On February 2, the best in music gathered at LA’s Crypto.com Arena for the 67th Annual Grammy Awards, hosted for the fifth time by Trevor Noah.
Only weeks earlier, the city had been devastated by unprecedented wildfires, displacing thousands of individuals and families. In response, several award shows, including the Critics Choice Awards and the SAG Awards, postponed their ceremonies in solidarity. Despite similar calls for the Grammys to do the same, the Recording Academy chose to proceed as planned.
“We understand how devastating this past week has been on this city and its people,” said Recording Academy and MusiCares® CEO Harvey Mason jr said in a statement, “This is our home, it’s home to thousands of music professionals, and many of us have been negatively impacted. So after thoughtful consideration, and multiple assurances from state and local elected leaders, public safety agencies, and with support from our incredible artist community, we have decided to go ahead with the GRAMMY telecast and some select events. GRAMMY Week 2025 will not just be about honoring music, it will be about using the power of music to help rebuild, uplift and support those in need.”
The result was a heartfelt tribute to the city and its resilience.
A powerhouse supergroup featuring Dawes, Sheryl Crow, John Legend, Brad Paisley, Brittany Howard, and St. Vincent kicked off the awards show and MusiCares fundraiser with a stirring rendition of Randy Newman’s “I Love LA.” MusiCares, an independent 501(c)(3) charity, “safeguards the well-being of all music people through direct financial grant programs, networks of support resources, and tailored crisis relief efforts,” as noted on their website. Throughout the night, both the audience and viewers at home were encouraged to contribute via a QR code.
Best New Artist nominee Billie Eilish also paid tribute to the LA hills with a hauntingly beautiful performance of “Birds of a Feather,” alongside her brother, Finneas. She sang against a backdrop of the hills as images from her childhood spent there flashed across the screen. As the final note faded, she called out to the audience, “I love you, LA.”
Keeping their neighbors in LA as their focus, CBS chose to offer the often very expensive ad spots to local businesses who had been affected by the wildfires. One of those businesses was Orla Floral Studio, who also created the illuminated flower centerpieces that were at every table that night.
Doechii took home the award for Rap Album of the Year, an honor that moved the Tampa native to tears. In her speech, she reflected on the significance of the moment, noting that she was only the third woman to ever win since the category’s introduction in 1989, following Cardi B and Lauryn Hill. She concluded with heartfelt words for “so many black women out there that are watching me right now,” declaring, “I want to tell you—you can do it. Anything is possible. Don’t allow anybody to project any stereotypes on you that 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 you are exactly who you need to be to be right where you are, and I am a testimony. Praise God.”
Beyoncé also made history with her 33rd, 34th, and 35th Grammy wins in the categories of Best Country Album and Album of the Year for Cowboy Carter, as well as Best Country Duo for her duet with Miley Cyrus, “II Most Wanted.” Beyoncé is the first black artist to win in the Best Country Album category.
In a full-circle moment, Taylor Swift announced Beyoncé’s Country Album win. Following Kanye West’s infamous interruption of Swift’s speech at the 2009 VMAs, Beyoncé had invited Swift back onstage to finish. 15 years later, Taylor was giving Beyoncé here moment. Beyoncé was left in complete shock by her win, a reaction that has since become a meme.
After being celebrated with a standing ovation for their tireless work fighting the wildfires, representatives from the Los Angeles fire departments announced Beyoncé as the winner of Album of the Year, her first ever win in this category.
Following impressive, high-production performances, Sabrina Carpenter and Chappell Roan also hit career milestones by winning their first Grammys for Best Vocal Pop Album and Best New Artist, respectively, while Kendrick Lamar added five more Grammys to his collection for his Drake diss track “Not Like Us,” bringing his total career wins to 22.
Chappell Roan, Lady Gaga, and Shakira used their speeches to amplify the voices of under compensated developing artists, the transgender community, and immigrants.
“I just want to say tonight, trans people are not invisible. Trans people deserve love. The queer community should be lifted up. Music is love,” Lady Gaga declared while accepting the award for Best Pop Duo alongside Bruno Mars.
Accepting the award for Best Latin Pop Album, Shakira dedicated her Grammy to “all my immigrant brothers and sisters,” adding, “In this country, you are loved, you are worth it, and I will always fight alongside you.”
Other standout moments included a Best New Artist medley featuring Benson Boone, Doechii, Raye, Teddy Swims, and Shaboozey, as well as a solo performance from Charli XCX of her song “Guess,” with special guests, including Julia Fox and Gabriette.
The celebration was also balanced by moments of somber remembrance. The In Memoriam segment led by Chris Martin and guitar prodigy Grace Bowers, as well as an all-star salute to the late Quincy Jones, led by Will Smith, which featured performances by Herbie Hancock, Cynthia Erivo, Lainey Wilson, Jacob Collier, and Janelle Monáe. In one of the most emotional performances of the night, Stevie Wonder led a rendition of “We Are the World” alongside student singers from Pasadena Waldorf School in Altadena and Palisades Charter High School, both of which were tragically lost in the fires.
Following the ceremony, Musicares announced on instagram that “Almost $9 million was raised on GRAMMY Sunday to aid wildfire relief efforts.” with over $24 million raised across all the Recording Academy and Musicares events that weekend.
For a full list of winners, visit: https://www.grammy.com/awards/67th-annual-grammy-awards-2024
ALBUM OF THE YEAR
- “New Blue Sun”
André 3000 - “Cowboy Carter”
Beyoncé (WINNER) - “Short n’ Sweet”
Sabrina Carpenter - “Brat”
Charli XCX - “Djesse Vol. 4”
Jacob Collier - “Hit Me Hard and Soft”
Billie Eilish - “The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess”
Chappell Roan - “The Tortured Poets Department”
Taylor Swift
RECORD OF THE YEAR
- “Now and Then”
The Beatles - “Texas Hold ‘Em”
Beyoncé - “Espresso”
Sabrina Carpenter - “360”
Charli XCX - “Birds of a Feather”
Billie Eilish - “Not Like Us”
Kendrick Lamar (WINNER) - “Good Luck, Babe!”
Chappell Roan - “Fortnight”
Taylor Swift Featuring Post Malone
SONG OF THE YEAR
- “A Bar Song (Tipsy)”
Sean Cook, Jerrel Jones, Joe Kent, Chibueze Collins Obinna, Nevin Sastry & Mark Williams, songwriters
(Shaboozey) - “Birds of a Feather”
Billie Eilish O’Connell & Finneas, songwriters (Billie Eilish) - “Die With a Smile”
Dernst Emile II, James Fauntleroy, Lady Gaga, Bruno Mars & Andrew Watt, songwriters (Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars) - “Fortnight”
Jack Antonoff, Austin Post & Taylor Swift, songwriters
(Taylor Swift Featuring Post Malone) - “Good Luck, Babe!”
Kayleigh Rose Amstutz, Daniel Nigro & Justin Tranter, songwriters (Chappell Roan) - “Not Like Us”
Kendrick Lamar, songwriter (Kendrick Lamar) (WINNER) - “Please Please Please”
Amy Allen, Jack Antonoff & Sabrina Carpenter, songwriters (Sabrina Carpenter) - “Texas Hold ‘Em”
Brian Bates, Beyoncé, Elizabeth Lowell Boland, Megan Bülow, Nate Ferraro & Raphael Saadiq, songwriters (Beyoncé)
BEST NEW ARTIST
- Benson Boone
- Sabrina Carpenter
- Doechii
- Khruangbin
- Raye
- Chappell Roan (WINNER)
- Shaboozey
- Teddy Swims
BEST POP SOLO PERFORMANCE
- “Bodyguard”
Beyoncé - “Espresso”
Sabrina Carpenter (WINNER) - “Apple”
Charli xcx - “Birds of a Feather”
Billie Eilish - “Good Luck, Babe!”
Chappell Roan
BEST POP DUO/GROUP PERFORMANCE
- “Us”
Gracie Abrams Featuring Taylor Swift - “Levii’s Jeans”
Beyoncé Featuring Post Malone - “Guess”
Charli XCX & Billie Eilish - “The Boy Is Mine”
Ariana Grande, Brandy & Monica - “Die With a Smile”
Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars (WINNER)
BEST POP VOCAL ALBUM
- “Short n’ Sweet”
Sabrina Carpenter (WINNER) - “Hit Me Hard and Soft”
Billie Eilish - “Eternal Sunshine”
Ariana Grande - “The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess”
Chappell Roan - “The Tortured Poets Department”
Taylor Swift
BEST R&B SONG
- “After Hours”
Diovanna Frazier, Alex Goldblatt, Kehlani Parrish, Khris Riddick-Tynes & Daniel Upchurch, songwriters (Kehlani) - “Burning”
Ronald Banful & Temilade Openiyi, songwriters (Tems) - “Here We Go (Uh Oh)”
Sara Diamond, Sydney Floyd, Marisela Jackson, Courtney Jones, Carl McCormick & Kelvin Wooten, songwriters (Coco Jones) - “Ruined Me”
Jeff Gitelman, Priscilla Renea & Kevin Theodore, songwriters (Muni Long) - “Saturn”
Rob Bisel, Carter Lang, Solána Rowe, Jared Solomon & Scott Zhang, songwriters (SZA) (WINNER)
BEST RAP PERFORMANCE
- “Enough (Miami)”
Cardi B - “When the Sun Shines Again”
Common & Pete Rock Featuring Posdnuos - “Nissan Altima”
Doechii - “Houdini”
Eminem - “Like That”
Future & Metro Boomin Featuring Kendrick Lamar - “Yeah Glo!”
GloRilla - “Not Like Us”
Kendrick Lamar (WINNER)
BEST RAP ALBUM
- “Might Delete Later”
J. Cole - “The Auditorium, Vol. 1”
Common & Pete Rock - “Alligator Bites Never Heal”
Doechii (WINNER) - “The Death Of Slim Shady (Coup De Grâce)”
Eminem - “We Don’t Trust You”
Future & Metro Boomin
BEST RAP SONG
- “Asteroids”
Marlanna Evans, songwriter (Rapsody Featuring Hit-Boy) - “Carnival”
Jordan Carter, Raul Cubina, Grant Dickinson, Samuel Lindley, Nasir Pemberton, Dimitri Roger, Ty Dolla $ign, Kanye West & Mark Carl Stolinski Williams, songwriters (¥$ (Kanye West & Ty Dolla $Ign)
Featuring Rich The Kid & Playboi Carti) - “Like That”
Kendrick Lamar Duckworth, Kobe “BbyKobe” Hood, Leland Wayne & Nayvadius Wilburn, songwriters (Future & Metro Boomin Featuring Kendrick Lamar) - “Not Like Us”
Kendrick Lamar, songwriter (Kendrick Lamar) (WINNER) - “Yeah Glo!”
Ronnie Jackson, Jaucquez Lowe, Timothy McKibbins, Kevin Andre Price, Julius Rivera III & Gloria Woods, songwriters (GloRilla)
BEST COUNTRY ALBUM
- Cowboy Carter
Beyoncé (WINNER) - F-1 Trillion
Post Malone - Deeper Well
Kacey Musgraves - Higher
Chris Stapleton - Whirlwind
Lainey Wilson
BEST LATIN POP ALBUM
- Funk Generation
Anitta - El Viaje
Luis Fonsi - GARCÍA
Kany García - Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran
Shakira (WINNER) - ORQUÍDEAS
Kali Uchis
Featured Photo Credit: Kevin Winter/Getty Images for The Recording Academy