Without fail, every year the Grammy Awards cause an uproar across one genre or another. Although fans’ chatter about snub is still at the top of online forum, the 2025 Grammys nomination list sparked another interesting question. What qualifies an artist as “new?”
“Every year, the #GRAMMYs Best New Artist category acknowledges rising stars who are shaping the future of music through their own artistry,” read the post (viewable here). “Little does it matter if they have just a few singles or 10 studio albums under their belts. The Best New Artist Category is all about highlighting how an act pushes creative boundaries and challenges a saturated industry with outstanding — and sometimes surprising — music.”
Khruangbin’s debut album, The Universe Smiles Upon You, was released nearly a decade ago. The same goes for Sabrina Carpenter’s Eyes Wide Open. But based on the Recording Academy’s post, an artist’s breakthrough is weighed more heavily. Maybe the Recording Academy will reconsider their three submission rule for the category to allow Uproxx cover Tate McRae a chance to compete based on this logic.
Well, the official Best New Artist winner won’t be announced until February 2, 2025, which is bound to cause yet another online teasy.
During an interview with Variety, André 3000 shared his reaction to the nominations. “I felt that we tried to campaign to see if we could get into the alternative jazz or ambient category,” he said. “So this morning, when the album of the year category popped up, I was really, really surprised because I didn’t think that that many people even knew about it. So I’m just happy that the votes came in that way and that people were paying attention, more than anything.”
The nomination certainly shocked fans. While Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter, Chappell Roan’s The Rise And Fall Of A Midwest Princess, Charli XCX’s Brat, Sabrina Carpenter’s Short N’ Sweet, Billie Eilish’s Hit Me Hard And Soft, Taylor Swift’s The Tortured Poets Department were considered shoo-ins; André 3000’s New Blue Sun and Jacob Collier’s Djesse Vol. 4 are this year’s dark horses.
The 2025 Grammy Awards are scheduled to take place on February 2, 2025. Only then will viewers learn which musician takes home the coveted gramophone trophy.
Taylor Swift! Beyoncé! Charli XCX! Many of the biggest names in music — including relative newcomer Chappell Roan and previous winner Billie Eilish — are up for Album Of The Year at the 2025 Grammys. We’re still months away from the ceremony on February 2, 2025 (and over two years from a move to Disney+), so instead of making individual predictions, I’m going to make a brief case for why every Album Of The Year nominee could and/or should win.
Let’s kick things off with arguably the most surprising nomination…
André 3000 – New Blue Sun
If Album Of The Year was given to the most daring album, André 3000 would have this thing locked down. Not every Outkast fan loved his solo debut being a jazz album with more flutes than rapping and track titles like “Ghandi, Dalai Lama, Your Lord & Savior J.C. / Bundy, Jeffrey Dahmer, And John Wayne Gacy,” but you can’t accuse Andre of not following his muse.
Beyoncé – Cowboy Carter
Beyoncé is the most-nominated artist in Grammys history (99!). She also has the most wins (32) — but not the biggest award. Despite her stature as one of the most influential titans of pop and R&B (and now country) in the 21st century, Beyoncé has yet to win Album Of The Year. This could — and if the critical reception to Cowboy Carter is any indication, should — be the time.
Billie Eilish – Hit Me Hard And Soft
Billie Eilish is the first artist ever to have her first three albums nominated for Album Of The Year. And she’s still only 22 years old! Hit Me Hard And Soft features Eilish’s biggest hit (“Birds Of A Feather”) since her breakthrough single “Bad Guy,” and the album as a whole is quietly confident with some of her strongest vocals. It gets better with every listen.
Chappell Roan – The Rise And Fall Of A Midwest Princess
Chappell Roan had a meteoric 2024. Could her 2025 be historic? Only Christopher Cross and Billie Eilish have won the “Big Four” at the Grammys (Album Of The Year, Record Of The Year, Song Of The Year, and Best New Artist) in the same year. Roan is up for all four, and a sweep is very possible. She is your favorite artist’s favorite artist, after all.
Charli XCX – Brat
Charli XCX became what I like to call “Mom Famous” this year. As in, my mom now knows who Charli XCX is (the next time I’m in a glum mood, I’ll remember the time she called me to ask, “What is ‘brat’?” and I’ll cheer right up). But Brat is not only a word of the year phenomenon. It’s also a devil-may-care, club-classic album. “kamala IS brat” didn’t turn out so great, but how about “charli IS album of the year winner”?
Jacob Collier – Djesse Vol. 4
Jacob Collier isn’t a household name like the Taylor Swifts and Beyoncés of the world. But that’s what makes rooting for Djesse Vol. 4, a unique exercise in genre experimentation, to upset the frontrunners so fun. Who doesn’t love an underdog story?
Sabrina Carpenter – Short N’ Sweet
Everyone knows “Espresso” and “Please Please Please,” but a lot of people don’t realize that Short N’ Sweet is Sabrina Carpenter’s sixth album. She’s been doing it for a while! But with songs like her first two top-5 hits, as well as “Taste” and the Short N’ Sweet Tour highlight “Juno,” Carpenter has elevated her game. Just imagine the outro to her acceptance speech!
Taylor Swift – The Tortured Poets Department
Taylor Swift has won Album Of The Year four times, more than any other artist or band ever. She’s the frontrunner any time she’s nominated in the category. The Tortured Poets Department isn’t the album many Swifties were expecting, it’s better, and she (and Jack Antonoff) could be awarded once again for it.
The 2025 Grammys air on CBS and stream on Paramount+ on February 2, 2025.
Today (November 8), we saw the first major step towards the 2025 Grammy Awards: The nominations were revealed (find the full list here). Given that the point of awards shows like these are superlatives, a natural question to emerge from the reveal of the nominees is:
Who Has The Most 2025 Grammy Nominations?
As Billboard notes, Beyoncé has 11 nominations this year, most than anybody else in 2025. In fact, that’s the most ever by a woman in one year, and it’s tied for second of all time, alongside Kendrick Lamar and Jon Batiste, and behind Michael Jackson and Babyface, who each had 12-nomination years.
Beyoncé’s nominations are in the categories of Album Of The Year, Record Of The Year, Song Of The Year, Best Pop Solo Performance, Best Pop Duo/Group Performance, Best Melodic Rap Performance, Best Country Solo Performance, Best Country Duo/Group Performance, Best Country Song, Best Country Album, and Best Americana Performance.
By the way: Over the course of her career, Beyoncé now has 99 total nominations, which is the most ever.
Meanwhile, there’s a four-way tie for second this year, as Lamar, Charli XCX, Billie Eilish, and Post Malone each have seven nods. (This means Lamar is the most-nominated rapper for 2025.) Behind them with six nominations apiece are Sabrina Carpenter, Chappell Roan, and Taylor Swift.
Find the full list of 2025 Grammy nominations here.
It’s music’s biggest night! Or it will be on February 2, 2025, when the 67th Annual Grammy Awards take place inside Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. Today is music’s morning morning! The 2025 Grammy nominations were announced on Friday — will Taylor Swift break her own record and win Album Of The Year a fifth time? Or will it go to Beyonce or Billie Eilish? Can Chappell Roan demystify the Best New Artist curse? And will the year’s biggest song, “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” by Shaboozey, take home Song Of The Year?
Check out the full list of 2025 Grammy nominees below. The list will be updated as nominations are revealed.
The first winner for Best New Artist at the Grammy Awards was Bobby Darin in 1960. In his decades-long career, he had nine top-10 singles, only one of which was about splishing and splashing. The second winner in the category was legendary comedian Bob Newhart (who also, amusingly, won Album of the Year). Other honorees in the 1960s include Robert Goulet (remained popular throughout the rest of his life), José Feliciano (an icon with the rare Christmas song that’s hard to get sick of), and The Beatles (literally The Beatles).
There’s a common perception that winning Best New Artist is a death sentence for an artist / band. I’m not sure this has ever been true (see, again: The Beatles), but it certainly hasn’t been true recently. The last six winners of the welcome-to-the-big-leagues award: Dua Lipa, Billie Eilish, Megan Thee Stallion, Olivia Rodrigo, Samara Joy, and Victoria Monét. Those are some huge, critically and/or commercially successful artists (Joy was a niche pick, but since she won over Måneskin, it was the correct one).
In the 2010s, you have Zac Brown Band, Bon Iver, Sam Smith, and Meghan Trainor, which is the first and last time Bon Iver and Meghan Trainor will appear in the same sentence. Say what you will about the “All About That Bass” singer / walking Target commercial, she’s undeniably popular. Going further back to the 2000s, there’s Christina Aguilera, Alicia Keys, Carrie Underwood, Maroon 5, Amy Winehouse, and Adele. That’s a strong batting average, not always in terms of authorial admiration (Joanna Newsom was snubbed!), but it does debunk the idea that winning Best New Artist dooms an act to following immediate glory with falling off the face of the earth.
So, where does this idea of a Best New Artist curse come from? There’s a trio of possibilities, or more likely, a combination of all three.
-In 1976, Starland Vocal Band released “Afternoon Delight.” It was one of the year’s best-selling singles (it also inspired both a Ron Burgundy sing-along and a regrettable tattoo). But only five years later, the breezy group broke up. “[We] got two of the five Grammys [and] one was Best New Artist,” Starland Vocal Band member Taffy Nivert recalled on an episode of VH1’s nostalgia-bait 100 Greatest One-Hit Wonders special. “So that was basically the kiss of death and I feel sorry for everyone who’s gotten it since.”
-Only three artists have taken home The Big Four of Album Of The Year, Record Of The Year, Song Of The Year, and Best New Artist in the same year: Christopher Cross, Adele, and Billie Eilish. Adele and Eilish are doing just fine, but Cross was never able to replicate the instant success of “Sailing” and, released later that year, the Oscar winning “Arthur’s Theme (Best That You Can Do).” He only had one more top-10 hit, 1983’s “Think Of Laura.”
-Best New Artist is notorious for being the only Grammys category with a vacated award. In February 1990, Milli Vanilli won Best New Artist; nine months later, they returned the trophy following a lip-syncing scandal.
The Milli Vanilli scandal, in particular, put a dark cloud over Best New Artist, but you know who won the next year? Mariah Carey. There’s always been peaks and valleys; it’s just that the clunkers stand out more. The Grammys probably want a redo on picking Macklemore and Ryan Lewis over Kendrick Lamar (Macklemore sure would); Esperanza Spalding was a noble if confusing selection over Justin Bieber, Drake, and Florence and the Machine; and fun., who won over Frank Ocean, isn’t even Jack Antonoff’s most famous band. (Although giving him a Grammy proved wise in the long run.)
Here’s the dirty not-so-secret about the Grammys, and every awards show: sometimes they get it “right” (taste is subjective, blah blah blah), often times they get it “wrong.” A lot of stone-cold masterpieces have been named Best Album (Songs In The Key Of Life! Time Out Of Mind! Golden Hour!) but there’s been a lot of bewildering winners, too (River: The Joni Letters? Babel? The First Family?). But you never hear about a Best Album Curse. The curse label is attached to Best New Artist because society is fascinated by the suddenly famous — and, for some, seeing their downfall is equally captivating. It’s also the Grammys attempting to predict the future, rather than honor the present. And recently, with Dua, Megan, and Olivia, they’ve done a better job of avoiding the one-hit-wonders (“Walking In Memphis” still goes hard).
If Chappell Roan, who seems certain to win Best New Artist at the 2025 Grammys (nominations are announced next Friday, November 8), came around 20 years ago, maybe she would have something to worry about. Not anymore.
The next few years of Uproxx’s How To Watch The Grammys posts are going to look a lot different, as The Recording Academy has inked a 10-year deal with Disney for the House of Mouse’s properties to become the new broadcast home for the Biggest Night in Music after 50 years with CBS. Beginning in 2027, the Grammys will simulcast on ABC, Hulu, and Disney+, which could simplify viewing for a massive number of households as more folks rely on streaming than broadcast TV (while Paramount+, the Grammys’ current streamer of choice, has 71 million subscribers, Disney+ has more than double that number at over 150 million).
The deal also includes multiple music specials and other programs associated with the Grammys, which could allow you non-industry types living outside Los Angeles the chance to take in some of the events that lead up to the big show as well.
Disney has made some pretty impressive strides in securing the rights to big television events over the past few months; in 2027, its properties will host not just the Grammys, but also the Academy Awards (the Oscars), and Super Bowl LXI.
Harvey Mason Jr., the CEO of the Recording Academy, said in the press release, “We are completely thrilled to be bringing The Grammys and other new music programming to the Disney ecosystem. We are grateful to our long-standing partners at CBS and now honored to be joining with Disney, an iconic company where creators have always been at the forefront. This partnership represents another important milestone in the Academy’s transformation and growth, and strengthens our ability to fulfill our mission of uplifting and serving music people around the world.”
The Recording Academy has announced the 2025 GRAMMY nominations reveal, set for Friday, Nov. 8, 2024, and featuring appearances from top music industry stars. The announcement event will stream live on live.GRAMMY.com, kicking off the excitement for music’s biggest night.
The 67th GRAMMY Awards will be held on Sunday, Feb. 2, at Los Angeles’ Crypto.com Arena. CBS will broadcast live and Paramount+ will stream the event.
This year’s GRAMMYs have updates to keep the awards relevant in the evolving music landscape. Adjustments include new eligibility criteria and renaming of select categories to better align with contemporary music styles. A standout addition to this year’s awards is the Harry Belafonte Best Song For Social Change Award, honoring the late Harry Belafonte, an entertainment icon and social justice advocate. This award aims to recognize impactful music that promotes social change, emphasizing the Academy’s commitment to inclusivity and advocacy.
These changes reinforce the GRAMMYs’ integrity and inclusivity, reflecting the Academy’s ongoing mission to adapt and uplift diverse voices in the music world.
Beyoncé’s latest album, Cowboy Carter, is set to compete for Best Country Album at the upcoming Grammy Awards. The Recording Academy’s screening committee decided last week, a significant moment for the 43-year-old icon.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, this submission marks a new chapter in Beyoncé’s career, seven years after her 2016 track “Daddy Lessons” was rejected by the Academy’s country committee.
Cowboy Carter and its chart-topping single, “Texas Hold ‘Em,” received no nominations at last month’s CMA Awards and saw similar snubs at the People’s Choice Country Awards. Despite this, if Beyoncé receives a Best Country Album nod, it will be her first in the genre and add to her extensive record of Grammy nominations across multiple categories.
Beyoncé, the most decorated artist in Grammy history with 32 wins, has triumphed in R&B, rap, dance, and pop fields. Her potential competition in the Best Country Album category includes Post Malone, Chris Stapleton, Lainey Wilson, and Kacey Musgraves.
Now, Killer Mike can firmly put it all behind him.
On Wednesday, June 26, TMZ exclusively reported that Killer Mike won’t face any charges from the peculiar incident.
“Prosecutors in the L.A. City Attorney’s Office tell us they will not be filing charges against Mike for his confrontation with an event security guard, back in February, which led to his citizen’s arrest,” TMZ relayed. “We’re told he successfully completed his city attorney hearing … after which he agreed to do some community service with a non-profit organization of his choice. That said, the City Attorney’s Office added the Grammy winner needs to stay out of trouble for the next year, or they could reopen the case.”
One week after the 2024 Grammys, Killer Mike appeared on The View and downplayed his arrest, as seen in the clip below.
Rapper @KillerMike discusses his historic Grammy wins and addresses the night ending in controversy after an incident with “overzealous” security led to his arrest: “All my heroes have been in handcuffs.”
