Grammys 2025: Notable Moments
Beyoncé holding multiple Grammy Awards, celebrating her victories at the 2015 Grammy Awards ceremony. Photo by gem_106 on Flickr
The 2025 Grammy Awards brought red carpet scandals, Beyoncé’s first Album of the Year award, a diss track winning five Grammys and standout performances from Sabrina Carpenter, Chappell Roan and Charli XCX. These are some of the night's most notable moments.
YE & BIANCA CENSORI
The controversial couple made headlines after Bianca Censori revealed herself in a dress so sheer that it was essentially nude. Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, has become infamous for his controversial, often episodically irate, behavior.
Censori, who has been the rapper’s wife since 2022, has also seen her fair share of controversy through the relationship, harking back to another moment of public indecency during a Venice boat ride in August 2023.
During the Grammys, however, Censori seemed initially hesitant to take off her fur coat, prompting rumors of a forced situation. A worrying tweet from Ye’s official X account where he claims to have dominion over his wife was posted the week after the incident. Regardless, it drew attention back to an artist who has made more headlines for his controversial edge-lord antics than good, substantive music.
The couple was escorted away by security after the stunt; it was later revealed that neither Ye nor Censori had reserved seats for the awards ceremony.
ASSOCIATED PRESS & BABYFACE
Two journalists with the Associated Press were heavily criticized after dismissing renowned producer Babyface mid-interview to get Chappell Roan’s attention during the Grammys’ red carpet procession before the show.
Krysta Fauria shouted out Roan’s name while her co-reporter Leslie Ambriz continued to interview Babyface, both eventually diverting their attention after the 12-time Grammy-winning composer asked “You guys wanna take that? Go do that then,” before returning the microphone to the Associated Press reporters.
Fans were quick to express their discontent on social media, prompting a live apology from both interviewers and a statement posted on the Associated Press’s official X account.
BEYONCE & COWBOY CARTER
Beyoncé, with “Cowboy Carter,” became the first Black woman in Grammys history to win Best Country Album and only the fourth Black woman to win Album of the Year. This was her fifth nomination for Album of the Year and her only win. While she broke the record for Grammy awards in 2023, this Grammys cycle gave Beyoncé what fans have clamored for since her first album of the year nomination in 2010 for “I Am…Sasha Fierce.”
Debates have sparked over her winning Best Country Album, with disagreements over “Cowboy Carter’s” status as a country album. Her Album of the Year win was also contested, with arguments for "Brat" promoting Charli XCX’s influence over summer 2024.
Regardless, Beyoncé’s win in both categories recognizes consistent snubs throughout her career and appreciates the role “Cowboy Carter” played in introducing new audiences to country music, reflected in Dolly Parton's Spotify catalog doubling in listeners and Linda Martell’s catalog increasing by 127,430% post-album release.
KENDRICK LAMAR VS. DRAKE
Amidst a defamation and harassment lawsuit between Drake and Universal Music Group over the Kendrick Lamar diss track, “Not Like Us” won five Grammy awards: Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Best Music Video, Best Rap Song and Best Rap Performance, ironically fulfilling a prophecy set by one of Drake’s response lyrics: “Kendrick just opened his mouth/Someone go hand him a Grammy right now.”
Aside from the feud, Lamar winning both Record of the Year and Song of the Year represents an industry-wide validation of rap music as an equal competitor to pop music as this is the second time a rap song has won Record & Song of the Year; the first being Childish Gambino’s “This is America” in 2019.
Additionally, this win is the Recording Academy rewarding authenticity and artistic integrity. More than a diss track, Kendrick Lamar dedicated the award to “the city. Compton, Watts, Long Beach, Inglewood, Hollywood, out to the Valley, Pacoima, IE, San Bernardino, all that.” The song, and his subsequent album cycle, were love letters to Southern California. The artist’s genre shift to West Coast Hip Hop is proof of his dedication to honoring his hometown.
Overall, the tone of the award show was lively yet solemn, as the Los Angeles fires and recent political developments cast a shadow of reality over the usual glitz and glamour of the ceremony. Several awarded artists gave speeches commemorating marginalized groups, reminding audiences that music will always provide a voice to the unheard.
Through artist controversies, natural disasters and a tense political climate, the Grammys felt refreshingly hopeful.