Head-Spinning Grammys Feature Big Wins From Beyoncé, Kendrick, Chappell, Sabrina, St. Vincent, Doechii

In any given year, the Grammys are a lot to take in. Hours of maximalist pop performances distilled into elaborate set pieces with top-notch production and choreography led by superstar performers interspersed with luminary presenters, heartfelt tributes, breathless acceptance speeches, host shtick and long commercial breaks is a lot to digest. At its best are heart-stirring performances and speeches; at worst, it can get a bit shambolic and incoherent.
This year, though, was different. With the enormity of the L.A.’s catastrophic wildfires still being processed, The Recording Academy faced a tough decision whether to even hold this year’s Grammys. The organization made a wise choice turning the confab into a benefit, which was righteously prioritized and repeated throughout the show. In many ways, that decision gave the night more cohesion and sense of purpose. Yet, sometimes the juxtaposition of booty-shaking pop numbers and sincere heartfelt calls for contributions made strange bedfellows. And affable host Trevor Noah had his work cut out striking a difficult balance between levity and sincerity, calling for contributions and compassion and keeping the show moving.
This year’s top line: Beyoncé. (And, for a change, Bille or Taylor not so much). Bey – who led the 2025 nominations with 11 nods and is overall the most nominated recording artist with a jaw-dropping 99 noms – finally took home the biggest award of the night with her Album of the Year win for her country record Cowboy Carter, which also won Best Country Album, though, or maybe because, it was snubbed by the CMAs. She and Miley Cyrus also picked up the award for Best Country Duo/Group Performance for “II Most Wanted.” Beyoncé is now the most-awarded Grammy winner of all time with 35 wins.

Elsewhere, the meteoric rise of Chappell Roan, seen this past summer when her festival underbills turned into vast underplays, got her due, winning the highly-competitive Best New Artist category. Kendrick Lamar’s ubiquitous and explicit diss track “Not Like Us” in which he repeatedly calls Drake a pedophile, actually won both Song and Record of the Year. Sabrina Carpenter picked up Best Pop Vocal Album and Pop Solo performance, which she lived up to with her performance later in the show, as did Doechii, who won Best Rap Album; Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars’s “Die With a Smile” won Best Pop Duo/Group Performance; and Shakira’s Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran won Best Latin Pop album.
There were many knockout performances. Roan’s color-drenched rodeo for “Pink Pony Club” showcased her sublime vocals and songwriting atop a plushie of the song’s namesake; Benson Boone’s acrobatic performance of “Beautiful Things” may have stole the show as he went from tuxedo-clad audience member to a blue polyester-jumpsuit doing flips off the piano while belting it out; Raye, too, showed her amazing voice on “Oscar Winning Tears” leaving no doubt why last year she won five Brit Awards; Sabrina Carpenter cheeky and elaborate stage number for “Espresso” and “Please Please Please” channeled a bit of Marilyn Monroe; and Doechii’s rapping with a platoon of private school students turned “Catfish” and “Denial is a River” into straight-up fire and left little doubt to her Best Rap Album win.
Also here, The Weeknd finally embraced the Grammys (just in time for a new album and tour) performing ‘Cry For Me’ and ‘Timeless.” Cynthia Erivo, Herbie Hancock, Lainey Wilson, Stevie Wonder, Janelle Monáe paid fitting tribute to the great Quincy Jones; while Chris Martin led the “in memoriam” segment with a poignant version of ‘All My Love’
L.A.’s wildfire tragedy was referenced often. The opening saw Dawes perform Randy Newman’s classic “I Love L.A.” with a disparate all-star band featuring Brittany Howard, Brad Paisley, St. Vincent, John Legend and Sherly Crow. The performance was great, but hard to discern who played what on such a cramped stage. Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars’ intertwined voices gave an emotive and plaintive spin to the Mamas and Papas’ classic. And Billie Eilish’s hit “Birds of a Feather” featured a chaparral-filled set mirroring Los Angeles’ foothills and canyons.
Given the circumstances, acceptance speeches were relatively muted and mostly apolitical. Roan made an outspoken call for labels to pay artists living wages and provide health care—something she faced after being dropped earlier in her career by Atlantic Records. Lady Gaga made an impassioned appeal for the rights of Trans people, Alecia Keys made reference to the importance of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and Shakira dedicated her win for Best Latin Pop Album to “all my immigrant brothers and sisters in this country.”

Every year, so much great music and talent, is relegated to the pre-telecast (“pre-tel:”) where equally great artistry is celebrated and this year was no exception: Here, at the open seating Peackcock Theater, St. Vincent won three rock and alt-rock awards; Chris Stapleton won Best Country Solo Performance for “It Takes A Woman;” and SZA’s “Saturn” won Best R&B Song; Justice & Tame Impala’s Neverender” took home Best Dance/Electronic Recording; Charli XCX won Best dance/pop recording and Best Dance/Electronic Album; and Billy Strings won Best Bluegrass Album.
There were way more under-heralded pre-tel awards, including a small little band called The Beatles, in AI form, who won Best Rock Performance (for which Sean Lennon accepted the honor) as well as The Rolling Stones, Gojira, Kacey Musgraves, Jon Batiste, Carín León, Samara Joy, Dave Chappelle, A Rapsody featuring Erykah Badu, Gillian Welch & David Rawlings, Tems, Chick Corea & Béla Fleck, Meshell Ndegeocello, Norah Jones, Sierra Ferrel, Residente, Muni Long and many others.
It’s a different world when The Beatles and Stones are relegated to the pre-tel. And even more strange when contemporary artists like St. Vincent, Chris Stapleton, SZA, Billy Strings and Dave Chappelle miss the main event. Yes, it’s the evolution of pop culture and TV ratings., but in other ways, leaving out so much great diversity of artistry in these times seems like a bigger miss than ever.
