Grammy Awards 2025: A Night of Music Excellence

Mark Savage

Music Correspondent

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Beyoncé and Taylor Swift are two of the most recognized artists in the history of the Grammy Awards

The Grammys are music’s biggest night, both literally and figuratively.

The ceremony, which takes place in LA on Sunday night, runs for a staggering eight hours, attracting the biggest stars in pop, rock, country, and hip-hop.

Organizers will hand out 94 awards, recognizing everything from the best pop album to the best choral performance.

Beyoncé and Taylor Swift have both confirmed their attendance, as they square off in the album of the year category for the first time since 2010.

There’ll also be performances from Charli XCX, Sabrina Carpenter, Benson Boone, Shakira, Stevie Wonder, Teddy Swims, and Raye – and an in memoriam tribute to Thriller producer Quincy Jones.

Here’s everything you need to know about the ceremony.

1) Who’s Going to Win Album of the Year?

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All three of Billie Eilish’s albums have been nominated for Album of The Year. She has won once, for When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? in 2020

The big question of the night is whether Beyoncé will finally win album of the year, after four previous losses in the category.

During last year’s ceremony, her husband Jay-Z addressed the oversight, telling the audience about her Grammy history.

Billie Eilish is currently the bookmakers’ favorite with her third album Hit Me Hard and Soft.

Charli XCX’s Brat is a career-defining pop record that became a cultural phenomenon.

Taylor Swift’s 11th album, The Tortured Poets Department, was the biggest-seller of last year.

2) What About the Other Big Prizes?

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Kendrick Lamar has five nominations for his diss track Not Like Us, and will headline the Super Bowl half-time show a week later

One of the year’s most stacked categories is record of the year – better understood as “best single”.

The front-runner is Kendrick Lamar’s Not Like Us, a furious take-down of his rap nemesis, Drake.

In the parallel song of the year prize, the smart money is on Bruno Mars and Lady Gaga’s Die With A Smile.

Chappell Roan’s breakout single Good Luck Babe is another strong contender.

The coveted best new artist prize is a two-way split between Chappell Roan and Sabrina Carpenter.

3) Which Grammy Records Could Be Broken?

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André 3000 won best album in 2001 as one-half of the rap duo Outkast. This year, he returns to the ceremony as a jazz flautist

Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter has 11 nominations, potentially making it the most-rewarded album in Grammy history.

Billie Eilish could become the first female artist to win Record of the Year three times with Birds of a Feather.

Rapper turned flautist André 3000 is also poised to make history.

4) Who Votes for the Grammys?

Yellow Studio New York

This year’s stage, designed by Yellow Studio, features a giant 20-foot sculpture, inspired by the “brass horn” of the gramophone on a Grammy Award.

More than 13,000 members of the Recording Academy vote for the Grammys every year.

To qualify, they must be currently working in the music industry, and pay an annual subscription.

Every member is allowed to vote in up to 10 categories across three fields.

The 2025 awards recognize music released between 16 September 2023 and 30 August, 2024.

5) How Did The Beatles Get Nominated?

If The Beatles win on Sunday, only surviving members Paul and Ringo get a trophy, due to the Grammys’ eligibility rules.

The Beatles might have broken up 55 years ago, but they’re up for two prizes on Sunday.

Grammy voters rarely miss an opportunity to reward the Beatles.

A win in 2025 would prove that Beatlemania never fades.

6) How Will the California Wildfires Affect the Ceremony?

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Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr says the ceremony has been reshaped to reflect California’s loss of lives and property

All the hoopla surrounding the Grammys has been canceled.

The Recording Academy and its affiliated MusiCares charity have set up a Fire Relief fund.

The telecast itself will reflect the devastation.

7) Is There a List of Grammy Performers?

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Shakira Shakira and her truth-telling hips will grace the Grammy stage

The list of Grammy performers includes Benson Boone, Sabrina Carpenter, Jacob Collier, Sheryl Crow, and more.

8) How Can I Watch in the UK?

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Lady Gaga is always guaranteed to deliver a stunning red carpet look

The ceremony is split into two parts, with the first 80 awards distributed during the “premiere ceremony.”

You can watch the whole thing on the Recording Academy’s YouTube channel.

9) Does Any of This Really Matter?

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For reasons I’ve never quite understood, winners are often pictured kissing their Grammy Awards

Musicians take the Grammys very seriously indeed.

The awards themselves are notoriously ridiculous and arbitrary.

Don’t let the outcome of the Grammys affect your enjoyment of music.

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