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Along with the awards handed out throughout the night, the Grammy Awards always deliver star-studded performances — and this year is no different.
The 2025 Grammy performers announced so far include Benson Boone, Billie Eilish, Charli XCX, Chappell Roan, Cynthia Erivo, Doechii, Stevie Wonder, Coldplay’s Chris Martin, Lainey Wilson, Herbie Hancock, Brittany Howard, Brad Paisley, Teddy Swims, Janelle Monáe, John Legend, Sheryl Crow, St. Vincent, Jacob Collier, Raye, Sabrina Carpenter and Shakira.
Six of the performers — Boone, Roan, Doechii, Raye, Carpenter and Swims — are all nominated for best new artist. The other two nominees, Shaboozey and Khruangbin, have not been announced as performers.
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Additionally, there will be a salute to the late Grammy legend Quincy Jones, who died in November at age 91, as well as tributes to the city of Los Angeles and the annual In Memoriam performance.
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Let us know by voting here and below. The 2025 Grammy Awards, which will be hosted by Trevor Noah are set to return to Los Angeles’ Crypto.com Arena on Sunday, Feb. 2. The show, which will help to raise funds for those who were affected by the Los Angeles wildfires, will broadcast live at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on CBS and will be available to stream live and on demand via Paramount+.
If you haven’t noticed, this year’s lineup of major Grammy contenders is unspeakably loaded: The biggest names in music, from the long-dominant superstars to the quick-rising new faces to the most compelling comeback artists in recent memory, will have a presence at the 67th annual Grammy Awards, which will be held on Sunday night (Feb. 2) at Crypto Arena in Los Angeles. Sure, there are a few left-of-center nominees in the Big Four general categories (album of the year, record of the year, song of the year and best new artist), but the large majority of the bolded names will sound familiar — and they’ll all be competing for the same hardware.
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A handful of artists not only stand to collect the top prizes come Grammy night, but to dominate the narrative around the ceremony, owning the chatter that follows in the hours and days once all the stars shuffle out of the arena. And while some artists could win multiple Big Four awards but not the album of the year trophy — like Kendrick Lamar, who could win both record of the year and song of the year with “Not Like Us” — only six artists (all women!) have a chance to win the top prize, album of the year, as well as at least one other Big Four award. In doing so, they would take hold of the headlines post-ceremony, and claim Grammy night as their own.
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With that in mind, here are the 6 artists who could dominate the narrative of the 2025 Grammys, the awards they would need to win in order to do so, and what those dominant performances would mean, big-picture.
Billie Eilish
What She’d Need To Win: Album of the year for Hit Me Hard and Soft, plus record of the year and/or song of the year for “Birds of a Feather”
What It Would Signify: An awards-show force continuing her unstoppable pace. Five years after becoming the second artist in Grammys history to sweep the Big Four categories, Eilish is back as a contender in album of the year, record of the year and song of the year; if anyone doubted her staying power following her dominance of the 2020 ceremony, Eilish has put those concerns to bed by earning multiple Big Four nods in four of the last five years, as well as follow-up wins in record of the year (for “Everything I Wanted” in 2021) and song of the year (for “What Was I Made For?” last year). Of course, it’s not just the Recording Academy that has lavished praise upon the pop superstar — Eilish owns multiple Academy Awards for Best Original Song, a 23-year-old with more Oscars to her name than Leonardo DiCaprio or Al Pacino.
Eilish could keep up her astonishing success rate on Sunday night thanks to “Birds of a Feather” — one of the biggest mainstream hits of her career, still squarely in the top 10 of the current Hot 100 more than eight months into its chart run — and Hit Me Hard and Soft, another acclaimed full-length that made her three-for-three with album of the year nominations. We witnessed a scorching-hot run like this in the 2010s from Adele, who took home a pair of album of the year trophies in 2012 and 2017, respectively. If Eilish takes home the top prize on Sunday night, she will have basically replicated that run for a new decade.
Taylor Swift
What She’d Need To Win: Album of the year for The Tortured Poets Department, plus record of the year and/or song of the year for “Fortnight” (featuring Post Malone)
What It Would Signify: History books being quickly rewritten. Thanks to her 2024 album of the year for Midnights, Swift already owns the all-time record for most wins in the category, with four (she previously won for Fearless, 1989 and Folklore). That total could stand for exactly one year if Swift once again emerges victorious in the category, this time for The Tortured Poets Department — which she happened to announce on the Grammys stage last year, and proceeded to give Swift the biggest first-week debut of her career last April.
However, album of the year might not be the most meaningful category at this year’s ceremony for Swift, who is up for six awards. The superstar also owns the record for career nominations in song of the year, with eight — but has yet to take home the award. “Fortnight,” her TTPD chart-topper with Post Malone, could change that on Sunday night, achieving what songs like “You Belong With Me,” “Lover” and “All Too Well (10 Minute Version)” could not. So regardless of what happens in album of the year, Swifties could be very pleased with the outcome of Grammy night, then turn their attentions toward rooting like hell for Kansas City in the Super Bowl next Sunday.
Charli XCX
What She’d Need to Win: Album of the year for Brat, plus record of the year for “360”
What It Would Signify: A dramatic Grammys comeback narrative that somehow allows us to compare Charli XCX to… Santana! Prior to 1999’s Supernatural album, Carlos Santana had existed outside of the mainstream and top 40 radio for several years, but mega-smashes like “Smooth” and “Maria Maria” returned him to the Billboard charts and eventually resulted in an album of the year win in 2000. A quarter-century later, Charli — who was nominated for record of the year as the guest on Iggy Azalea’s No. 1 smash “Fancy” in 2015, then didn’t show up in the Big Four for years, in spite of consistent output — has a chance to similarly dominate Grammy night with Brat, an album that transformed the British pop star from cult hero to arena headliner.
Brat earned Charli both the best reviews of her career and the most success of any of her albums, a triumphant (and expertly marketed) project that served as the new highlight of for longtime fans and an introduction to a new generation of listeners. This campaign has already been a whirlwind success for Charli, and any wins across her seven nominations would be gravy. But the moment could be the exclamation point on an unexpected mainstream return if Charli emerges from Grammy night as the biggest winner and paints the ceremony Brat-green.
Chappell Roan
What She’d Need to Win: Album of the year for The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess, plus record of the year and/or song of the year for “Good Luck, Babe!,” or best new artist
What It Would Signify: The rare first-album co-sign by the Recording Academy. In the 21st century, only two debuts have walked away with the album of the year trophy: Come Away With Me by Norah Jones in 2003, and When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?, by current album of the year competitor Billie Eilish, in 2020. That list could grow this weekend if The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess, Chappell Roan’s spectacular pop debut, takes home the top prize — an unthinkable outcome 16 months ago, when the album was released to little fanfare in September 2023. With Roan gaining steam while opening for Olivia Rodrigo’s 2024 tour, then scoring the first top 10 hit of her career with the non-album single “Good Luck, Babe!” however, the album became a late-blooming chart smash, and the singer-songwriter earned nominations in all of the Big Four categories.
Midwest Princess winning album of the year would certainly be a cool outcome, akin to the Recording Academy giving Eilish the Big Four clean sweep five years ago; both Eilish and Roan crafted debut albums that challenged pop norms, and promoted them with outspoken, singular identities that were embraced by younger listeners. Even if Roan wins album of the year but misses the Big Four sweep, any general category victory would be a clear sign that the Academy views her as pop’s future, and deserves to be acknowledged immediately.
Sabrina Carpenter
What She’d Need to Win: Album of the year for Short n’ Sweet, plus record of the year for “Espresso,” song of the year for “Please Please Please,” or best new artist
What It Would Signify: The completion of a breathtaking rise to the A-list. A year ago, Sabrina Carpenter was a veteran recording artist beloved by pop diehards but still searching for a true crossover hit. Now, she’s had three top 10 smashes on the Hot 100 — “Espresso,” her spring breakthrough up for record of the year; “Please Please Please,” the summer chart-topper up for song of the year; and “Taste,” the fall radio mainstay — as well as a No. 1 album with Short n’ Sweet, an arena headlining tour, a Hollywood romance, and enough brand deals to keep her in regular rotation on most commercial breaks.
A major night at the Grammys would be the cherry on top of a whirlwind year for Carpenter, who released five full-lengths prior to Short n’ Sweet but never came close to this level of awards recognition. Like Roan, she is a presence in all of the Big Four categories; unlike Roan, she has different singles nominated in record of the year and song of the year, a testament to her power as a hit-maker in 2024. Carpenter is going to be a mainstream presence for a very long time whatever happens on Grammy night, but multiple general category wins would nudge a remarkable upward trajectory even higher.
Beyoncé
What She’d Need to Win: Album of the year for Cowboy Carter, plus record of the year and/or song of the year for “Texas Hold ’Em”
What It Would Signify: Queen Bey checking off the one remaining box. Beyoncé currently owns the records for most Grammy nominations and most Grammy wins, but famously has not been able to take home the album of the year prize, despite four previous nods for her solo albums. Cowboy Carter, her chart-topping foray into country and Americana, was not the most critically lavished or commercially successful project of Bey’s career, but its conceptual boldness and sky-high execution helped Beyoncé earn the most nominations of any artist at the 2025 Grammys, with 11.
Some could view Cowboy Carter becoming the project to finally give Beyoncé an album of the year trophy as a lifetime-achievement win for a relatively lesser work; others could claim that Cowboy Carter is the most audacious album that Bey has ever released, and that she pulled off the genre-hop masterfully. Regardless, a win would allow the BeyHive to finally exhale, after years and multiple ceremonies of their favorite superstar going home without the top award. And while No. 1 hit “Texas Hold ’Em” winning record of the year or song of the year would signify a nice victory, all eyes will be on the album prize.
The Recording Academy awarded Jack Antonoff one additional 2025 Grammy nomination this week – as one of 11 engineers on Sabrina Carpenter’s Short n’ Sweet, which is nominated for best engineered album, non-classical. This is Antonoff’s first nomination in an engineering category and brings his career nominations total to an even 30.
Final-round Grammy voting ended on Jan. 3, so Antonoff’s name didn’t appear on the ballot in that category, but he will take home a Grammy on Sunday (Feb. 2) if the album wins in that category.
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Antonoff has five other nominations this year – record of the year for producing the Taylor Swift/Post Malone collab “Fortnight,” two for song of the year for co-writing “Fortnight” and Carpenter’s “Please Please Please,” and two for album of the year for his contributions to Short N’ Sweet and Swift’s The Tortured Poets Department.
Antonoff’s 2024-25 Grammy season got off to a surprisingly rough start. His failure to land a nomination for producer of the year, non-classical, a category he had won the last three years running, was widely considered the biggest snub in this year’s nominations – and is hard to reconcile with his bounty of nominations in other marquee categories. He’s the only producer with credits on two album of the year nominees this year. It appears that the members of the National Craft Nominating Committee, which selected the five nominees for producer of the year, non-classical, just decided that Antonoff has been rewarded enough in this category, at least for now.
The 67th Grammy Awards Rules & Guidelines handbook says “the first round of voting [in this category] is in the hands of the general voting membership via the first ballot. The second round of voting, however, takes place in a national craft nominating committee. The top 30 selections from the general voting membership…appear on the ballot for the national craft nominating committees, made up of 25-35 voting members representing all the chapters, to vote by confidential ballot to select the five nominations.”
Antonoff’s six nominations this year are evenly split between his work with Swift and Carpenter – three for work with each artist. Over the course of his career, he has received 11 nominations specifically for his work with Swift; six with fun., the pop trio in which he rose to fame; four with Lana Del Rey; three with Carpenter; two with St. Vincent; and one apiece with Lorde and Zayn. (The former One Direction star teamed with Swift for the duet “I Don’t Wanna Live Forever” from Fifty Shades Darker, which was nominated for best song written for visual media.)
By category, Antonoff has received 10 album of the year nominations; six for song of the year; five for producer of the year, non-classical; three for record of the year; two for best pop vocal album; and one each for best new artist, best pop duo/group performance, best song written for visual media, best rock song and best alternative music album.
Antonoff, 40, has won 11 Grammys.
Here’s the updated list of nominations for best engineered album, non-classical. The artist’s name at the end of each listing is shown just for identification purposes.
AlgorithmDernst Emile II, Michael B. Hunter, Jordan Johnson, Stefan Johnson, Rachel Keen, John Kercy, Charles Moniz & Todd Robinson, engineers; Colin Leonard, mastering engineer (Lucky Daye)
Cyan BlueJack Emblem, Jack Rochon & Charlotte Day Wilson, engineers; Chris Gehringer, mastering engineer (Charlotte Day Wilson)
Deeper WellCraig Alvin, Shawn Everett, Mai Leisz, Todd Lombardo, John Rooney, Konrad Snyder & Daniel Tashian, engineers; Greg Calbi, mastering engineer (Kacey Musgraves)
EmpathogenBeatriz Artola, Zach Brown, Oscar Cornejo, Chris Greatti, Mitch McCarthy, Adam Schoeller & Willow Smith, engineers; Joe LaPorta, mastering engineer (WILLOW)
i/oTchad Blake, Oli Jacobs, Katie May, Dom Shaw & Mark “Spike” Stent, engineers; Matt Colton, mastering engineer (Peter Gabriel)
Short n’ SweetJack Antonoff, Bryce Bordone, Julian Bunetta, Serban Ghenea, Jeff Gunnell, Oli Jacobs, Ian Kirkpatrick, Jack Manning, Manny Marroquin, John Ryan & Laura Sisk, engineers; Nathan Dantzler & Ruairi O’Flaherty, mastering engineers (Sabrina Carpenter)
The 67th annual Grammy Awards are here at last. A few weeks ago, the thought of an awards show in Los Angeles, where entire neighborhoods went up in flames, seemed unthinkable. But the Recording Academy withstood considerable pressure to postpone or even cancel the show in light of this month’s devastating wildfires, so here we are.
Live from Crypto.com Arena in L.A. and hosted by Trevor Noah, Music’s Biggest Night will be broadcast live on Sunday (Feb. 2) at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on CBS. The show will also be available to stream live and on demand on Paramount+.
This year’s show will put a spotlight on new artists. Six of this year’s best new artist nominees – Benson Boone, Chappell Roan, Doechii, Raye, Sabrina Carpenter and Teddy Swims – are set to perform. (The other two best new artist nominees, Shaboozey and Khruangbin, have not been announced as performers.)
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Other performers on the telecast include Billie Eilish (who won best new artist five years ago), Charli XCX and Shakira.
The Recording Academy usually reserves one or two really big names to announce closer to the show. Among the top nominees not yet announced as performers are: Beyoncé, Kendrick Lamar, Taylor Swift (with or without Post Malone) and Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars.
Beyoncé, who led this year’s nominations with 11 nods, last performed on the Grammys in 2017. Swift, who received six nods, last performed on the show in 2021. A promo for the show which aired on CBS confirmed that they will be in attendance at the show, but not that they will perform. Gaga and Mars, whose twice-nominated “Die With a Smile” is in its fourth week atop the Billboard Hot 100, have performed on the telecast separately many times.
Lamar, who has seven nods, last performed on the Grammy telecast in 2018, when he opened the show in tandem with U2 and comedian Dave Chappelle. A Grammy performance this year is unlikely: Lamar is set to headline the Super Bowl halftime show on Feb. 9.
This year’s telecast will carry an added sense of purpose: raising funds to support L.A. wildfire relief efforts and honoring the bravery and dedication of first responders. A series of special performances will highlight the show, including a salute to the life and legacy of Grammy legend Quincy Jones, tributes to the spirit of Los Angeles, and the annual In Memoriam segment.
Swift, who won album of the year at the 2024 Grammy Awards, and Victoria Monét, who won best new artist on that show, are set to present on this year’s show. Other presenters, announced Friday, are Anthony Kiedis & Chad Smith of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Cardi B, Gloria Estefan, Olivia Rodrigo, Queen Latifah, SZA and Will Smith.
Smith will introduce the salute to Jones. Jones was executive producer of the hit sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air which ran from 1990-96 on NBC and propelled Smith to stardom.
Jones, who died in November at age 91, won 28 Grammys across six different decades, from the 1960s to the 2010s. He was a friend and mentor to generations of talented artists, including Herbie Hancock, Stevie Wonder, John Legend and Jacob Collier, all of whom are set to appear on the show.
This is the fifth consecutive year that Noah has hosted the show. He will become the first comedian to host the Grammys five times. He’s also a Grammy nominee for best comedy album for Where Was I. If he wins, he’ll become just the second Grammy host to win on a night that he or she hosted. Kenny Rogers was the first, in 1980.
The 67th Annual Grammy Awards will be produced by Fulwell 73 Productions for the Recording Academy for the fourth consecutive year. Ben Winston, Raj Kapoor and Jesse Collins are executive producers.
This year’s premiere ceremony, where the vast majority of Grammys are presented, will stream live at 3:30 p.m. ET/12:30 p.m. PT on the Recording Academy’s YouTube channel and on the Grammy website. The show will be held at Peacock Theater in the LA Live complex in Los Angeles (which also encompasses Crypto.com Arena). Justin Tranter, a Grammy nominee for song of the year for co-writing Chappell Roan’s “Good Luck, Babe,” is set to host the premiere ceremony for the second year in a row.
Check out the full list of performers and presenters on the main Grammy telecast below. For a summary of performers and presenters on Premiere Ceremony, go here.
Performers
Benson Boone
Billie Eilish
Chappell Roan
Charli XCX
Doechii
RAYE
Sabrina Carpenter
Shakira
Teddy Swims
Performers, Tribute Segments
Brad Paisley
Brittany Howard
Chris Martin
Cynthia Erivo
Herbie Hancock
Jacob Collier
Janelle Monáe
John Legend
Lainey Wilson
Sheryl Crow
St. Vincent
Stevie Wonder
Presenters
Anthony Kiedis & Chad Smith
Cardi B
Gloria Estefan
Olivia Rodrigo
Queen Latifah
SZA
Taylor Swift
Victoria Monét
Will Smith
We all knew that Taylor Swift would be in the house for the 2025 Grammys, which are set for Sunday (Feb. 2), because she was named in a CBS promo for the show. But now we learn that she will have an official role on the show – as a presenter. Swift is the first presenter to be announced for the show. More are expected on Friday (Jan. 31).
Swift, of course, may also win one or more Grammys on the show, which is being held at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. She is nominated in six categories, including the top three awards – album, record and song of the year. She is vying to win album of the year for what would be a record-extending fifth time with her smash album The Tortured Poets Department, which topped the Billboard 200 for 17 nonconsecutive weeks.
Of the 14 previous years where Swift has been a Grammy nominee, she has headed home with at least one award exactly half the time. And in years where she has gone into the show with six or more nominations, as she has this year, she has never been shut out. In 2010, when she had eight nominations, she won four. In 2015, when she had seven nominations, she won three. In 2021, when she had six nominations, she won one. And last year, when she had six nominations, she won two. Here’s a mind-blowing fact: In all four of the previous years where she had six or more nods, she won album of the year.
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Swift’s other nominations this year are record and song of the year and best music video for “Fortnight,” a collaboration with Post Malone; best pop vocal album for The Tortured Poets Department, and best pop duo/group performance for Gracie Abrams’ “us.,” on which she is featured.
Live from Crypto.com Arena in L.A. and hosted by Trevor Noah, the 67th annual Grammy Awards will be broadcast live on Sunday (Feb. 2) at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on CBS. The show will also be available to stream live and on demand on Paramount+.
This year’s telecast will carry an added sense of purpose: raising funds to support L.A. wildfire relief efforts and honoring the bravery and dedication of first responders.
A series of special performances will highlight the show, including a salute to the life and legacy of Grammy legend Quincy Jones, tributes to the spirit of Los Angeles, and the annual In Memoriam segment.
This is the fifth consecutive year that Noah has hosted the show. He will become the first comedian to host the Grammys five times. He’s also a Grammy nominee for best comedy album for Where Was I. If he wins, he’ll become just the second Grammy host to win on a night that he or she hosted. Kenny Rogers was the first, in 1980.
The 67th Annual Grammy Awards will be produced by Fulwell 73 Productions for the Recording Academy for the fourth consecutive year. Ben Winston, Raj Kapoor and Jesse Collins are executive producers.
This year’s Premiere Ceremony, where the vast majority of Grammys are presented, will stream live at 3:30 p.m. ET/12:30 p.m. PT on the Recording Academy’s YouTube channel and on the Grammy website. The show will be held at Peacock Theater in the LA Live complex in Los Angeles (which also encompasses Crypto.com Arena). Justin Tranter, a Grammy nominee for song of the year for co-writing Chappell Roan’s “Good Luck, Babe,” is set to host the Premiere Ceremony for the second year in a row.
The BRIT Awards has announced the first slate of live performers for its 2025 ceremony. JADE, Myles Smith, Shaboozey, Teddy Swims and The Last Dinner Party will all perform live during the event at London’s O2 Arena on March 1. All of the performers are nominated in a number of categories. Myles Smith has already […]
Boi-1da and Sarah Harmer are earning special honors.
The Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS) has announced both Canadian artists as special award recipients at this year’s Juno Awards.
Globally successful record producer Boi-1da (born Matthew Samuels) will receive the International Achievement Award during The Juno broadcast live on CBC on March 30. This award recognizes Canadian artists who have attained exemplary success on the world stage and it honors Canadian talent who have raised the profile of Canadian music around the world. Boi-1da is the first producer recipient of the award, and just the 10th in total. He won a Grammy for best rap song six years ago for co-writing Drake‘s hit “God’s Plan.” His 19 nominations include two nods for the coveted producer of the year, non-classical award, in 2019 and 2023.
Harmer will receive the 2025 Humanitarian Award at The Juno Awards Gala, on Saturday, March 29 at the Vancouver Convention Centre. This award recognizes Canadian artists or industry leaders whose work has positively enhanced the social culture of Canada. Harmer is being honored for eloquently using her voice to advocate for major environmental issues.
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“This year’s Juno Special Award Recipients exemplify the very best of what Canadian music has to offer,” Allan Reid, president and CEO of CARAS, said in a statement. “From creating superstar recordings to leading with compassion in their humanitarian efforts, we are excited to celebrate Boi-1da and Sarah Harmer for their work and profound impact.”
It is almost 20 years since Boi-1da’s first recognized production credit, for the track “Do What You Do” on Drake’s 2006 mixtape Room for Improvement. That launched a career that now boasts these impressive stats: 60+ platinum singles, 19 Grammy nominations (with one win), four RIAA-certified Diamond records and four Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hits as both a songwriter and producer – Eminem’s “Not Afraid,” Rihanna’s “Work” (featuring Drake), Drake’s “God’s Plan” and Drake’s “First Person Shooter” (featuring J. Cole).
Boi-1da has produced tracks for superstars including Rihanna, Eminem, Jay-Z, Nicki Minaj, Kanye West and Beyoncé, among others.
“It’s a huge honour,” he says. “Canada has always been home, and its music scene shaped me into the producer I am today. To be able to take that foundation and contribute to music on a global scale means everything. I hope this inspires the next generation of Canadian artists and producers to dream big and know that the world is listening.”
Singer-songwriter Sarah Harmer began her musical career with roots-rock bands The Saddletramps and Weeping Tile, prior to launching a solo career that took off with her 2000 sophomore album, You Were Here, which went platinum. Five more full-length albums have brought her both commercial success and international critical acclaim.
Harmer’s record as an environmental activist runs long and deep. In 2005, she co-founded citizen’s organization PERL (Protecting Escarpment Rural Land) and supported it via a tour of the Niagara Escarpment region. A documentary DVD of this tour was released in 2006 as Escarpment Blues. Harmer also coauthored a book about the campaign, The Last Stand: A Journey Through the Ancient Cliff-Face Forest of the Niagara Escarpment.
She is credited with leading the successful effort to prevent an open-pit gravel mine in a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve on the Escarpment in Ontario and has been active in different community environmental groups, including the Reform Gravel Mining Coalition, and pipeline protests.
“I truly appreciate this honour,” says Harmer of this special award. “I accept on behalf of all the people who volunteer their time to speak up to protect land, water, and the web of life in their communities, and beyond. Musicians who use their platforms to amplify these struggles give a huge boost to the collective fight. Now more than ever we need to use our powers to build community and respect the natural world that underpins our lives.”
Harmer is no stranger to recognition at the Juno Awards, having taken home 10 trophies for her solo work.
This article was originally published by Billboard Canada.
We’re just days away from the 2025 Grammys Awards, which means one of today’s biggest hits will be crowned song of the year. This year’s nominees include Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song (Tipsy),” Billie Eilish’s “Birds of a Feather,” Beyoncé’s “Texas Hold ’Em,” Chappell Roan’s “Good Luck, Babe!,” Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us,” Lady Gaga and […]
On February 8, 2015, nearly everyone in attendance at the Staples Center in Los Angeles expected the top prize at the 57th Annual Grammy Awards to go to Beyoncé. The pop and R&B superstar had changed the game 14 months earlier with the surprise drop of her self-titled album, topping the Billboard 200, drawing unanimous raves and dominating the culture for the entire year to follow. But when it came time for Prince to announce the winner for album of the year that night, a different solo “B” name was called – confusing many in the crowd and watching at home, infuriating one easily excited fellow superstar, and setting into motion many of the narratives that continue to define the Grammys a decade later.
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This week, on the Greatest Pop Stars podcast, we debut our Great Moments in Pop History series, looking at some of the pivotal moments throughout the decades that have come to define our perception of pop music, pop culture and pop stardom. On the precipice of the upcoming Grammys – airing this Sunday (Feb. 2), with one of the most loaded nominee classes in recent memory – we flash back to 10 years earlier, when one of 2025’s preeminent nominees (and the biggest overall winner in Grammy history) lost an album of the year race she was the heavy favorite to win, with Beck’s acclaimed-but-less-impactful Morning Phase instead taking home top honors. It’s a snub the Recording Academy still has not yet made good on, with Beyoncé being nominated and losing in the category twice in the years since.
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Host Andrew Unterberger is joined by Billboard executive digital director (and Pop Shop Podcast co-host) Katie Atkinson – who was in the building that memorable night – to recall everything there is to recall about the 2015 Grammys. We start with everything else of note that happened during those Grammys – like Sam Smith’s early-career-peak night of dominance, the cavalcade of pop megastars performing (but somehow playing zero of their signature hits) and an A-plus-list trio of legends united for one time only. We also run through some of our favorite less-starry performances of the night, including Hozier with a towering Annie Lennox, and Sia with both a wig and Kristen Wiig.
And then, we dig into the nitty gritty of Beck beating Beyoncé – and Kanye nearly crashing the stage in protest – and the impact it all ended up having on the Grammys’ next decade. We remember the double-shock of Beck’s longshot victory combined with Kanye’s oh-no-not-again fakeout, and give context for how bizarre it was (and remains) that Beck, of all people, became the face of Grammy-approved establishment rock. Then, of course, we set our sights on the 2025 awards – where Beyoncé is once again an album of the year nominee, for 2024’s Cowboy Carter – and ask: Is it finally time for the Queen to take home the crown? (And if she finally does this year, will it actually be… kinda weird?)
Check it out above — along with a YouTube playlist of some of the most memorable moments from the 2015 awards — and subscribe to the Greatest Pop Stars podcast on Apple Music or Spotify (or wherever you get your podcasts) for weekly discussions every Thursday about all things related to pop stardom!
The Recording Academy has selected “Deliver,” written by Iman Jordan (performer), Roy Gartrell, Tam Jones, and Ariel Loh—as the 2025 recipient of its Harry Belafonte Best Song for Social Change Award. The honor will be presented at the academy’s Special Merit Awards ceremony on Saturday (Feb. 1) at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre in Los Angeles.
This is the award’s third year. In its first two years it went to “Baraye” by Shervin Hajipour and “Refugee” by K’naan, Gerald Eaton and Steve McEwan.
“Deliver,” a soulful ballad with hip-hop and rock elements, captures the challenges of today’s sociopolitical climate and the struggle to communicate and reconcile differences. As a rallying cry against war, the song calls for unity, civility and meaningful dialogue.
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The Harry Belafonte Best Song for Social Change Award is a CEO’s Merit Award established by the academy’s national trustees in 2022 to honor songwriters of message-driven music that speaks to the social issues of our time and has demonstrated and inspired positive global impact.
Recipient(s) are selected annually by a committee of peers dedicated to artistic expression, the craft of songwriting and the power of songs to affect social change. The award was named in honor of the late singer and actor Harry Belafonte, a powerful voice for social justice throughout his career. Belafonte, a two-time Grammy winner who received a lifetime achievement award from the Recording Academy in 2000, died in 2023 at age 96.
Ahead of the 67th annual Grammy Awards on Feb. 2, the Recording Academy has also chosen the winner of its Music Educator Award presented with the Grammy Museum, and Entertainment Law Initiative Writing Contest scholarships.
Music Educator Award
Adrian L. Maclin of Cordova High School in Memphis, Tennessee is the recipient of the 2025 Music Educator Award presented by the Recording Academy and the Grammy Museum. Maclin will also be recognized during the Special Merit Awards ceremony on Feb. 1.
The Music Educator Award recognizes current educators who have made a significant and lasting contribution to the music education field and who demonstrate a commitment to the broader cause of maintaining music education in the schools. The award is open to current U.S. music teachers. Each year, one recipient is selected from 10 finalists and recognized for their impact on students’ lives. They will receive a $10,000 honorarium and a matching grant for their school’s music program. Nine additional finalists will each receive a $1,000 honorarium and a matching grant. The remaining 15 semifinalists will receive a $500 honorarium and a matching school grant.
The Music Educator Award program is made possible by The Chuck Lorre Family Foundation. In addition, the American Choral Directors Association, National Association for Music Education, NAMM Foundation, and National Education Association support this program through outreach to their constituencies. Nominations and applications for the 2026 Music Educator Award are now open via grammymusicteacher.com.
Entertainment Law Initiative Writing Contest
The Recording Academy Entertainment Law Initiative (ELI) has selected Melanie Sallis of Georgia State University/College of Law in Atlanta, Georgia as the winner of its annual ELI Writing Contest. Sallis won for her paper, “Beyond Takedowns: Expanding Music Monetization Tools to Support All Artists.”
In addition, two students were announced as runners-up: Angelina Craig of Drexel University/ Thomas R. Kline School of Law in Philadelphia, PA for “Words on Trial: The Use of Rap Lyrics as Evidence,” and Olivia McHenry of Nova Southeastern University/Shepard Broad College of Law in Fort Lauderdale, FL for “Hidden Fees and Scalpers are the Worst, So Put Fans First: Why the Fans First Act is a More Resourceful Option Over Structural Relief of Live Nation-Ticketmaster.”
The Recording Academy established the Entertainment Law Initiative in partnership with some of the nation’s most prominent entertainment attorneys to promote discussion and debate around compelling legal matters and trends in the music industry. Co-sponsored by the American Bar Association, the ELI Writing Contest challenges law students to identify and research a current legal issue in the music industry and outline a proposed solution in an essay. The winning paper is published in the ABA’s journal, Entertainment & Sports Lawyer. A $10,000 scholarship is awarded to the winner, who will also receive tickets to attend the 67th annual Grammy Awards and MusiCares Person of the Year event.
$2,500 scholarships are given to two runners-up. All three top finalists receive a mentor session with a leading entertainment attorney.