The 2025 Grammy Awards were about celebrating so much more than the best music of the past year.
As the annual awards show kicked off Sunday, February 2, at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles — with Taylor Swift leading a star-studded carpet — host Trevor Noah set the tone of what music’s biggest night would be about.
“As usual, we’re coming to you live from Los Angeles. What’s unusual are the circumstances this evening,” Noah said. “Just a few weeks ago, we weren’t sure tonight’s show would even happen. This city has just been through one of the biggest natural disasters in American history.”
With several wildfires — including the Palisades and Eaton Fire — now 100 percent contained, Noah explained why the city of Los Angeles also deserves to be celebrated.
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“In the darkest of times, the best of humanity shines through, and the people of Los Angeles right now are the perfect example of that,” he said. “Tonight we decided we’re not just going to be celebrating our favorite music. We’re also celebrating the city that brought us so much of that music.”
Us Weekly kept track of all the best and worst moments on the red carpet and in the show (check out the full winners list here). Keep reading to see all the jaw-dropping memories that will have everyone talking:
Best Tribute to Los Angeles: ‘I Love L.A.’
Throughout the broadcast, the Grammys and CBS took steps to honor those affected by the wildfires in Los Angeles. In addition to inviting first responders, highlighting local businesses in commercials and raising funds for victims throughout the show, the Grammys also opened up the event with a special rendition of Randy Newman’s 1983 song “I Love L.A.”
Sheryl Crow, Brittany Howard, Brad Paisley, John Legend and St. Vincent joined Dawes for the star-studded performance. Taylor and Griffin Goldsmith, who make up Dawes, both lost their homes in the wildfires and have since been involved in relief efforts.
Later on in the show, Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars came together for a rendition of The Mamas & the Papas’ “California Dreamin’.”
Best Performance: Sabrina Carpenter
For the record: Shakira, Chappell Roan, Janelle Monáe, Charli XCX and more artists brought the house down with their performances. Witnessing Carpenter’s dream of performing at the show come true, however, was extra special. While taking the stage, the singer performed a medley of “Espresso” and “Please, Please, Please.” While she started her set in a bedazzled suit, she quickly changed into a powder blue leotard for a theatrical, cabaret-inspired performance.
Moments after her impressive set, Carpenter won Best Pop Vocal Album for Short & Sweet.
Best Acceptance Speech: Doechii
After becoming the third woman to win the Grammy for Best Rap Album, the Alligator Bites Never Heal artist couldn’t hold back tears when she received the award from Cardi B, who previously won the honor in 2019. (Lauryn Hill was the first woman to win in the category in 1997 when she triumphed as part of the Fugees.)
“I know there’s some Black girl — so many Black women — watching me right now. And I wanna tell you, you can do it,” she said through tears. “Anything is possible. Don’t allow anybody to project any stereotypes on you.”
Best Speech With a Message to the Industry: Chappell Roan
While accepting the award for Best New Artist, Roan called for music labels to give new artists a liveable wage and healthcare.
“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 artists would offer a liveable wage and healthcare, especially to developing artists,” she said. “Labels we got you, but do you got us?”
Best Diss Track Win: Kendrick Lamar
After winning Record of the Year and Song of the Year for “Not Like Us,” his diss track against Drake, the Super Bowl 2025 halftime show performer dedicated his trophy to the communities of Los Angeles.
“Compton, Watts, Long Beach, Inglewood, Hollywood, out to the Valley, Pacoima, IE, San Bernardino, all that,” he said. “This is my neck of the woods that held me down since I was in the studio scrapping to write the best raps and all that, in order to do records like these. 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 the Palisades and Altadena. This is a true testament that we can continue to restore this city. We gonna keep rocking.”
To make the night even more special, Lamar experienced the whole crowd shouting out the line “A minor” as his Grammy-winning song played in the stadium.
Best Reaction to Grammys Win: Beyoncé
Swift had the honor of presenting the award for Best Country Album. As soon as Beyoncé’s name was called as the winner for last year’s Cowboy Carter, nobody was more surprised than the Queen Bey herself. Her reaction quickly went viral on social media after she delivered a heartfelt acceptance speech in front of husband Jay-Z, daughter Blue Ivy and thousands of attendees.
“I really was not expecting this. Wow!” Beyoncé said after making history as the first Black woman to win in the category. “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.”
Best Seatmates: Taylor Swift and Cynthia Erivo
In a viral video posted to X during the show, Erivo was spotted wandering through the venue looking for her seat. Fortunately, she caught the eye of Swift, who waved her over to her table.
Once Erivo was seated on the chair next to Swift, the pair shared a laugh as they enjoyed Noah’s opening monologue.
Best Finally Moment: Beyoncé
Sometimes, they truly save the best for last. Los Angeles firefighters had the honor to present Beyoncé with her very first Album of the Year trophy thanks to Cowboy Carter.
“I just feel very full and very honored,” Beyoncé said during her acceptance speech. “It’s been many, many years, and I just want to thank the Grammys and every songwriter, every collaborator, every producer — all of the hard work. … I just hope we keep pushing forward and opening doors.”
Worst Entrance: Kanye West and Bianca Censori
As West celebrated his nomination for Best Rap Song thanks to his “Carnival” collaboration with ¥$, Ty Dolla $ign, Rich the Kid and Playboi Carti, his wife quickly grabbed the attention of photographers when she took off her fur coat to reveal a completely sheer dress. (Censori wasn’t the only star going semi-naked on the red carpet, of course.)
A source later confirmed to Us Weekly that West and Censori departed “on their own accord” right after posing for photos. “They just got in their car and left,” the insider added.
According to multiple reports, the pair attempted to replicate the cover of West’s Vultures album.
Worst Red Carpet Moment: Reporters Snub Babyface to Interview Chappell Roan
While the red carpet can get a bit stressful and chaotic — especially during awards shows — fans were not impressed with how two reporters handled their interview with Babyface. As the 12-time Grammy winner was answering a question mid-sentence, Babyface was cut off as one red carpet reporter noticed Roan in the background.
“You guys want to do that?” he asked before walking away. “Go do that.”
Worst No-Show: Ariana Grande
Although Grande likely has a perfectly good reason why she didn’t attend Sunday’s show, fans were hoping to celebrate her multiple nominations, including Best Pop Vocal Album thanks to Eternal Sunshine.
The singer, however, hasn’t been the biggest fan of the Grammys. In 2019, she criticized a Grammys producer who claimed she pulled out of the show because she couldn’t organize her performance in time. “I’ve kept my mouth shut but now you’re lying about me,” she later wrote via X. “I can pull together a performance overnight and you know that.”
Worst Production Choice: A Nearly 4-Hour Show
Yes, we know it can’t be easy celebrating a whole year of music in just one awards show. But it’s hard for viewers to commit to more than 210 minutes of nonstop television — and stay up past 11:30 p.m. on a Sunday if you’re on the East Coast. While we’re not advocating for winners to have their speeches wrapped in record time, we can’t help but wonder if there’s a way to make the show just a little shorter.
Related: Drake and More Musicians Who’ve Called Out the Grammys
For almost as long as the Grammys have existed, musicians have criticized the voting process, the nominations and the winners. Grammy disses have taken many forms over the years, but in the 21st century, much of the commentary has focused on the awards show’s history of excluding women and Black artists from the major categories. […]
Worst Omission: No Primetime Awards for Charli XCX
Although Charli XCX was the final star to perform during the very long awards show, fans wish they could have witnessed the singer accept any of her three wins: Best Dance Pop Recording for “Von Dutch,” Best Dance/Electronic Album for Brat and Best Recording Package for Brat. While Brat Summer may be over, the recognition shouldn’t stop.
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