Beyoncé became the first Black woman to win a country Grammy in more than 50 years Sunday night, when she took home the win for best country album for “Cowboy Carter.”
The last time a Black woman won a country award at the Grammys was the Pointer Sisters in 1974.
Some of the biggest names in music were honored at the 2025 Grammys on Sunday.
Beyoncé took home the Grammy Award for album of the year for “COWBOY CARTER” and Chappell Roan won the Grammy for best new artist. Kendrick Lamar snagged both record of the year and song of the year for his song “Not Like Us.”
The Grammys took place nearly a month after the Los Angeles wildfires began, which devastated the region and resulted in at least 29 deaths. The telecast was “reimagined to raise funds to support wildfire relief efforts and aid music professionals impacted by the L.A. wildfires,” with funds raised during the show going to support music professionals and Los Angeles wildfire relief efforts.
Near the end of the show, Trevor Noah, who returned this year as host for the fifth year in a row, announced viewers at home had already raised $7 million.
The night was filled with epic performances from artists like Charli xcx, Shakira, Lady Gaga, Sabrina Carpenter and more. A moving musical tribute was also performed to honor the late music legend Quincy Jones.
Keep reading for a recap of all the biggest moments from the 2025 Grammys.
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Beyoncé won the Grammy for album of the year for “COWBOY CARTER.”
Other nominees in the category included “New Blue Sun” by André 3000, “Short n’ Sweet” by Sabrina Carpenter, “BRAT” by Charli xcx, “Djesse Vol. 4” by Jacob Collier, “HIT ME HARD AND SOFT” by Billie Eilish, “The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess” by Chappell Roan and “THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT” by Taylor Swift.
The award was presented to Beyonce by members of the Los Angeles County Fire Department.
“I’d like to thank and acknowledge and praise all the firefighters for keeping us safe,” Beyonce said. “I just feel very full and very honored. It’s been many, many years.”
She added, “And I just want to thank the Grammys, every songwriter, every collaborator, every producer, all of the hard work. I want to dedicate this to Ms. Martell and to just keep pushing forward, opening doors. God bless. Thank you so much.”
Members of the Los Angeles County Fire Department presented the award to Beyoncé.
“I’d like to thank and acknowledge and praise all the firefighters for keeping us safe,” Beyoncé said in her acceptance speech. “I just feel very full and very honored. It’s been many, many years.”
“I just want to thank the Grammys, every songwriter, every collaborator, every producer, all of the hard work,” she added, dedicating her win to Linda Martell, one of the first Black country performers.
Ahead of the winner being announced, members of the Los Angeles County Fire Department were honored onstage.
LA County Fire Chief Anthony C. Marrone thanked the Recording Academy for the “honor and privilege to be here in the company of such talented music industry professionals.”
“Our heartfelt condolences and prayers remain with all the families who have lost loved ones, friends and neighbors, along with everyone who has lost homes, businesses and been displaced,” Marrone said. “We are thankful to our many partners, including all of you for standing alongside our residents and communities to offered continued support. I’m confident we will recover. We are LA.”
Charli xcx brings the party to the Grammys stage
Charli xcx got everyone on their feet while performing her hit songs “Von dutch” and “Guess” on the Grammys stage.
The British singer has already taken home several awards tonight, including best dance/electronic album, best dance pop recording and best recording package.
Kendrick Lamar wins Grammy for song of the year
Kendrick Lamar won the Grammy for song of the year for “Not Like Us,” accepting the award from Diana Ross.
“This is what it’s about, man, because at the end of the day, nothing [is] more powerful than rap music,” the rapper said. “I don’t care what it is. We are the culture. It’s gonna always stay here and live forever.”
He also offered advice to up-and-coming artists, saying, “To the young artists … I just hope you respect the art form.”
Other nominees in the category included “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” by Shaboozey, “BIRDS OF A FEATHER” by Billie Eilish, “Die With a Smile” by Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars, “Fortnight” by Taylor Swift, “Good Luck, Babe!” by Chappell Roan, “Please Please Please” by Sabrina Carpenter and “TEXAS HOLD ‘EM” by Beyoncé.
Alicia Keys was presented with the Dr. Dre Global Impact Award at the 2025 Grammys.
Queen Latifah presented Keys with the honor, calling her “a global force.”
In her acceptance speech, Keys gave a shoutout to female musicians like Missy Elliott, Linda Perry and more, saying, “I always had to fight for a certain level of respect as a songwriter, composer, and especially a producer. It’s strange that we don’t think of women as producers like Quincy or Dre or Swizzy, but female producers have always powered the industry.”
She continued, “This is for all the ladies that know the magic that they bring to the room. This is not the time to shut down the diversity of voices. We have 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. “The more voices, the more powerful the sound. When destructive forces try to burn us down, we rise from the ashes like a phoenix, and as you see tonight, music is the unstoppable language that connects us all. It’s so beautiful.”
She added, “So, let’s keep showing up with compassion, with empathy. What I call soul care. Keep opening the doors … a dream of the world as it ought to be, as the great Toni Morrison said.”
Shakira performs at the Grammys for the 1st time since 2007
Shakira returned to the Grammys stage for the first time since 2007 and delivered an electrifying performance of her song “Ojos Así.”
The singer also performed “Shakira: Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53.”
In a pre-taped piece ahead of the performance, Shakira reflected on her career and how “happy” it has made her to help pave the way for other Spanish artists over the years. She also opened up about the experience that came with working on her recent album, “Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran.”
“When I wrote this album, I was going through my separation, but that wasn’t the only loss I was experiencing,” she said. “Everything I always feared that would happen to me happened to me. I had to find a way to put myself back together. And so music played a super important role to transform all the pain, the anger, into something precious. It was a way of almost seeing my tears become diamonds.”
Shakira won the Grammy earlier tonight for best Latin pop album.
Kendrick Lamar wins Grammy for record of the year
Miley Cyrus presented the Grammy for record of the year to Kendrick Lamar for “Not Like Us.”
Lamar, who grew up in Compton, dedicated his win to Los Angeles.
“This is my neck of the woods that’s held me down since [I was] a young pup,” he said. “I can’t give enough thanks to these places that I rolled around since high school, most importantly, the people and the families out in the Palisades and Altadena.”
Other nominees in the category included “Now and Then” by The Beatles, “TEXAS HOLD ‘EM” by Beyoncé, “Espresso” by Sabrina Carpenter, “360” by Charli xcx, “BIRDS OF A FEATHER” by Billie Eilish, “Good Luck, Babe!” by Chappell Roan and “Fortnight” by Taylor Swift.
Grammys honor those who died in the past year during ‘In Memoriam’ segment
The Grammys took a moment to recognize those in the music industry who died over the past year in its annual “In Memoriam” segment. Coldplay’s Chris Martin performed during the segment and sang his song, “ALL MY LOVE.”
The segment opened with a tribute to Liam Payne, who died after falling from the third floor balcony of his hotel room in Argentina last October.
Others who were honored during the tribute included Kris Kristofferson, Cissy Houston, Fatman Scoop, Sam Moore, Tito Jackson, Marianne Faithfull, Frankie Beverly, Rich Homie Quan, Toby Keith, Phil Lesh, Bob Newhart, Wayne Osmond and more.
Lady Gaga highlights trans community while accepting Grammy for best pop duo group/performance
Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars won the Grammy for best pop duo group/performance for their song “Die with a Smile.”
Lady Gaga highlighted transgender people in her acceptance speech, saying, “It is a privilege to be a songwriter and producer and musician. I just want to say tonight that trans people are not invisible.”
She continued, “Trans people deserve love. The queer community deserves to be lifted up. Music is love.”
She also called Mars “an incredible human being” and thanked her fiance Michael Polansky.
Mars, who accepted the award alongside Lady Gaga, gave a shoutout to his collaborator in his acceptance speech, saying, “I’m so honored to have a small part in your giant musical legacy.”
Quincy Jones’ life and legacy honored in moving tribute
Legendary record producer and composer Quincy Jones was honored in a special tribute during the Grammys telecast, with actor Will Smith calling Jones “a mentor, friend [and] father figure” in a moving speech.
“All of Q’s children and all of us who just loved him like he was our father know this: Quincy Jones always took care of people, and that’s how he fed the world,” Smith added.
The tribute featured some of music’s biggest stars taking to the stage accompanied by Herbie Hancock on piano, including Cynthia Erivo singing “Fly Me to the Moon,” Lainey Wilson and Jacob Collier performing “Let the Good Times Roll,” Stevie Wonder singing “We Are the World,” and Janelle Monáe bringing down the house with “Don’t Stop ’til You Get Enough.”
Jones, who died Nov. 3, 2024, was a longtime music industry powerhouse who worked with some of music’s biggest names, including Ray Charles, Ella Fitzgerald, Count Basie, Aretha Franklin and Michael Jackson.
Jones won 28 Grammys during his life.
Shakira wins Grammy for best Latin pop album
Shakira won the Grammy for best Latin pop album for “Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran.”
Jennifer Lopez presented the award to the singer.
“I want to dedicate this award to all my immigrant brothers and sisters in this country,” she said in her acceptance speech. “You are loved, you are worth it and I will always fight with you. And to all of those women who work really hard every day to provide for their families, you are the true she-wolves.”
Shakira also thanked her kids in her brief speech.
Jennifer Lopez presented the award to the singer.
Others nominated in the category tonight included “ORQUÍDEAS” by Kali Uchis, “Funk Generation” by Anitta, “El Viaje” by Luis Fonsi and “GARCÍA” by Kany García.
Lady Gaga releases preview of new single ‘Abracadabra’ during Grammys commercial break
Lady Gaga surprised her fans during the Grammys telecast by sharing a preview of her new single, “Abracadabra,” along with a music video during a commercial break.
The preview of the song arrived ahead of her upcoming album, “MAYHEM,” which will be released March 7.
Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. addresses past Grammys criticism
Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. took to the stage to speak about the work the organization has done in recent years to diversify and provide transparency in how it gives out awards.
“What we all want is an organization dedicated to the well-being of all music makers and one that reflects the entire music community, for now and for future generations,” he said. “So, over the past few years, we have listened, we’ve acted and we’ve changed.”
Mason pointed to the creation of initiatives like Black Music Collective, Women in the Mix and Academy Proud, as well as the organization having “completely remade” its membership. He said more than 3,000 women voters have joined and that the voting body is younger and comprises nearly 40% people of color, with 66% of members having joined since the “transformation began.”
“It’s a system rooted in fairness, integrity and the principle that every voice in our community matters,” he said of today’s organization. “Now, charting a new course is never easy. There’s still work to be done, but I firmly believe we’re on the right path.”
He added, “As we’ve seen tonight, music is a powerful force for good. It heals us. It unites us. And we need that in this city right now.”
The Weeknd delivers surprise performance at the Grammys
The Weeknd delivered a surprise performance at the 2025 Grammys, singing his songs “Cry for Me” and “Timeless,” his song with Playboi Carti from his new album “Hurry Up Tomorrow.”
Playboi Carti joined the singer for the performance of “Timeless.”
Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars pay tribute to LA in moving performance
Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars took the Grammys stage and paid tribute to the city of LA and those affected by the recent wildfires.
The duo sang a moving rendition of “California Dreamin'” by The Mamas & the Papas.
Chappell Roan wins the Grammy for best new artist
Chappell Roan won the Grammy for best new artist.
During her acceptance speech, she shouted out her fellow nominees and thanked her fans.
“I told myself if I ever won a Grammy and got to stand up here before the most powerful people in music, I would demand that labels in the industry profiting millions of dollars off of artists would offer a livable wage and health care, especially to developing artists,” she continued.
Roan then shared her personal experience, saying that “because I got signed so young, I got signed as a minor … when I got dropped, I had zero job experience under my belt, and like most people, I had a difficult time finding a job in the pandemic and could not afford insurance.”
“It was so devastating to feel so committed to my art and feel so betrayed by the system,” she said, adding that she felt “dehumanized.”
She finished with a poignant question, “Record labels need to treat their artists as valuable employees with a livable wage and health insurance and protection. Labels, we got you — but do you got us?”
Other nominees in this year’s best new artist category included Benson Boone, Sabrina Carpenter, Doechii, Khruangbin, RAYE, Chappell Roan, Shaboozey and Teddy Swims.
RAYE performs ‘Oscar Winning Tears.’
RAYE brought down the house with a performance of “Oscar Winning Tears.”
RAYE is a first-time Grammy nominee this year, earning a nod for best new artist and songwriter of the year (non-classical).
Teddy Swims performs ‘Lose Control’
Teddy Swims performed a soulful rendition of his hit song “Lose Control” at the 2025 Grammys.
The singer wore sunglasses and a long white jacket with big, bright red roses all over.
Swims is nominated for best new artist at the award show.
Shaboozey performs ‘Good News’
Shaboozey got the crowd dancing when he took the Grammys stage to sing his hit song, “Good News.”
Shaboozey, a first-time Grammy nominee, went into the night with five nominations.
