2025 Grammy Awards: Surprises, Snubs, and Historic Nominations

2025 Grammy Awards: Surprises, Snubs, and Historic Nominations \ Newslooks \ Washington DC \ Mary Sidiqi \ Evening Edition \ The 2025 Grammy Awards promise an intriguing showcase, with Beyoncé leading with 11 nominations, bringing her career total to a record-setting 99. This year’s nominees span an array of genres, highlighting diversity and welcoming several first-time nominees. Notable inclusions include AI-assisted music from The Beatles and breakthrough recognitions for Charli XCX and country genre-crossing artists. However, the absence of K-pop and the limited recognition for Latin music raise questions about representation. Here’s a breakdown of the major trends, surprises, and overlooked artists for the 2025 Grammys.

In-Depth Look at the 2025 Grammy Nominations

Country Music’s Expanding Influence

Country music has branched out into new territory, influencing other popular genres, a shift recognized by the Recording Academy. This year, artists like Beyoncé and Post Malone earned nominations in country categories for the first time, signaling a reimagining of genre boundaries. Rising artist Shaboozey also secured his first nomination in a country category, showcasing the Academy’s recognition of cross-genre experimentation.

However, traditional country stalwarts weren’t as fortunate. Hits like Cody Johnson’s “Leather” and Luke Combs’ “Fathers & Sons” were notably absent from the nominee list. Combs’ exclusion follows a similar trend from 2024, where his cover of Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car” missed a record of the year nod but secured a spot in best country solo performance.

The Beatles’ Surprise Comeback

In a twist few anticipated, The Beatles are back in contention with their AI-assisted track, “Now and Then,” up for record of the year. The song, released in 2023, utilized technology to isolate John Lennon’s voice from an old demo. The technique mirrors advancements showcased in Peter Jackson’s 2021 documentary, “The Beatles: Get Back.” This nomination follows the Academy’s 2023 decision that only “human creators” could win awards, setting a precedent for how AI intersects with music and its eligibility.

Album of the Year: Eclectic and Unpredictable

The album of the year category maintains its trend of pop dominance with nominations for Taylor Swift, Chappell Roan, Sabrina Carpenter, and Charli XCX, the latter earning recognition for her genre-defying, rave-inspired album. The category also welcomed two innovative male artists: André 3000, with his jazz-flute project “New Blue Sun,” and Jacob Collier’s inventive “Djesse Vol. 4,” which might fill a spot left by Jon Batiste.

Charli XCX’s Landmark Year

Charli XCX celebrated her first major Grammy breakthrough with seven nominations, including album of the year and record of the year for her transformative work, “BRAT.” The album, which became a cultural phenomenon with viral memes and widespread acclaim, secured nominations in pop solo, pop duo/group performance, pop dance recording, and dance/electronic album categories.

First-Time Nominees Bring Excitement

The 2025 Grammy nominations welcomed a wave of first-timers. Willow Smith secured her first nod in the arrangement, instruments, and vocals category for her piece “b i g f e e l i n g s.” In a historic moment, Linda Martell, the trailblazing Black woman in country music, earned her first-ever nomination at age 83, appearing alongside Shaboozey on Beyoncé’s “SPAGHETTII” in the melodic rap performance category.

Country artist Morgan Wallen garnered his first two nominations for his feature on Post Malone’s “I Had Some Help,” despite being one of the top-charting artists. Wallen’s previous absence from nominations followed the 2021 controversy when video footage of him using a racial slur led to disqualification from multiple awards and an absence from the 2022 Grammys.

Latin and K-pop Music Overlooked

Despite a wealth of talent, Latin music continues to face underrepresentation in major categories. Noteworthy works by Peso Pluma, Shakira, Residente, Carín León, and Bad Bunny were left out of the top categories, with Bad Bunny receiving just one nomination for música urbana album.

Similarly, K-pop artists, including solo releases by BTS members RM, J-Hope, and Jimin, were entirely absent from this year’s nominations, maintaining a trend of limited recognition for the genre.

Landmark Artists Receive Sparse Nods

It was a light year for some of music’s biggest stars. Despite dominating streaming charts globally, Bad Bunny’s latest album, “Nadie Sabe Lo Que Va a Pasar Mañana,” only secured a single nomination. Usher, fresh off a successful year that included a high-profile Super Bowl halftime show, also received just one nod, for R&B album.

High-Profile Omissions

Fans were surprised by the absence of Dua Lipa’s much-anticipated album “Eternal Optimism,” which received no recognition. Rising country star Megan Moroney failed to secure any nominations, and Normani’s debut album, “Dopamine,” was shut out in the R&B categories. In rap, notable albums like Nicki Minaj’s “Pink Friday 2” and Megan Thee Stallion’s “Megan” were also overlooked.

Jack Antonoff’s Streak Ends

Jack Antonoff, a powerhouse in production who won producer of the year, non-classical, for three consecutive years, didn’t receive a nomination in the category this year, marking the end of his dominant run since 2019. This opens the door for a new producer to claim the mantle.

Conclusion: A Year of Breakthroughs and Questions

The 2025 Grammy Awards reflect both exciting changes and ongoing discussions about genre representation. With new faces making their mark, long-time legends resurfacing, and unexpected omissions, the ceremony is set to spotlight a mix of groundbreaking creativity and debate over overlooked talents.

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