It’s rare that Music’s Biggest Night™ lives up to that title, but the 67th Grammys came close. Clocking in at nearly four hours, the main telecast, which was broadcast from Los Angeles’ Crypto.com arena, adjusted its tone – earnest, somber, celebratory – as it centered on LA culture and wildfire relief, raising $7 million in donations by 11:30 pm ET. (At one point, host Trevor Noah joked about charging winners $1,000 per minute for going over 90 seconds in their speeches, the only one of his jokes that actually made me laugh.) And while there were moments that were trite and predictable rather than inspiring, last night’s event definitely had its fair share of surprises, some more significant than others. Here are some of the most and least surprising moments from the 2025 Grammys.
Most Surprising: The Weeknd Ends Grammys Boycott
The Weeknd makes his return to the 2025 #Grammys stage pic.twitter.com/6T2JrrA4uV
— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) February 3, 2025
The Weeknd quietly ending his boycott of the Grammys would have been one thing. But Abel Tesfaye’s performance at night’s awards, by far the biggest surprise of the ceremony, felt awkward both conceptually and in execution. It came off as gratingly righteous and performative on both sides: the Weeknd had just released his new album, Hurry Up Tomorrow, and his change of heart conspicuously aligned with the album’s extended promotional campaign. It didn’t help that the dark tone of the performance terribly juxtaposed Recording Academy president Harvey Mason Jr.’s earnest speech, which boasted about their diversity initiatives over actual screenshots of headlines from the Weeknd controversy. The Recording Academy may have set on a trajectory of righting its wrongs, but this was the show’s one truly tone-deaf moment, and I doubt that any of the Weeknd’s new singles have enough staying power to triumph at next year’s awards, even as a corrective. But hey, at least the spot for superstar Grammys boycotter is now Drake’s for the taking.
Least Surprising: Chappell Roan’s Best New Artist Win and Triumphant Performance
If there was one lock for the night, it was Chappell Roan walking away with Best New Artist. (Though the momentum Doechii was gathering through the night had me thinking she might pull off an upset.) But Roan’s rightfully triumphant night didn’t end there: her spectacular, playful, and confident performance of ‘Pink Pony Club’, featuring a literal larger-than-life pink pony, was the moment where the show’s running theme of resilience and unity around music felt the most potent. Plus, during a night that doubled as a fundraiser for those impacted by the LA wildfires yet weirdly shied away from meaningful political statements (and in fact featured a tasteless joke from Trevor Noah about illegal immigrants), Roan came prepared with a powerful acceptance speech. Referencing her own experience of being mistreated by her former record label, she advocated for the music industry to offer a livable wage and healthcare, especially to emerging artists. Noah was all out on jokes after that: “I don’t know what to say,” he said awkwardly, “That was beautiful.”
Most and Least Surprising: Beyoncé Finally Wins Album of the Year
It’s rare that every talking point around an awards show coalesces around a single headline, but this was the case at the 2025 Grammys: Beyoncé finally won Album of the Year, an award she has been nominated for five times over the past 15 years – though it’s hard to argue Cowboy Carter is better than any of the previous albums. “It’s been many years,” she said when she got to the podium, dedicating the award to country pioneer Linda Martell. To say that it’s long overdue would be a gross understatement, but no one would be surprised if she was snubbed again, something that was looking less likely the more categories Taylor Swift and Billie Eilish were being shut out of. Funnily enough, Beyoncé was more (visibly) shocked by her winning Best Country Album, an award handed out to her by Swift earlier in the evening.
Most Surprising: Taylor Swift and Billie Eilish Walk Away Empty-Handed
Who would’ve guessed that the Recording Academy’s corrective streak would mean two of their favorites getting zero awards? (Eilish and Finneas’ rendition of ‘Birds of a Feather’ was genuinely moving, and that sleeper hit not getting Song of the Year was the biggest surprise for me.) With both stars’ reactions being filmed at every opportunity, of course, they still felt like a big part of the show, and they seemed to be having plenty of fun. No harm done there.
Least Surprising: St. Vincent Sweeps Alternative Music Categories
The Recording Academy loves St. Vincent, and though I preferred almost every entry she was nominated against this year (Cage the Elephant being the one exception), I wasn’t surprised she took home the awards for both Best Alternative Music Album and Best Alternative Music Performance, plus Best Rock Song. Annie Cark did, however, surprise fans by revealing she was married and had welcomed a child.
Most Surprising: Kendrick Lamar Sweeps Record and Song Categories
When Kendrick Lamar’s ‘Not Like Us’ won Best Rap Performance, Best Rap Song, and Best Music Video at the Premiere Ceremony, I thought it would end there. It seemed like a move that would satisfy the Recording Academy just enough to not recognize a lawsuit-spawning, industry-shaking diss track at the main show, even if it would have been another “long overdue” moment. Lamar sweeping the biggest song categories was certainly that, but it also seemed to align with the show’s theme of celebrating LA culture, an aspect of the track that by now seems to overshadow the beef it sprang from. (In his speech, Lamar called it “a testament to the fact that we gon’ continue to restore the city.”) The crowd still yelled the “A MINOR” lyric, of course, so maybe there’s more to it.
A Little Surprising: Doechii Captures Best Rap Album and Delivers Show-Stealing Performance
Doechii may not have won Best New Artist last night, but she absolutely solidified her breakthrough moment by picking up Best Rap Album for Alligator Bites Never Heal, especially since it was competing against some much safer picks. Doechii had apparently already recorded a new song celebrating her win, though, so maybe she wasn’t so surprised. Her presence throughout the show was just as confident and affirming, making sure that anyone who wasn’t already excited about her couldn’t help but start paying attention.
Least Surprising: The Beatles and the Rolling Stones Are 2025 Grammy Winners
Tying for Best New Artist.
Most Surprising: ‘We Are the World’ Singalong During Quincy Jones Tribute
Last night’s tribute to 28-time Grammy-winning producer Quincy Jones was unsurprisingly star-studded, tasteful, and long, featuring Cynthia Erivo, Janelle Monaé, Lainey Wilson, Stevie Wonder, Herbie Hancock, and Jacob Collier performing a medley of hits. I’m not sure I expected ‘We Are the World’ or that it warranted inclusion, though.
Surprise Rave: Charli XCX
Charli XCX did win her first Grammys last night – three, in fact: Best Dance Pop Recording, Best Dance/Electronic Album, and Best Recording Package. By the time she was about to take the stage – despite Brat still being in the running for AOTY – it looked like these were going to be the only ones, and she’d already posted about them on social media. In the pre-recorded introduction to her performance, she even acknowledged that Brat is a little too messy for the Grammys, but that didn’t stop her from properly bringing its rowdy energy to the stage. Beginning with a rendition of ‘360’ in a parking garage outside the Crypto.com Arena, Charli then made her way to the main stage, bringing along friends and cultural figures including Julia Fox, the Dare, Richie Shazam, Niki Takesh, and many, many scantily clad dancers drenched in underwear. Thankfully, Kanye West and his nude wife were nowhere to be seen by then, though I’m surprised Eilish didn’t join her for ‘Guess’. (She could still be seen mouthing the words.) It may not have gotten the top prize, but it was no doubt a big night for Brat.
Surprise Backflip: Benson Boone
Just kidding: look it up, it’s a thing.
Surprise Tap-Dancing: Sabrina Carpenter
Sabrina Carpenter, who won Best Pop Vocal Album for Short n’ Sweet, had no trouble bringing her comedic charm onstage, appearing in a glittery tux and tap-dancing her way through a delightfully jazzy medley ‘Espresso’ and ‘Please Please Please’.
Most Surprising Presenter: The LA Fire Department
The 67th annual Grammy Awards opened with a surprisingly earnest rendition of Randy Newman’s ‘I Love L.A.’ by Dawes, which, with some lyrical changes and a backing band that included John Legend, Sheryl Crow, Brittany Howard, Brad Paisley, and St. Vincent, landed pretty well. The performance was set to footage paying tribute to Los Angeles firefighters, who actually took the stage to present the most coveted award of the night. “I am confident that we will recover and rebuild together, because we are LA. Strong,” fire chief Anthony Marrone said. In a show where presenters included Diana Ross, Anthony Kiedis and Chad Smith of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Taylor Swift, Gloria Estefan, Queen Latifah, and more, it meant something that members of the L.A. Fire Department got the longest standing ovation.