Since the Grammy Awards were created and first held in 1959, every ceremony has been dedicated to awarding the best people in the music industry. Similarly, at this year’s ceremony held on February 2, 2025, breakthrough artists such as Chappell Roan, Doechii, and Sabrina Carpenter gave amazing performances and celebrated huge career achievements. As with most celebrity events, these didn’t come without public controversy and drama, such as Kanye West being removed from the red carpet, fan-favorite artists being snubbed, and a highly-debated choice for Album Of The Year.
Highlights of the night for many spectators included watching Taylor Swift and actress Margret Qualley dancing to performances such as “Von Dutch” and “Guess” by Charli XCX as they collected accessories such as glasses and jackets from peers. Other highlights included infamous industry rivals mending their burned bridges, such as when audiences saw Sabrina Carpenter and Olvia Rodrigo talking at the ceremony, who previously were publicly pinned against each other amidst the 2021 and 2022 releases of their albums “Sour” and “Emails I Can’t Send”.
Kanye West, now known as Ye, was nominated for his song “Carnival”, for the Best Rap Song category. He arrived on the red carpet with his wife, Bianca Censori. He was underdressed for the event, wearing black jeans, a black tee shirt, and a pair of dark sunglasses. Censori came wrapped in a long, black, fur jacket, which she then shed to reveal a thin, see-through dress. The dress appeared to make her look completely naked. After the carpet walk, the couple disappeared, sparking a rumor that they had been kicked out due to the controversial outfit choice. However, this was later debunked, as it was revealed that they left voluntarily.
The Grammy for Album of the Year is highly regarded as one of the most exclusive awards. Taylor Swift is the only person in history to receive this award 4 times for her albums Fearless, 1989, Folklore, and Midnights. This year Swift and many other artists were nominated, all with fantastic albums, sparking contention among fans over who they expected to win. The nominees included Taylor Swift’s The Tortured Poets Department, Billie Eilish’s Hit Me Hard And Soft, Charli XCX’s Brat., Chappell Roan’s The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess, Sabrina Carpenter’s Short n’ Sweet, Beyonce’s Cowboy Carter, Jacob Collier’s Djesse Vol 4., and André 3000’s New Blue Sun. Based on popularity, and album sales, many expected Swift or Eilish to be awarded the Grammy, but at the end of the award broadcast, Beyonce’s album Cowboy Carter was awarded with the title.
This sparked controversy due to how low its sales/popularity was, along with criticism of the fact Beyonce’s album had over 50 writers, while albums such as Eilish’s only had 2, and Swift’s 4 writers, making it seem Beyonce’s album was less creative on her end. This also sparked criticism due to many artists and albums that were snubbed such as Ariana Grande for her album, Eternal Sunshine.
The Grammy’s ceremony was also used as an opportunity for artists to speak up about social issues. As Chappell Roan accepted her award for Best New Artist, she used her speech to advocate for medical benefits for artists, specifically artists who are new to the industry and are yet to have large followings. She recounted how she once was a small, struggling artist who was neglected by her record label, and how it inspired her to “demand that labels and the industry, profiting millions of dollars off of artists, would offer a livable wage and health care, especially to developing artists”.
Overall, no matter how you view and interpret the events at the Grammys ceremony this year, it’s undeniable that they have had an impact on pop culture like many previous ceremonies before.
