All eyes at the Grammy Awards were on whether the most-nominated artist in the history of the telecast would finally walk away with the coveted album of the year trophy. She did. “We finally saw it happen,” host Trevor Noah said, almost in relief.
Beyoncé winning for “Cowboy Carter” capped a night that turned into a tribute to a suffering Los Angeles, with city firefighters chosen to reveal the winner of the last award and speeches offering words of encouragement for communities devastated. The Grammys almost veered into a telethon; $7 million was pledged from viewers of the show.
It was also a telecast where the best new artist nominees like Chappell Roan and Sabrina Carpenter were given plenty of time to show why there’s a deep well of talent coming up. And there was a shock return for The Weeknd, who had been boycotting the Grammys.
Here are some of the night’s notable moments.
Beyoncé wins 'Album of the Year'
The most decorated artist in Grammys history added a few more to her collection -- Album of the Year, and Best Country Album.
Taylor Swift presented the award for best country album at the 2025 Grammys to Beyoncé for her groundbreaking “Cowboy Carter."
“I really was not expecting this. Wow,” she started her speech. “Genre is a cold word to keep us in our place as artists ... I'm still in shock. Thank you so much for this honor."
Leading nominee Beyoncé won her first award of the day for her song featuring Miley Cyrus, “II Most Wanted.” It took home the country duo/group performance during the Grammy’s Premiere Ceremony. It marked Beyoncé’s first win in a country category.
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Beyoncé leads the Grammy nods with 11, bringing her career total to 99 nominations. She's also been the most decorated artist, entering the evening with 32 trophies across her career.
Chappell Roan wins 'Best New Artist
Chappell Roan was crowned best new artist and then used her speech to demand change in the music business.
“I told myself that if I ever won a Grammy and got to stand up here before the most powerful people in music, I would demand that labels in the industry profiting millions of dollars off of artists would offer a livable wage and health care, especially to developing artists,” she said.
Roan began her music career in 2015 when she signed with Atlantic Records, releasing several singles including “Pink Pony Club.” In 2020, the label dropped her. She moved back to her hometown to work as a barista before releasing her debut full-length album.
“It was devastating to feel so committed to my art and feel so betrayed by the system and dehumanized,” Roan said in her speech. “Record labels need to treat their artists as valuable employees with a livable wage and health insurance and protection.”
Earlier, Roan performed a rocking version of her “Pink Pony Club,” joined by a posse of dancing clown cowboys as she sang from atop a giant pink horse.
Bianca Censori makes quite the fashion statement
Kanye West's wife Bianca Censori made quite a fashion statement at the 2025 Grammys, arriving in nearly naked sheer dress.
The couple's rare appearance at the ceremony interestingly comes just one day after the 47-year-old curated his Instagram to solely follow none other than Taylor Swift.
Meanwhile, Taylor Swift stunned in a short red dress, and Jayden Smith arrived at the ceremony with a house on his head -- literally.
The Weeknd returns to the Grammys after calling the awards 'corrupt'
The Grammy Awards had a powerful way to prove that they’ve changed. They got a surprise endorsement by The Weeknd, who was last on the Grammy stage in 2017.
The pop superstar in 2020 slammed the Grammys, calling them “corrupt” after he landed zero nominations despite a megahit album. “You owe me, my fans and the industry transparency,” he wrote on social media.
Grammys CEO Harvey Mason jr., who started in his post in 2020, on Sunday said he understood the criticism and listed all the things the Academy has done to fix it.
“We have completely re-made our membership, adding more than 3,000 women voting members. The Grammy electorate is now younger, nearly 40% people of color, and 66% of our members are new since we started our transformation,” he said. “Over the past few years, we have listened, we’ve acted and we’ve changed.”
Mason then introduced The Weeknd, who performed two tunes from his just-released album “Hurry Up Tomorrow” — “Cry For Me” and “Timeless” with special guest Playboi Carti. He wore a long druid’s robe and the stage was smoky.
Will Smith returns to the award stage
Will Smith, hosting a tribute to the late Quincy Jones, marked his first appearance at a major awards show since since he slapped Chris Rock onstage at the Oscars in 2022.
“In his 91 years, Q touched countless lives, but I have to say, he changed mine forever. You probably wouldn’t even know who Will Smith was if it wasn’t for Quincy Jones,” Smith said.
Smith has been banned from film academy ceremonies for 10 years but the Grammys are a different beast. He made no mention of the infamous Slap.
Smith has previously nabbed Grammy wins in the short form music video (“Will 2K”), best rap solo performance (“Getting’ Jiggy Wit It,” “Men in Black”), and best rap performance by a duo or group (“Summertime” as the Fresh Prince with DJ Jazzy Jeff).