Honestly, the Grammys are always a bit of a fever dream, but the Grammys 2025 nominations felt different. It wasn't just about who was up for a trophy; it was about a massive tectonic shift in who the Recording Academy actually considers "prestige" artists. For years, we’ve watched the same handful of legacy acts dominate the conversation while the internet's favorite stars were relegated to the "Best Dance" or "Best Music Video" sidelines.
Not this time.
When the list dropped on November 8, 2024, it was basically a "Brat" summer that refused to end, mixed with a heavy dose of country-fried history. Beyoncé didn't just lead the pack; she blew the doors off the building with 11 nominations for Cowboy Carter. This pushed her to a career total of 99 nominations. 99! It’s a number that feels fake, yet here we are. But the real story isn't just the sheer volume of nods—it's the chaos, the snubs, and the surprisingly human moments that made this specific cycle so weirdly compelling.
The Year the New School Took Over
If you were looking for the usual safe, middle-of-the-road picks, you were probably pretty disappointed. The 67th Annual Grammy Awards leaned heavily into the "Hot Girl Summer" and "Pop Girlie" energy that defined the last year. Sabrina Carpenter and Chappell Roan—two artists who have been grinding for years but suddenly exploded into the mainstream—both landed nominations in all four General Field categories. That’s Album, Record, and Song of the Year, plus Best New Artist.
It's actually pretty rare for two "newcomers" (if we're calling Sabrina a newcomer after six albums) to sweep the big four like that simultaneously.
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Chappell Roan's The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess and Sabrina's Short n' Sweet weren't just streaming hits; they were cultural reset buttons. You couldn't walk into a grocery store without hearing "Espresso" or "Good Luck, Babe!" for six months straight. The Academy usually waits a few years to reward that kind of viral success, but the momentum was simply too loud to ignore.
Then you have Charli XCX.
Seven nominations.
For an album called Brat.
It’s kinda hilarious when you think about the high-brow, suits-and-ties vibe the Grammys usually try to project. Seeing "360" up for Record of the Year next to The Beatles’ "Now and Then" is the kind of aesthetic whiplash that makes the Grammys 2025 nominations actually interesting to talk about.
Why Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter Changed the Math
We need to talk about the genre-hopping. Beyoncé wasn't just nominated for "pop" stuff. She showed up in Country. She showed up in Americana. She showed up in Rap.
Cowboy Carter was a massive middle finger to the idea that artists have to stay in their lanes. By the time the actual ceremony rolled around in February 2026, she finally secured that elusive Album of the Year win. It was a "long time coming" moment that felt more like a correction of past mistakes than just a win for a single album.
The Kendrick vs. Drake Echo
While the pop girlies were fighting for space, the rap categories were still vibrating from the fallout of the Kendrick Lamar and Drake feud. Kendrick’s "Not Like Us" wasn't just a diss track; it became a Grammy powerhouse. It nabbed wins for both Record of the Year and Song of the Year, which is almost unheard of for a pure hip-hop track, let alone a "mustard-on-the-beat" banger that spends half its runtime dismantling another artist’s reputation.
Drake, on the other hand?
Crashing silence.
The lack of nominations for his recent output compared to Kendrick’s dominance felt like the Academy officially picking a side in the biggest rap beef of the decade.
The Snubs That Actually Hurt
You can’t have a Grammy cycle without people screaming on X (formerly Twitter) about snubs. This year, the loudest screams were for Tinashe and Megan Thee Stallion.
"Nasty" was arguably the song of the summer. It was everywhere. TikTok, clubs, radio—it was the definition of a cultural moment. Yet, when the Grammys 2025 nominations were read out, Tinashe's name was nowhere to be found in the major categories. It’s a classic Grammy move: ignore the artist who is actually innovating the genre in favor of more established "Academy-friendly" names.
And Megan?
Hiss went Number 1.
She’s a previous winner.
Zero nominations.
It felt personal to fans, especially seeing the Rap Album category filled with names like Eminem and J. Cole. While Doechii did make history as a woman nominated in the Rap Album category (and eventually won!), the absence of Megan felt like a glaring hole in the narrative.
A Quick Look at the Winners (The Prose Version)
Instead of a boring list, let's look at how the night actually shook out. Chappell Roan took home Best New Artist, which surprised absolutely no one but still felt like a win for the "weird kids." Sabrina Carpenter didn't walk away empty-handed either, snagging Best Pop Vocal Album for Short n' Sweet.
The rock categories had a bit of a "Dads and Daughters" vibe. The Beatles won Best Rock Performance for their AI-assisted final track "Now and Then," while The Rolling Stones took Best Rock Album for Hackney Diamonds. It’s wild that in 2025/2026, we’re still giving trophies to the same people who were winning them in the 60s, but the quality was genuinely there.
Meanwhile, Sierra Ferrell absolutely dominated the American Roots section, winning all four of her nominations off-screen. If you aren't listening to her yet, you're missing out on some of the best songwriting happening right now.
The "Secret" Influences on the Nominations
The Recording Academy has about 13,000 voting members. CEO Harvey Mason Jr. sent out a pretty urgent letter before the voting started, basically begging people not to vote based on "grudges" or "bias."
Why? Because the Grammys have a massive PR problem.
They know they've been accused of being "out of touch" for decades. The Grammys 2025 nominations were a blatant attempt to fix that. By nominating André 3000’s flute album (New Blue Sun) for Album of the Year, they showed they could appreciate "high art." By nominating Charli XCX, they showed they knew what the kids were doing. It was a balancing act that mostly worked, even if it left some great artists in the dust.
Key Stats to Remember:
- Beyoncé: 11 nominations (99 career total).
- Kendrick Lamar: 5 wins (including Record/Song of the Year).
- The Beatles: First win since the late 90s.
- Sabrina & Chappell: Both swept all 4 major category nominations.
How to Digest All This
If you're trying to keep up with the ever-shifting landscape of the Grammys, don't just look at the winners. Look at the Best New Artist pool. That's usually where the Academy hides the people who will be running the show five years from now.
Also, keep an eye on the Producer of the Year and Songwriter of the Year categories. This year, Daniel Nigro (the guy behind Chappell and Olivia Rodrigo) and Amy Allen finally got their flowers. These are the people actually shaping the sound of your Spotify playlists, even if you don't know their faces.
Next Steps for Music Fans:
If you want to stay ahead of the curve, start by listening to the "American Roots" and "Progressive R&B" winners from this year. Artists like Sierra Ferrell and Lucky Daye often produce much more interesting work than the Top 40 hits that dominate the main telecast. You should also check out the full technical credits for Cowboy Carter—it’s basically a masterclass in how to assemble a genre-defying masterpiece with dozens of collaborators.