The Grammys 2025 Were the Best Awards Show in Years

Just a few weeks ago, not canceling the Grammys ceremony seemed like a bad idea. Music’s biggest night was scheduled to unfold shortly after the devastating California wildfires razed entire sections of neighborhoods like Altadena and the Pacific Palisades. Multiple Hollywood events were postponed or scrapped entirely; it didn’t feel like the time or, quite frankly, the place to celebrate.

But it’s actually a good thing that the Grammys stuck to their guns. The 2025 ceremony turned out to be one of the best awards shows in recent memory—an unexpected delight featuring an incredible array of performances, memorable speeches, and, most importantly, a creative way to give back to the communities impacted most by the fires.

That’s not to say that the Grammys were smooth sailing from the top—the red carpet was a bit of a doozy, especially when Kanye West turned up with his wife Bianca Censori, who left very little to the imagination in a complete see-through mini slip dress. (While initial reports alleged the pair hadn’t been invited to the ceremony and were escorted off the premises, they turned out to be false.) Jaden Smith showed up wearing what seemed to be a small Victorian dollhouse on his head. And an AP reporter dissed 13-time Grammy winner Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds to his face, cutting him off mid sentence in a bid to get Chappell Roan’s attention as she walked down the carpet. (The reporter apologized after the fact.)

But once the show started, any red carpet awkwardness became a distant memory. Hosted by Trevor Noah once again, the Grammys functioned, in part, as a telethon to raise money for communities impacted by the fires—with Noah instructing in-person attendees, large corporations, and viewers at home to open their purses and donate via a QR code that periodically appeared at the bottom of the screen. Throughout the evening, Noah acted more like a sherpa than a traditional host, helping the audience navigate tricky emotional terrain as they bounced between celebratory and somber moments. Sure, he told some jokes (some of which went over better than others), but with five consecutive years of Grammys experience under his belt, Noah seemed to understand that this year more than ever his job was to guide rather than entertain.

To kick things off, an Avengers-esque assemblage of artists—John Legend, Sheryl Crow, Brad Paisley, Brittany Spencer, St. Vincent, led by folk rock band Dawes—covered Randy Newman’s “I Love LA,” setting the tone of a diverse community coming together for a good cause. LA natives Billie Eilish and Finneas’s performance of her single “Birds of a Feather” featured a virtual backdrop with photos of the siblings as children growing up in California. Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars did a cover of “California Dreaming” in lieu of their Grammy-winning chart topping duet “Die with a Smile.”

Maybe performing for a greater cause gave the night’s headliners a boost of extra energy. Best pop album winner Sabrina Carpenter gave her earworm-y hit “Espresso” a much-appreciated “razzle dazzle” old Hollywood twist, complete with a tap dance break (although she didn’t seem to have any taps on the bottom of her Loubotins). Chappell Roan, who later won the Grammy for best new artist, seemed like a seasoned pro, getting the entire crowd on its feet for a rousing rendition of her West Hollywood anthem “Pink Pony Club.” And in the performance highlight of the night, best rap album winner Doechi delivered a ferocious medley of songs from her album Alligator Bites Never Heal, ending with a vaudevillian, show-stopping twist on her hit “Denial Is A River.” At an award ceremony that historically has featured a lot of older, respected artists singing snoozy renditions of their greatest hits, last night’s youthful standouts really did feel like a bunch of kids determined to save the community center that is Los Angeles by putting on the best damn talent show this town had ever seen. (To be clear, I mean this as a compliment.)

That verve was matched by the energy and earnestness of the winners’ speeches. Although Donald Trump’s name was never explicitly uttered, the looming presence of his new administration was unmistakable. Shakira dedicated her Grammy for best Latin album “to all my immigrant brothers and sisters in this country. You are loved. You are worth it and I will always fight with you.” While accepting her Grammy, Lady Gaga declared that “trans people are not invisible. Trans people deserve love, and the queer community deserves to be lifted up.” Even relative industry newcomer Roan was inspired to get political, calling out record industry bigwigs for not supporting up-and-coming artists with healthcare.

It was an evening dominated by a diverse group of talented and passionate people, many of whom are queer and femme-presenting. During a tribute honoring the late Quincy Jones, Cynthia Erivo delivered a truly breathtaking rendition of “Fly Me To The Moon,” while Janelle Monae, who is nonbinary, absolutely ripped up the stage with a spirited rendition of Michael Jackson’s “Don’t Stop Till You Get Enough” produced by Jones Jones’s collaborations with Michael Jackson. 17-time Grammy winner Alicia Keys, who took home the global impact honor, said it best, using her airtime to shower love upon the recently under-fire practice of DEI. “This is not the time to shut out diverse voices,” said Keys. “DEI is not a threat—it’s a gift.”

The night’s one big male winner—Kendrick Lamar took home song and record of the year for his ubiquitous Drake diss track “Not Like Us,” which won a total of five Grammys over the course of the evening—felt cosmically woven into the meta purpose of the evening. A Compton native, Lamar dedicated his win to the city of Los Angeles and all that Angelinos have been through. “I can’t give enough thanks to these places that I rode around since high school,” said Lamar. “Most importantly, the people and the families out in the Palisades and Altadena. This is a true testament that we are going to continue to restore the city.”

And, of course, there was Beyoncé. At long last, our greatest living entertainer was given her flowers, winning album of the year for her genre-breaking album Cowboy Carter. (She also won best country album, right before making an expression that instantly became a meme.) With that win, she became only the fourth Black woman in Grammys history to win the ceremony’s topline award, following Natalie Cole, Whitney Houston, and Lauryn Hill. (Taylor Swift, who went home empty-handed, has already won album of the year four times on her own.) Her name was announced by members of the Los Angeles Fire Department, a fitting cap for a night that meant more than just a typical award show—a night that also raised over $7 million for those impacted by the fires, according to Noah.

“I hope we just keep pushing forward,” Beyoncé said as she accepted the award. “Opening doors.” And rebuilding some, too, with the uniting power of music.