Kanye West and the Grammys. Honestly, it’s a mess. A beautiful, chaotic, high-stakes mess that has lasted over two decades. If you’re looking for a simple story of a guy winning awards, you’re in the wrong place. This is about a man who has won 24 of those little gold gramophones—tying him for the most ever by a rapper—and yet, he’s spent half his career trying to set the whole institution on fire.
Last year, the drama hit a new peak. The 2025 Grammy Awards weren't even supposed to be about him, but somehow, they were. Kanye (or Ye, if we’re being legal about it) showed up with Bianca Censori and basically broke the internet before the first award was even handed out.
The 2025 Red Carpet Incident
People are still arguing about what happened at the 67th Annual Grammys. Here’s the deal: Kanye and Bianca arrived at the Crypto.com Arena, walked the carpet, and then things got weird. Bianca was wearing a fur coat that she eventually ditched to reveal a sheer slip that was... well, it was barely there.
Security was reportedly scrambling.
There were rumors that they were kicked out. Some outlets reported that the couple was escorted from the building because they weren't actually on the guest list. But then, a source close to the Recording Academy told Variety that isn't what happened at all. According to them, Ye just wanted the photos. He walked the carpet, got the flashes, and then hopped right back into his car and left. He didn't even go inside to see if his song "Carnival" would win Best Rap Song.
That’s the Kanye paradox. He wants the validation of the nomination, but he wants to show the world he’s too big for the room. It’s a power move. Or a cry for attention. Depends on who you ask.
Why He Was Banned in 2022
We have to talk about 2022 because that was the year the "uncensored" Kanye really came out. He was originally slated to perform. He had five nominations for Donda. Everything was set.
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Then he started posting.
If you remember that period, it was dark. He was targeting Kim Kardashian and Pete Davidson on Instagram daily. When Trevor Noah—who was hosting the Grammys that year—called out his behavior as "concerning," Kanye responded with a racial slur. Instagram suspended him for 24 hours. Two days later, the Recording Academy pulled his performance slot.
They cited "concerning online behavior."
It was a huge blow to the show's ratings, but it sent a clear message: even a 24-time winner has a ceiling. The Game, who collaborated with Ye on "Eazy," went off on the Academy, claiming they only want to "steal the culture" without treating the artists as equals. It sparked a massive debate about whether an awards show should police an artist's personal life or just their music.
The Video Nobody Can Forget
You can’t talk about Kanye at the Grammys uncensored without mentioning the "toilet video." This was 2020. Kanye was in the middle of a massive legal war with Universal and Def Jam. He wanted his masters back.
He decided to show exactly how much he valued his trophies.
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He posted a video of one of his Grammys sitting in a toilet bowl while he... well, he relieved himself on it. It was the ultimate "forget you" to the industry. Most artists treat those awards like holy relics. Kanye treated his like a bathroom fixture.
"Trust me I won't stop," he captioned it.
He followed that up by tweeting out every single page of his recording contracts. Thousands of pages. It was a move toward transparency that actually helped a lot of younger artists understand how "predatory" some of those deals are. But the image of the golden trophy in the toilet is what stayed in everyone's head.
A Legacy of Interruptions
Before the 2025 carpet walk and the 2020 toilet video, there was Beck. And Taylor.
In 2015, when Beck won Album of the Year for Morning Phase, Kanye actually walked onto the stage. He didn't grab the mic this time—he just walked up, smiled, and walked back down. Everyone laughed. They thought he was making fun of his 2009 Taylor Swift moment.
He wasn't.
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After the show, he told E! News that Beck needed to "respect artistry" and give his award to Beyoncé. He was dead serious. He felt that the Grammys were becoming a "commercial" popularity contest rather than a celebration of true innovation. It’s a point he has made for 20 years.
The Numbers vs. The Noise
Despite all the bridge-burning, the Recording Academy can't seem to quit him.
- Total Wins: 24
- Total Nominations: 75+
- The Rivalry: He is neck-and-neck with Jay-Z for the title of most-awarded rapper.
It’s a weird "toxic relationship." The Academy needs Kanye because he’s one of the few true geniuses left who makes people tune in. Kanye needs the Grammys because, despite his protests, he clearly cares about his place in history.
What This Means for You
If you’re a fan or just a casual observer, the lesson here is about the "industry curtain." Kanye’s antics at the Grammys aren't just for shock value—they are usually tied to a larger frustration with how music is owned and rewarded.
Next Steps for You:
- Watch the Jeen-Yuhs documentary: If you want to see the "before" version of this relationship, the Netflix doc shows him literally carrying his first Grammys around like babies.
- Read the Contracts: If you’re a musician, find those 2020 tweets. They are still archived online. It’s a masterclass in how labels structure debt.
- Check the 2026 Nominees: With his Bully project on the horizon, the cycle is likely to start all over again. Keep an eye on the "Best Rap Album" category; that’s where the fireworks usually start.
Kanye at the Grammys is never just about the music. It’s a performance piece about fame, race, and the price of being a "genius" in a corporate world. Love him or hate him, you're going to watch. And that’s exactly what he wants.