The 2025 Grammy Awards: Kendrick Lamar, Beyonce, Charli XCX, Sabrina Carpenter, and Tems Dominate on Music’s Biggest Night

The 67th Annual Grammy Awards celebrated a year of groundbreaking music, honoring artists who pushed creative boundaries and reflected the evolving landscape of the industry. Hosted by the charismatic comedian Trevor Noah, it was a night filled with emotional speeches, dazzling performances, and historic wins.

Compton native Kendrick Lamar dominated the award show as his diss track “Not Like Us” won all five of its nominations, including Song of the Year and Record of the Year. The Mustard-produced track is now the most decorated rap song in Grammy history and extends Lamar’s Grammy total to 20 wins. He joins Jay Z and Kanye West as the most-awarded rappers in Grammy history.

In his acceptance speech for Song of the Year, Lamar dedicated his awards to all the West Coast artists who inspired him to be the MC he is today. He also emphasized the importance of rap music. “At the end of the day, nothing is more powerful than rap music. I don’t care what it is. We are the culture…respect the art form.”

Beyonce, who led the nominations list with 11 nods, finally secured her first-ever Album of the Year win for her genre-bending project “Cowboy Carter”—a prediction already made by this publication. “Cowboy Carter” also earned her the Best Country Album title and “II Most Wanted” featuring Miley Cyrus another title for Best Country/Duo Group Performance.

Beyonce’s three victories at the Grammys extended her total Grammy wins to 33, still making her the most decorated artist at the award show. “Cowboy Carter” proved to be Beyonce’s lucky charm as it defied all odds and negative press surrounding its release. Thanks to the album, Beyonce broke the following records at the Grammys: The first black woman to win in the Best Country/Duo Group Performance category, the first black artist to win Best Country Album, and the second black woman to win Album of the Year since Lauryn Hill in 1999.

Her surprise reaction to winning Album of the Year was followed by a standing ovation from the audience. Accepting the coveted award with her daughter Blue-Ivy Carter, the Grammy superstar acknowledged how long it took to win in that category; she emphasized that the goal is to “keep pushing forward and opening doors.”

Fresh off her Grammy win, Beyoncé recently announced the dates for the highly-anticipated “Cowboy Carter” tour kicking off on Apr. 28.

Nigerian artist Tems made the entire nation proud by winning the Grammy for Best African Music Performance for “Love Me Jeje.” She became the first Nigerian to win in this category and the second Nigerian to secure a Grammy win for their original, cohesive body of work after Burna Boy. Her career total of Grammy Awards is now two, which further makes her the most decorated Nigerian artist in Grammy history.

Another history-maker is rapper Doechii who stunned viewers by winning in the fiercely competitive category of Best Rap Album with her third mixtape “Alligator Bites Never Heal.” She was the only woman nominated in this category and has solidified her name in the Grammy records as the third female rapper to win “Best Rap Album” after Cardi B in 2019 and Hill in 1996.

As a first-time winner, she emotionally dedicated her award to all the black girls and black women around the world who feel lost in their path in life. “I know there’s some black girl, so many black women watching me right now. And I wanna tell you, you can do it. Anything is possible. Don’t allow anybody to project any stereotypes on you.”

Doechii took the Grammy stage to showcase her abilities with a show-stopping performance of “Catfish” and “Denial is a River,” proving that she is an artist who will enjoy a lustrous career in the music industry. To further celebrate her win, she wasted no time releasing the spitfire single “Nosebleeds.”

Alicia Keys accepted her 17th Grammy win–the honorary Dr Dre Global Impact Award–with a powerful message to American President Donald Trump after he recently discontinued the DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) program via an executive order. “This is not the time to shut down the diversity of voices…DEI is not a threat. It’s a gift, and the more voices, the powerful the sound.”

The main pop girls of 2024–Sabrina Carpenter, Chappell Roan, and Charli XCX–were rewarded with Grammy wins for their hard work, cementing their status as industry powerhouses who redefined the pop music landscape with their undeniable star power.

The event also featured tributes to Los Angeles’ recovery from the recent wildfires, with performances by Dawes, John Legend, Sheryl Crow, Brad Paisley, Brittany Howard, St. Vincent, Bruno Mars, and Lady Gaga collectively raising over $7 million for relief efforts.

The late Quincy Jones was honored with a riveting stage collaboration performance by Jacob Collier, Cynthia Erivo, Herbie Hancock, Janelle Monae, Lainey Wilson, and Stevie Wonder.

Other Grammy nominees and winners like Carpenter, Roan, Raye, Chris Martin, Charli XCX, Shakira, Billie Eilish, Finneas, Shaboozey, Teddy Swims, and Benson Bonne lit up the stage with magnetic performances, bringing the audience to its feet with a dazzling mix of powerhouse vocals, raw emotion, and show-stopping production that left an unforgettable mark.

The Weeknd seemingly ended his beef with the Recording Academy by making a surprise cameo at the ceremony after announcing his decision to boycott the award show back in 2021. He received a special apology from the Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr, who acknowledged the faults of the organization and its willingness to change. The Weeknd performed his hit single “Timeless” with Playboy Carti.

View the winners here.