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Benson Boone, Doechii, Teddy Swims, Shaboozey & Raye Deliver Best New Artist Nominee Medley at 2025 Grammys

Benson Boone, Doechii, Teddy Swims, Shaboozey and Raye showed off the sheer star power of this year’s best new artist nominees during a rousing performance medley at the 2025 Grammy Awards Sunday evening (Feb. 2).

Boone kicked things off by singing his hit “Beautiful Things” from the floor of Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, and eventually made his way over to Heidi Klum and Nikki Glaser’s table before the two women ripped off his black tuxedo and unveiled his shimmering baby blue jumpsuit. He dashed off to the stage and walked on top of the grand piano before doing a backflip off of it and belting the chorus.

Doechii took over next by performing “Catfish” from her critically acclaimed mixtape Alligator Bites Never Heal, which won the Grammy for best rap album earlier in the evening. Her backup dancers, who were wearing identical Thom Browne outfits, formed a single file line and revealed their fearless leader before they ripped her suit off and left Doechii in her bra, underwear, socks and loafers. DJ Miss Milan told Doechii, “Why don’t you tell the Grammys what’s been going on?” before the TDE MC dove into a jazzy version of “Denial Is a River,” which is her first Billboard Hot 100-charting hit, reaching No. 56 last week (chart ending Feb. 1). The dynamic duo brought the song’s theatrical conversation to life while strutting on a small moving runway before Milan and all of Doechii’s dancers fled the stage and let the bright marquee lights illuminate one of rap’s brightest new stars.

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Teddy Swims slowed things down with a stirring rendition of his Hot 100 No. 1 “Lose Control,” which he performed in the middle of the floor with only the help of a pianist and guitarist. Shaboozey later walked on stage with a single spotlight behind him as he sung a little bit of his latest single, “Good News,” before giving the people what they wanted: his 19-week Hot 100 No. 1 smash “A Bar Song (Tipsy).” Cowgirls in matching purple leather outfits with white fans and cowboys in matching black outfits pranced around the purple paisley print screen.

And last, but not least, Raye dazzled in a black sequined gown before delivering “Oscar Winning Tears” at not the titular awards show. Her jaw-dropping vocal chops during the song’s finale called for a standing ovation.

The best new artist award went to Chappell Roan, who during her acceptance speech, called on music labels to provide better healthcare and financial support for their musicians.

Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars Honor L.A. After Wildfires With ‘California Dreamin” Duet at the 2025 Grammys

Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars threw it back to the ’60s for their performance at the 2025 Grammys, singing The Mamas and the Papas’ iconic hit “California Dreamin” midway through the ceremony at Crypto.com Arena Sunday (Feb. 2).

Taking the stage just after a video played highlighting the destruction in the Los Angeles area — which has been left devastated following January’s deadly wildfire crisis — the two singers added a bittersweet edge to the cheerful 1965 tune by slowing the song down and pouring emotion into their powerful vocals. When one duet partner was singing lead, the other would join in on backup vocals.

“All the leaves are brown,” Mars sang toward the end while Gaga leaned her head on his shoulder, echoing the line back to him. “And the sky is gray/ I’ve been for a walk/ On a winter’s day.”

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The ceremony comes three days after Gaga joined numerous other stars in performing at the FireAid benefit concert in L.A., raising money for the city’s rebuilding efforts after the blazes displaced tens of thousands of residents and destroyed countless homes. The musician is also gearing up to release her highly anticipated seventh studio album, Mayhem, in March.

Leading up to the Grammys broadcast, fans had heard only two songs from the LP: “Die With a Smile,” Gaga’s smash hit duet with the Silk Sonic star, and “Disease,” which dropped in October. The former spent eight weeks atop the Billboard Global 200 and last month reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 more than four months after it first entered the chart. “Die With a Smile” is also nominated for both song of the year and best pop duo/group performance at this year’s Grammys.

Shortly after Gaga performed with Mars, Mother Monster premiered a third single and music video titled “Abracadabra” from Mayhem during a commercial break. The choreography-filled project featured one Gaga, dressed in a scarlet corset and puffy skirt, surveying a desolate warehouse space as another Gaga, sporting a white jumpsuit, dramatically dances with dozens of other performers.

Chappell Roan Wins Grammy for Best New Artist, Calls for Improved Healthcare in Music Business

Chappell Roan has never been one to shy away from making a point, and she made sure to make her voice heard at the 2025 Grammys Sunday (Feb. 2) when she won best new artist at the annual ceremony.

After she was announced as the category’s winner, Roan — who was dressed in a conical princess hat and a satin gray dress — took to the stage at the Crypto.com Arena and immediately offered a series of shout-outs. “Thank you to my fellow nominees, whose music got me through this past year — Brat was the best night of my life this year,” she said with a laugh. “Thank you all who listened to get me here today, and Dan, and Island Records, Amusement Records, my friends and my family, and above all my papa Chappell, who I named myself after.”

Then, the “Pink Pony Club” singer steered her speech to ask the music labels watching to provide better healthcare and financial support for their artists. “I told myself if I ever won a Grammy and I got to stand up here in front of the most powerful people in music, I would demand that labels and the industry profiting millions of dollars off of artists would offer a livable wage and healthcare, especially for developing artists,” she said, reading out of a notebook.

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Roan shared her own experience with being dropped from a major label, and how the lack of support she received affected her. “I got signed so young … and when I got dropped, I had zero job experience under my belt, and like most people, I had a difficult time finding a job in the pandemic, and could not afford health insurance,” she said. “It was so devastating to feel so committed to my art and to feel so betrayed by the system and to be so dehumanized to not have healthcare. If my label would have prioritized artists’ health, I could have been provided care by a company I was giving everything to.”

In closing her speech, Roan left executives with a powerful note: “Labels, we got you — but do you got us?”

Roan was nominated in a stacked best new artist category, featuring stars including Sabrina Carpenter, Benson Boone, Doechii, Shaboozey, Teddy Swims and others. The “Femininomenon” singer also received five other nominations at the annual awards show, including in the other Big Four categories for album of the year (The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess), record of the year and song of the year (“Good Luck, Babe”).

Spiritbox’s Courtney LaPlante Pretends to Be Poppy During Grammys Interview Mix-Up

Spiritbox vocalist Courtney LaPlante has expertly rolled with a red carpet mix-up at the Grammys this year, adopting the guise of fellow nominee Poppy after an interviewer confused the two artists.

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The high-profile case of mistaken identity occurred on LaPlante’s way into the ceremony, where she was nominated for Best Metal Performance with the rest of Spiritbox for their track “Cellar Door”. 

The category was ultimately won by French band Gojira, whose performance of “Mea Culpa (Ah! Ça ira!)” (as heard at the 2024 Olympics opening ceremony) was a collaboration with Swiss soprano Marina Viotti and Victor Le Masne. Elsewhere in the nominations was Metallica’s “Screaming Suicide”, Judas Priest’s “Crown of Horns”, and Knocked Loose’s collaboration with Poppy, “Suffocation”.

However, confusion reigned during LaPlante’s appearance on the red carpet where she took part in an interview, only to be introduced as Poppy. Offering a slightly confused look to the off-camera interviewer, LaPlante decided instead to roll with it and continued the conversation as her fellow nominee.

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“I am Poppy, and I am really happy to be here, nominated with Knocked Loose,” LaPlante replied slyly. “I really hope we win.”

Noting she had just finished chatting to Judas Priest, the interviewer goes on to mention it’s not Poppy’s first time being nominated, referencing her nod for “Bloodmoney” in 2021.

“Really happy to be here again, would love to take home the Grammy for Knocked Loose and myself because I would be the first woman to win this award,” LaPlante added. “I actually haven’t looked at [how many women have been nominated previously] but I just always know that it’s time for one of us to win. I hope it’s me, or Spiritbox and Courtney.”

LaPlante then answered further questions under Poppy’s guise, referring to Knocked Loose’s appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! as a “huge moment for our scene”, and reflected on the lack of female representation in the metal category at the Grammys before handing back the microphone without incident.

Spiritbox formed in Canada in 2017 and released their debut album, Eternal Blue, four years later, with the record peaking at No. 13 on the Billboard 200 and topping the Top Rock Albums chart. 

In 2023, they issued their fourth EP, The Fear of Fear, with opening track “Jaded” giving them their first Grammy nomination for Best Metal Performance in 2024. Their recently-nominated track, “Cellar Door”, was also lifted from the same EP. The band are currently slated to release their second full-length album, Tsunami Sea, in March.

Beyoncé’s ‘Cowboy Carter’ Wins Best Country Album at the 2025 Grammys

Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter has won best country album at the 2025 Grammys ceremony on Sunday (Feb. 2). The triumph makes Beyoncé the first Black woman to win in the best country album category.

Taylor Swift presented the trophy for best country album, telling the audience, “They say you never forget where you came from, and I will never forget standing here right on this spot almost exactly 15 years ago, accepting the award for best country album. It’s an honor that has gone to great artists that I admire so much, like The Chicks, Johnny Cash, Loretta Lynn, George Strait, Faith Hill, Vince Gill, Alison Krauss and Shania Twain.”

Swift announced Beyoncé as the winner, with the audience cheering as Beyoncé rose from her seat in the crowd, hugging her husband Jay-Z and daughter Blue Ivy, and then taking the stage to accept the honor.

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After greeting Swift, Beyoncé addressed the audience. “Wow. I want to thank God — oh my God — that I’m still able to do what I love after all these years. I’d like to thank all of the incredible country artists that accepted this album. We worked so hard on it. I think sometimes ‘genre’ is a cold word to keep us in our place as artists. I just want to encourage people to do what they are passionate about and to stay persistent.”

She thanked her family as well as her collaborators on Cowboy Carter. “This wouldn’t have been this album without you,” Beyoncé said, thanking God and her fans.

“I still am in shock, so thank you so much for this honor,” she concluded.

Cowboy Carter spent two weeks atop the all-genre Billboard 200 when it debuted in April. The project featured an array of artists including Country Music Hall of Famers such as Dolly Parton and Willie Nelson, but also, crucially, the project paid homage to Black country trailblazers such as Linda Martell (who appears on the tracks “Spaghettii” and “The Linda Martell Show”), and put a spotlight on modern-day Black country artists. Shaboozey appeared on multiple songs on the project, including “Spaghettii” and “Sweet Honey Buckiin,” while Black women country artists Tanner Adell, Brittney Spencer, Tiera Kennedy and Reyna Roberts traded harmonies with Beyoncé on “Blackbiird.”

Earlier in the evening, Bey became the first Black female artist to win a country Grammy in the past five decades, when she took home the trophy for best country duo/group performance for “II Most Wanted,” her collaboration with Miley Cyrus. The Pointer Sisters had previously won a Grammy for best country vocal performance by a duo or group in 1975.

Beyoncé led the Grammy nominees this year with 11 nominations going into the ceremony. The 2025 Grammy Awards aired on CBS, live from the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.

Sabrina Carpenter Wins Best Pop Vocal Album at 2025 Grammys: ‘I Was Not Expecting This’

Sabrina Carpenter clinched her second-ever Grammy win for best pop vocal album Sunday night (Feb. 2), courtesy of her 2024 home-run project Short n’ Sweet. The “Espresso” singer expressed gratitude at the 2025 Grammy Awards after edging out Ariana Grande, Billie Eilish, Taylor Swift and Chappell Roan in a heavyweight showdown for pop supremacy.

“I really was not expecting this,” said a visibly surprised Carpenter, who performed earlier in the night. “All those nominees who are on the screen are some of my favorite artists in the world, and I can’t believe that I’m nominated against them are even in this room right now. Whew. This is my [second] Grammy, so I’m gonna cry.”

Carpenter continued sharing her appreciation by thanking the Recording Academy, her fans, Island Records and her mother, who she said “drove her to every vocal lesson.”

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“You guys have no idea how much I love you and how much this album means to me,” said Carpenter, her voice filled with emotion, before punctuating her rousing speech with a bleeped-out “holy s–t.”

Carpenter entered the night nominated for six awards, including album of the year, song of the year, record of the year and best new artist. As previously mentioned, earlier in the night, Carpenter punched in a fun performance of “Please Please Please” and “Espresso,” during which she delivered a Hollywood-nodding set consisting of numerous costume changes, an entertaining tap routine, some comedic bits and more.

Ahead of the show’s ceremony, Carpenter won best pop solo performance for “Espresso,” ousting Beyoncé, Eilish, Roan and Charli XCX from the race.

Beyoncé Wins Best Country Album At 2025 Grammys

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Beyoncé won Best Country Album for Cowboy Carter at the 2025 Grammy Awards, there is a glimmer of hope for the year. Low bar, we know.

While her husband Jay-Z and her daughter Blue Ivy looked on from their seats, Bey went on stage and accepted her award from Taylor Swift, who introduced the categoy.

“Wow, I really was not expecting this,” she said, before adding, “I want to thank God.”

Cowboy Carter beat out projects from Post Malone, who appears on the album, Kacey Musgraves, Chris Stapleton and Lainey Wilson.

Bey is the most nominated artist at the Grammys with 11 nominations, four of them in the Country category (including Best Country Song (“Texas Hold ‘Em”), Best Country Solo Performance (“16 Carriages”) and Best Country Duo/Group Performance (“II Most Wanted,” with Miley Cyrus). Earlier in the evening, she won in the aforementioned Best Country Duo/Group Performance cagtegory.

“I just want to encourage people to do what they’re passionate about,” Beyoncé said during her Best Country Album speech. Yeah, this is a Hip-Hop website, but real recognize real.

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Ye Shows What Bianca Censori’s Grammys Dress Looks Like Off the Red Carpet

The dress worn by Ye‘s wife, Bianca Censori, on the 2025 Grammys red carpet left little to the imagination. Ye says the design, which appeared to be so sheer that it was effectively transparent on camera, was couture.

Ye opted to post about the outfit on Instagram on Sunday night (Feb. 2) during the Grammy Awards ceremony after the couple walked the pre-show carpet, where Censori partially covered herself with a coat in some shots. He first presented a picture of the dress hanging flat on an off-white/neutral wall, which the garment nearly blended in with.

“Custom Couture Grammy dress for the most beautiful woman ever My love my best friend My wife,” the rapper captioned the photo, which was published on his account shortly after 8 p.m. ET, when the Grammy Awards telecast started on CBS and Paramount+.

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Ye followed up with a set of Polaroids of Censori modeling the piece. He made a cameo in a few shots. He simply captioned the post, “Love story.”

Censori also shared snapshots of her Grammys look on Instagram, without captions. Her photos showed what the dress looked like being worn. (Warning: Still transparent.)

On the red carpet at the Grammy Awards, she posed with her coat before making the full reveal.

Kanye West and Bianca Censori

Kanye West and Bianca Censori attend the 67th GRAMMY Awards on Feb. 2, 2025 in Los Angeles.

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At press time, Censori’s account is the only one Ye is following on Instagram; she returns the favor and follows only Ye. However, only hours earlier on Sunday, Taylor Swift was inexplicably the lone person Ye followed. Swift did not return the favor.

Ye was nominated for one award at the 2025 Grammys, for best rap song, for “Carnival” with Ty Dolla $Ign feat. Rich the Kid & Playboi Carti. Catch up with the full list of Grammys winners, updating live, here.

Ye’s photos of the dress can currently be found on his Instagram account.

Chappell Roan Delivers Queer Country Clown Fantasia With ‘Pink Pony Club’ at the Grammys

Chappell Roan – who received six nominations at the 2025 Grammy Awards – hit the stage on Sunday (Feb. 2) night to perform “Pink Pony Club,” one of the most memorable, impactful songs from her smash album The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess.

Fittingly, Roan started the performance on a giant pink pony, eventually hopping off the horse to belt out the queer discovery anthem surrounded by rodeo clowns executing country & western-styled choreo, waving hankies around and running in place. When she got to the full-throated pre-chorus, much of the audience — Janelle Monae in particular — sang along with gusto. The entire thing was a kooky, kitschy queer fantasia – exactly the kind of off-kilter delight we’ve come to expect from Roan. “My Little Pony grew up,” Noah quipped after the performance.

“’Pink Pony Club’ is my love letter to L.A.,” Roan said of the song in a pre-taped segment, noting that the city “gave me the courage to be myself.” “Pink Pony Club” is reportedly inspired by her time at the legendary WeHo gay bar The Abbey.

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Roan’s performance of the Billboard Hot 100 hit (No. 26 peak) was far from her only tribute to LGBTQ lives at the Grammys. While walking the red carpet at Los Angeles’ Crypto.com Arena, Roan took a moment to speak out in support for trans rights, which are under attack under the administration of President Trump.

“Trans people have always existed and they will forever exist. They will never, no matter what happens, take trans joy away,” Roan said. “I would not be here without trans girls. Just know that pop music is thinking about you and cares about you. I’m trying my best to stand up for you.”

2025 Grammys Donate Commercial Airtime to L.A. Businesses With Help From Doja Cat & More

The 2025 Grammy Awards broadcast is giving back to the local Los Angeles community ravaged by the devastating L.A. County wildfires.

Host Trevor Noah revealed during his opening monologue on Sunday (Feb. 2) that the broadcast will be donating airtime to help amplify small businesses that were impacted by the wildfires. The first featured Orla Floral Studio and starred Doja Cat. “Oh, we’re full service,” Doja said. “Visit Orla Floral Studio or go to OrlaFloral.com to help this beautiful L.A. business regrow.”

Another ad showcased Two Dragons Martial Arts along with a surprise appearance from Charlie Puth. “I’m thankful for this temporary space,” the studio head said. Puth then pops up looking for a free lesson.

“Where do I sign up? I’d love a martial arts lesson,” Puth innocently asks before being dropped to the floor. “If you’d like to support this incredible family business, go to twodragonsma.com. Can you let me go now?”

To show appreciation to those who put their lives on the line, the Grammys also invited first responders and Los Angeles Fire Department members to the show, and a group of firefighters walked the red carpet in uniform.

The telecast is finding multiple ways to donate to relief efforts, which viewers can find with a QR code shown throughout the program. Prior to the Grammys, the Recording Academy teamed up with MusiCares to launch the launch the Los Angeles Fire Relief Effort to Support Music Professionals. Amazon Music, the Crypto.com Arena, CBS and Mastercard were among those to donate during the broadcast.

Funds raised throughout the broadcast will benefit the MusiCares, Direct Relief, the Pasadena Community Foundation and the California Community Foundation.