The Best, Worst, and Most Memorable Moments of the 2025 Grammys

The 67th annual Grammy Awards are taking place on Sunday, Feb. 2 at Crypto.com arena, hosted by Trevor Noah, now a veteran of the broadcast, for the fifth consecutive year. Though this show is no stranger to Los Angeles, it is surrounded this time by a change in scenery, following a January marked by two of the city’s most destructive and expensive wildfires on record, which claimed a combined 37,469 acres across Altadena and the Pacific Palisades. [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”]

But alas, the show must go on, albeit in a more muted register; several events traditionally held in the week leading up to the Sunday night program were canceled due to the environmental devastation and ongoing rebuilding efforts, namely those held by Universal Music Group, Sony, Spotify, BMG, and Warner Music Group, all of which have allocated resources to help affected citizens. (The Recording Academy, which has presented the Grammys since 1959, launched the Los Angeles Fire Relief Effort in tandem with its MusiCares charity with a $1 million dollar donation.)

The 2025 Grammys are poised to be a celebration of history as much as one of contemporary music: for the first time since 1997, the Beatles earned new Grammy nominations (for record of the year and best rock performance), Beyoncé has already become the first Black woman to win an award in a country category since the Pointer Sisters in 1974, and the late, former president Jimmy Carter (who was nominated for his audiobook, Last Sundays In Plains: A Centennial Celebration, at age 100) is now the oldest award nominee and winner in Grammy history.

Most Tone-Setting Tribute: “I Love L.A.”

Sunday night’s show opened with a celebration of Los Angeles, a highly intentional theme which continued throughout the night. The “I Love L.A.” tribute was an ode to the beauty of a city now compromised by natural disaster: Noah’s opening monologue shouted out Chappell Roan’s ode to the clubs of the city, and the sibling powerhouse duo Billie Eilish and Finneas who converted their bedroom there into a hitmaking studio. John Legend, Sheryl Crowe, St. Vincent, Brittany Howard, an Brad Paisley all joined the stage with Dawes, a group that lost its studio, equipment, and one member’s home, to the fire. The group sang Randy Newman’s 1983 song of the same name, set to footage paying tribute to L.A. firefighters.

But support for the city didn’t stop at the top of the show. Noah’s mentions of the wildfires and calls for donations continued over the course of the night, with contributions from major companies rolling in as the show played on. The show also provided small local L.A. businesses impacted by the fires with free commercial airtime, including a florist called Orla Floral Studio (joined by a cameo from Doja Cat), based in Altadena, and Rhythms of the Village, also in Altadena, which Anderson Paak visited. Later in the evening, singers from two schools destroyed in the fire joined Herbie Hancock and Stevie Wonder for a rendition of “We Are the World” during a Quincy Jones tribute.

Best Cinderella Story: Doechii

Tonight Doechii joined the ranks of just two female emcees before her—Lauryn Hill and Cardi B, who presented the award—when she won the award for Best Rap Album for her mixtape “Alligator Bites Never Heal.” The 26-year-old singer and rapper from Tampa, Fla., known for her clever use of irony and unapologetic storytelling, has quickly proven herself to be a strong addition to T.D.E.’s star-studded roster with breakout hits like “What It is (Block Boy),” “Persuasive,” and “Denial is a River.” “God told me that I would be rewarded and he would show me just how good it can get,” Doechii said as she accepted her award, joined by her mother onstage. “I know that there are so many Black women out there watching me right now and I just want to say you can do it…don’t allow anybody to project any stereotypes on you…I am a testimony.” Later on in the evening, Doechii delivered a powerfully free-spirited performance of “Denial is a River,” her tongue-in-cheek breakout single from the project she won the award for.

Shortest and Sweetest: Sabrina Carpenter

Sabrina Carpenter’s medley of “Espresso” and “Please Please Please” began with a jazzy rendition of the former hit (which was also acknowledged in a buzzy commercial from Dunkin Donuts advertising the singer’s specialty latte with the coffee retailer). Carpenter entered the stage in a glittery tuxedo dress she soon ripped off to reveal a bedazzled baby blue bodice, after a series of playful intentional errors, now part of her comedic schtick. Carpenter won the night’s “Best Pop Vocal” award for Short n Sweet” presented by Anthony Kiedis and Chad Smith of L.A.’s own Red Hot Chili Peppers, marking her first Grammy win. She thanked fans, the Recording Academy, and her mom for driving her to every vocal lesson, before innocently wondering aloud if it was okay that she said “hell” three times in her acceptance speech.

Most Historic: Beyoncé’s Country Grammy Haul

Beyoncé radiated pure gratitude and shock when she accepted the award for “Best Country Album,” presented by Taylor Swift, who won the category 15 years ago. The award came after winning best country duo/group performance earlier in the day for “II MOST WANTED” with Miley Cyrus, the first time in 50 years that a Black woman won a country music Grammy. Cowboy Carter made waves as an explicit hat tip to country music and a celebration, more specifically, of the Black American musicians who created and advanced the genre historically to little acknowledgement by the establishment and audiences alike. “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 consistent,” Beyoncé said, before thanking God, her family, her fans, and the country artists who accepted the album and her presence in the country market.

Read more: How Beyoncé Fits Into the Storied Legacy of Black Country

Most Literal Performance: “Pink Pony Club”

Pop darling Olivia Rodrigo introduced “Midwest Princess” Chappell Roan’s performance of “Pink Pony Club.” The rousing show was marked by pink, illuminated steam rising up from the stage and a “Pink Pony Club” sign above, alongside a sign that read “My Drink is Karma,” a wink at her track “My Kink is Karma.” Roan belted from a larger-than-life pink pony, playful and cartoonish and reminiscent of the singer’s makeup for the night. The back-up dancers were a colorful mix of rodeo clowns, the performance ending with a passionate guitar display and an expression of confident satisfaction from Roan.

Most Passionate Use of the Platform: Chappell Roan

Best New Artist winner Chappell Roan followed up her rousing performance with a sober call to action—as she said she promised herself she would if she ever had the Grammy stage as a platform with the most powerful people in music listening. Roan implored the major label establishment to offer a livable wage and healthcare, especially to developing artists. She cited her own experience as an artist who was signed to a label as a minor and subsequently dropped as something that radicalized her when she realized how deeply she was committed to her art while still struggling to make a living, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. The award, one of the night’s most anticipated, was presented by last year’s winner Victoria Monet. In her acceptance speech, Roan thanked her fellow nominees, producer Dan Nigro, friends, family, her Papa Chappell “who I named myself after,” and “all who listened.” “Labels,” she said, “we got you, but do you got us?”

Most Exciting Outfit Changes: Half the Best New Artists

Tonight’s Best New Artist nominees, including Shaboozey, Teddy Swims, Benson Boone, RAYE, Khruangbin, Doechii, Sabrina Carpenter, and Chappell Roan, wowed on stage during their performances, with many of them using surprising outfit changes to leave their marks. Doechii and her ensemble of dancers rocked custom Thom Browne schoolboy outfits, a less feminine take on the “office siren” fashion trend; the rapper ditched her own mid-performance to reveal a matching underwear set. Benson Boone started his performance, seated next to J. Lo, from his table in the audience, then snatched away his traditional suit to show off a bedazzled baby blue jumpsuit before ascending to the stage and somersaulting off of the piano. And Sabrina Carpenter’s demure black ensemble was magically replaced by a vibrant blue one, a move in keeping with her sultry yet coy performance style.

And further diversifying the night’s country genre, new talent Shaboozey (who was featured twice on Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter) performed his new song “Good News” and his 2024 hit “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” against a bandana-inspired backdrop, brandishing a bolo tie and backup dancers-as-cowgirls line dancing. No outfit change there, but memorable nonetheless.