinen - Susanna Mälkki, conductor (Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra)
• Stravinsky: The Firebird - Esa-Pekka Salonen, conductor (San Francisco Symphony)