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Awards

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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.

La India, Alejandro Fernández and Manuel Alejandro will receive special awards at the 2025 Premio Lo Nuestro, Billboard can announce.
Recognizing her three-decade-long career, La India, known as the Princess of Salsa, will receive the Premio Lo Nuestro a La Trayectoria (Lifetime Achievement Award) for her contributions to Latin music. Mexican star Alejandro Fernández will be honored with the Premio Lo Nuestro a la Excelencia (Excellence Award) for his enduring legacy in Mexican music and beyond.

Meanwhile, Spanish composer and producer Manuel Alejandro will receive the Visionario Lo Nuestro for his six-decade career, penning over 500 songs and having worked with iconic artists like José José, Rocío Jurado and Julio Iglesias, to name a few.

All three will be honored at the awards ceremony, which will air at 8 p.m. ET Thursday, Feb. 20, via Univision, UNIMÁS, and Vix. Becky G and Carin León lead the list of nominations at this year’s Premio Lo Nuestro, taking the lead with 10 nods each. The two hitmakers are followed by Shakira and Myke Towers with nine nominations each and the eight-time nominees Ángela Aguilar, Emilia, Grupo Frontera, and Leonardo Aguilar.

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Nominations “are based on airplay on Uforia stations and take into account airtime on Univision Radio, streaming data, and evaluation by a Television Committee composed of music and entertainment industry experts,” according to a press statement. Fans can vote from January 22 to February 4 on PremioLoNuestro.com. See the complete list of nominations here.

Co-hosted by Laura Pausini, Thalia, and Alejandra Espinoza, this year’s theme is “Uniendo Generaciones” (Uniting Generations), honoring the artists, songs, and albums that connect the past, present, and future of Latin music.

The 2025 Grammy Awards are just around the corner, which means a new hit will be crowned record of the year. This year’s star-studded nominees include The Beatles’ “Now And Then,” Beyoncé’s “Texas Hold ‘Em,” Sabrina Carpenter’s “Espresso,” Charli xcx’s “360,” Billie Eilish’s “Birds of a Feather,” Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us,” Chappell Roan’s “Good […]

Mexican music juggernauts Peso Pluma and Tito Double P are set to be honored with the BMI Champion Award and the BMI Impact Award, respectively, at the 2025 BMI Latin Awards, taking place March 6 at the Fontainebleau Coastal Convention Center in Miami Beach, Fla. The private event will be hosted by BMI president/CEO Mike O’Neill and BMI’s vp of creative, Latin, Jesús González. 

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The special accolade will honor Peso’s rapid ascent to global fame and the significant impact he has had in bringing Mexican music to the mainstream. “Peso Pluma’s extraordinary success has not only reshaped the landscape of música mexicana but also propelled it onto the global stage,” said Jesús González, in a press release. “His innovative sound and undeniable influence have opened new doors for Latin music.”

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Furthermore, Peso’s quickly ascending collaborator and cousin, Tito, who has become a star in his own right, will be recognized for his contributions to Peso’s success and for establishing himself as one of the genre’s hottest new talents. “We are excited to celebrate [Peso’s] success alongside Tito Double P, whose dedication and talent have played a key role in Peso Pluma’s journey, while also marking the beginning of his own impressive career,” adds González. “We also look forward to honoring our BMI Familia of exceptional songwriters, producers and publishers behind the most-performed Latin songs of the past year during the ceremony.”

During the event, BMI will acknowledge the songwriters and publishers of the most-performed Latin songs in the U.S. over the past year. Awards such as the BMI regional mexican song, songwriter, and publisher of the year, as well as the BMI contemporary Latin song, songwriter, and publisher of the year, will be presented during the ceremony.

As the 2025 BMI Champion Award recipient, Peso Pluma joins a distinguished list of past honorees, including SZA, Khalid, Residente, Sebastian Krys, Inflo, Mark Ronson, Keith Urban and others. Meanwhile, Tito Double P joins Edgar Barrera, Ice Spice, Arlo Parks, RAYE, P2J and Tems, among others, in receiving the BMI Impact Award.

A series of special performances will highlight the 67th Annual Grammy Awards on Sunday (Feb. 2), including a salute to the life and legacy of Grammy legend Quincy Jones, tributes to the spirit of Los Angeles, which is beginning the long process of rebuilding after devastating wildfires, and the annual In Memoriam segment.
Brad Paisley, Brittany Howard, Coldplay’s Chris Martin, current Oscar nominee Cynthia Erivo, Herbie Hancock, Jacob Collier, Janelle Monáe, John Legend, Lainey Wilson, Sheryl Crow, St. Vincent and Stevie Wonder are set to appear in these segments.

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 Hancock, Wonder, Legend and Collier. He won just about every award the Recording Academy has to give, including a trustees award in 1989 and a Grammy Legend Award in 1992.

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Live from Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles 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+.

Previously announced performers include Benson Boone, Billie Eilish, Chappell Roan, Charli xcx, Doechii, RAYE, Sabrina Carpenter, Shakira and Teddy Swims.

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.

Prior to the telecast, the Grammy Awards Premiere Ceremony will be broadcast live from the Peacock Theater at 12:30 p.m. PT and will be streamed live on the Recording Academy’s YouTube channel and the Grammy website.

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. Tranter also hosted last year’s Premiere Ceremony, where the vast majority of Grammys are presented.

The opening number on the Premiere Ceremony will feature a performance by current nominees Yolanda Adams, Wayne Brady, Deborah Cox, Scott Hoying, Angelique Kidjo, and Taj Mahal. Six other current nominees — Joe Bonamassa, Joyce DiDonato, Béla Fleck, Renée Fleming, Muni Long and Kelli O’Hara — are also set to perform, as is Grammy-winning contemporary classical composer Kevin Puts.

This year’s Premiere Ceremony, to be held at Peacock Theater at the LA Live complex in Los Angeles, 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.

As announced last week, this year’s Grammy telecast will carry an added sense of purpose: raising additional funds to support Los Angeles wildfire relief efforts and honoring the bravery and dedication of first responders. Since launching the Los Angeles Fire Relief Effort to Support Music Professionals last week, the Recording Academy and MusiCares have raised and pledged more than $4 million in emergency aid to music people affected by the wildfires.

On Grammy Sunday, fans can access exclusive behind-the-scenes Grammys content, including performances, acceptance speeches, interviews from the Grammy Live red-carpet special, and more on the Grammy website.