In the wake of both Trump’s return to office and the LA wildfires, the 2025 Grammys was bound to make history, and it didn’t disappoint: from raising $7 million for relief efforts in the wake of the LA fires, to historic wins for Black women artists, to musicians taking to the stage to criticise Trump’s policies. Scroll down for some of the most unmissable moments and the context behind them.
Beyoncé becomes the first Black woman to win Country Album of the Year (proving the haters wrong)
Beyoncé proved the haters wrong by becoming the first Black woman to win Best Country Album award for Cowboy Carter, a genre-bending blend of country, RnB, hip-hop, and bluegrass. The win was a historic moment given the exclusionary nature of America’s country scene: when it was announced that Beyoncé was releasing country music, she was met with disdain from vast swaths of critics and country fans, a response that many concluded was steeped in racism. “My hope is that years from now, the mention of an artist’s race, as it relates to releasing genres of music, will be irrelevant,” she announced via Instagram at the time.
Beyoncé also won the Album of the Year Award for the first time (!) beating out the likes of Taylor Swift, Chappell Roan, and Billie Eilish. Her win on Sunday makes her the first Black woman to win the top album in this century, and only the fourth ever.
Artists come for Trump
After Trump’s return to office last month, it’s unsurprising that artists at the Grammys didn’t shy away from referencing his controversial policies. When Alicia Keys was presented with the Dr. Dre Global Impact Award ceremony, she utilized the platform to praise diversity and inclusion efforts, as since taking office Trump has issued myriad executive orders dismantling diversity, equity and inclusion programs across the U.S. “We've seen on this stage talented, hardworking people from different backgrounds with different points of view, and it changes the game. DEI is not a threat, it's a gift," she said, to mass applause.
Lady Gaga utilized the occasion to criticize the President’s rolling back of Transgender rights and his reinstatement of a policy restricting trans military service. The singer—who’s been an LGBTQIA+ icon since she catapulted onto the music scene well over a decade ago—declared “I just want to say tonight that trans people are not invisible. Trans people deserve love. The queer community deserves to be lifted up. Music is love. Thank you…I would not be here without trans girls…So just know that I’m trying my best to stand up for you in every way that I can.” (Gaga won Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for her collaboration with Bruno Mars on “Die With A Smile”.) Meanwhile, Shakira dedicated her Grammy for best Latin pop album to "all my immigrant brothers and sisters. In this country, you're loved, you're worth it, and I will always fight with you," she said.
Chappell Roan calls out the music industry
After winning the coveted Best New Artist award, Chappell Roan brought a notebook to the stage to raise issues she promised herself she’d would were she were ever to find herself in this position. “I told myself if I ever won a Grammy, and I got to stand up here in front of the most powerful people in music, I would demand that labels and the industry profiting millions of dollars off of artists would offer a liveable wage and healthcare, especially to developing artists,” she explained, referencing the fact that she was signed as a minor and then dropped, with no other work experience or safety net in place. The speech came amid widespread complaints about care, compensation, privacy, and labour rights in the music industry.
Doechii becomes the third woman ever to win Best Rap Album
Cardi B awarded Doechii with the Best Rap Album award for Alligator Bites Never Heal, making her the third woman ever to win the award. (Previous female winners were Lauren Hill and Cardi B.) "So many Black women out there that are watching me right now, and I want to tell you, you can do it," she proclaimed in her speech. "Don't allow anybody to project any stereotypes on you, to 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," she continued, before crediting her win to God and her sobriety.
Kendrick Lamar becomes 20-time Grammy winner
At the ceremony, Kendrick Lamar won five awards for his Drake diss track Not Like Us (which the latter is currently suing him for( bringing him up to a colossal 21 Grammys. He dedicated his speech to LA in the aftermath of the wildfires. "I can't give enough thanks to these places that I rolled around since high school, and most importantly the people and the families out in Palisades and Altadena. This is a true testament that we will continue to restore this city," he said, while accepting the Record of the Year award.
Other memorable moments…
Cynthia Erivo, Janelle Monaé, Lainey Wilson, Stevie Wonder, Herbie Hancock and Jacob Collier performed a touching tribute to legendary artist and producer Quincey Jones, who passed away in November. Meanwhile, per a chyron displayed during the ceremony, Charlie XCX donated all of the unworn garments used during her performance to domestic violence survivors. Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars paid homage to Los Angeles with a performance of California Dreamin following a harrowing video of the effects of the wildfires on the L.A. community. Beyoncé’s award, too, was presented by firefighters who fought the LA fires.
Images via Getty
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