The Grammy Awards remain the highest honor in music — efforts to make them more representative of the few decades that have gone back and forth about how great an average person might be able to imagine artists having — and the 2025 Grammy nominations are full surprises, seemingly under-construction nostrums, and new blood. The announcements ruffling feathers around the music world come ahead of the 67th Annual Grammy Awards, which will be held on February 2, 2025.
With Beyoncé and Taylor Swift maintaining the stranglehold they had years ago, alongside younger stars like Sabrina Carpenter and Chappell Roan about to hit their peak, these nominations paint a picture of an industry in flux. A closer look at the favorites — and some surprises.
Big Awards — Record of the Year, Album of the Year and Song of the Year
Record of the Year
One of the most competitive categories reproducing songs that encapsulated what musical time capsule 2025 was all about. The nominees include:
“Now And Then” – The Beatles
“TEXAS HOLD’ E.M.” – Beyoncé
Sabrina Carpenter – “Espresso”
“360” – Charli XCX
BIRDS OF A FEATHER – Billie Eilish
Kendrick Lamar — Not Like Us
“Good Luck, Babe!” – Chappell Roan
70 | “Fortnight” — Taylor Swift feat. Post Malone
Beyoncé — TEXAS HOLD ‘E.M.; Taylor Swift with Post Malone — Fortnight Beyoncé uses her track to showcase the genre-blending skills she does better than anyone (sorry, Lady Gaga), while Swift’s entry proves she has no problem evolving as a storytelling artist. That said, Billie Eilish’s haunting “BIRDS OF A FEATHER” and Kendrick Lamar’s powerhouse “Not Like Us” could be tough competition at the Grammy awards
Album of the Year
Examples of major projects include those that received nominations in the ever-coveted Album of The Year category, which spans from experimental efforts to high-gloss pop albums:
New Blue Sun – André 3000
COWBOY CARTER – Beyoncé
Sabrina Carpenter — Short n’ Sweet
BRAT – Charli X.C.X.
Djesse Vol. 4 – Jacob Collier
HIT MEE HARD IN SOFT – Billie Eilish
Chappell Roan – The New Gilded Age of a Midwest Princess
THE DEPARTMENT OF TORTURED POETS: Taylor Swift
COWBOY CARTER by Beyoncé: This represents a totally unexpected dip into country music for her–after the pop-soul bravado of Renaissance, how can you get more disparate? Elsewhere, Taylor Swift has the TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT, which faithfully continues her trend of incredibly high-concept and lyrically heavy projects. Of course, no conversation of music this year would be complete without mention of André 3000’s New Blue Sun, a sprawling genre-less effort that hails from hearts, critics alike, and minds everywhere as a work for the ages.
Song of the Year
Prioritizing songwriting quality, the nominees for Song of the Year spotlight strong lyrics and the art of storytelling:
Shaboozey – A Bar Song (Tipsy)
BIRDS OF A FEATHER — Billie Eilish
Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars – “Die With A Smile”
Fortnight – Taylor Swift Ft. Post Malone
“Good Luck, Babe!” – Chappell Roan
Unlike Us / Kendrick Lamar
Sabrina Carpenter — “Please Please Please”
“TEXAS HOLD’ E.M.” – Beyoncé
Highly personal and socially conscious lyrics, as seen in Taylor Swift’s “Fortnight” or Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us.” Sabrina Carpenter’s emotional “Please Please Please” has also resonated, establishing her as a rising presence in the field.
Best new artist: In at first!
The Best New Artist category is always a sign of future stars to come, and this year is no different. The nominees are:
Benson Boone
Sabrina Carpenter
Doechii
Khruangbin
R.A.Y.E.
Chappell Roan
Shaboozey
Teddy Swims
The arc of Sabrina Carpenter from Disney star to pop powerhouse has made for one of the more interesting storylines of the year. Another top stand-out is Chappell Roan, who has her unique sound and style. In the meantime, Doechii has made heads turn for her unabashed take on modern hip-hop while genre-blending pop numbers have earned R.A.Y.E. critical acclaim.
Dominance of Women in Music
Perhaps the most eye-popping element of this year’s Grammy nominations for 2025 is the simple fact that women continue to run not just the ground but also a very large part of the air. Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish, and Sabrina Carpenter account for a substantial proportion of the nominations in most categories. Their works are commercially viable but, deep down the line, extremely important.
This trend corresponds with an overall movement in the music industry – where women have become pioneers to tell their own stories and authorize their music.
Surprises and Snubs
The nominations, as expected this year, honored lots of great artists but also had a few surprises and memorable misses:
In a nostalgic nod to fans of the legendary band, The Beatles scored a Record of the Year nomination for “Now and Then.” Decades after they were at their peak, the track demonstrates the timeless quality of their sound.
Snub: While Morgan Wallen and Luke Combs dominated the country charts in 2022, many fans were disappointed to see both singers missing from most major categories.
Shock: Despite a Unique Unstructured Release and Little Effort to Promote It, André 3000 — New Blue Sun is Almost Unanimously Acclaimed & Nominated for Album of the Year
Genre-Blurring Trends
The nominations this year also reflect another one of the most exciting trends in music today—arches of genres. Beyoncé also experimented with country music on COWBOY CARTER, and Taylor Swift further blurred the lines between pop and country in a song featuring Post Malone. Billie Eilish defies all genre norms with an output of indie, pop, and electronic in one package.
Toeing the line between genres like this reflects the ever-changing landscape of modern music, where artists are clearly freer than ever to try something new.
Who Will Walk Away with the Grammy Trophies?
It is always difficult to predict the winner of Grammys, but there are at least a couple of front-runners:
Possible Greatest of All Times: Billie Eilish holds its thriving record, but Beyoncé’s “TEXAS HOLD’ E.M.” and Taylor Swift’s “Fortnight”) may give it the run for G.O.A.T.
This one has a lot of competition: Beyoncé — who won over typical voters with the slam-dunk art-pop album Renaissance — will take this one, but Taylor Swift could win with THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT (and André 3000’s New Blue Sun could also surprise).
Song of the Year As far as pure lyrics/a cultural moment, Taylor Swift leads it with “Fortnight” Kendrick for his “Not Like Us.”
Sabrina Carpenter and Chappell Roan have fan support, but Doechii is pushing boundaries that could pull in votes.
Conclusion
Nomination day for the 2025 Grammys has yielded a vibrant, eclectic, and downright unpredictable music industry. Featuring a blend of veteran legends and newcomers, these 2023 awards will be a celebration of innovation and tradition.
While we wait for the winners, at least one thing is clear: The Grammys still represent an ever-changing face of music, both in terms of commercial success, artistic vision, and cultural impact. That could set the stage for Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, or a new breakout act to dominate the 2025 Grammy Awards.
Find out who takes home the sought-after trophies at the ceremony on February 2, 2025.
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