Chappell Roan performs during the 67th Annual Grammy Awards. (Reuters: Mario Anzuoni )
Hating on the Grammys is practically an early-February tradition for many music fans.
Whether you're a pop stan lamenting the Academy's decision to award an artist you've never heard of, or a member of the BeyHive who can't understand what Beyoncé needs to do to win Album of the Year, the awards are always contentious — partly due to longstanding structural issues, and partly because you just can't please everyone.
Halsey, The Weeknd blast "corrupt" Grammys nomination process, call for transparency
Photo shows A collage of Halsey and The Weeknd
Perhaps the most vocal recent critic of the awards has been The Weeknd, the Canadian R&B superstar with streaming numbers in the billions, who called out the awards' lack of transparency after receiving no nominations for his single Blinding Lights or album After Hours in 2021.
"Because of the secret committees, I will no longer allow my label to submit my music to the Grammys," he said in 2021.
So, when Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr introduced a surprise performance from The Weeknd at this afternoon's ceremony, it was a significant moment for an organisation desperate to show it has changed.
Likewise, when Beyoncé's name was read out as the winner of Album of the Year, it felt like the long-overdue closure of a chapter in Grammys history that has never really made much sense.
Whether or not a gong for Cowboy Carter, Beyoncé's 2024 country album, is enough to assuage fans remains to be seen
Her modern classics like 2013's Beyoncé, 2016's Lemonade, and 2022's Renaissance arguably should never have been overlooked, but this year's win feels like a full stop on a trend that has felt unjust to fans and music critics for years.
Offering light in a dark time
In 2025, the Grammys arguably faced a greater challenge than ever before.
With the Eaton and Palisades fires only under control in recent days, how do organisers stage a celebration at the tail end of one of the worst disasters the awards' home city of Los Angeles has ever endured?
Nirvana, Dr. Dre, Slash among surprise guests at mammoth FireAid concert
Photo shows Billie Eilish in red and black top performs onstage with Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day in leather jacket
Pressure makes diamonds, though, and in turning their attention to supporting fire recovery and celebrating the joy of music, the ceremony often felt like a helpful beacon amidst a tragedy, rather than a meaningless distraction.
Host Trevor Noah was typically cheeky opening the show, but when he revealed that there would be no time limits on speeches this year and instead winners would make a compulsory $US1,000 donation for every second they spoke beyond 90 seconds, it revealed that amid tonight's levity there would be a serious push to help LA recover.
While Grammy veterans like Beyoncé, Taylor Swift and Kendrick Lamar were all in attendance and nominated multiple times, the night arguably belonged to the newcomers.
The field for Best New Artist is always strong, and this year was no exception as the nominees proved with their performances at the awards.
Sabrina Carpenter performs at the 67th Grammy Awards. (Christopher Polk/Billboard via Getty Images)
Sabrina Carpenter hammed it up early, kicking off her slot with a swinging, big band rendition of mid-year mega hit Espresso. It soon goes back to the normal arrangement, spiked with a taste (no pun intended) of another big hit, Please Please Please.
Benson Boone sheepishly pulled a wireless microphone from his suit jacket to sing 2024 mega-hit Beautiful Things after a silly set up from Trevor Noah. As if that wasn't cheesy enough, he then ripped the suit off to reveal a shiny blue jumpsuit, then ran to the stage to perform some impressive gymnastics.
Incredible 26-year-old Tampa sensation Doechii showed why her second-to-none artistry earned her the Best Rap Album award, while RAYE's incredible voice would have brought goosebumps to even the most seasoned singers in the room.
We'd anticipated something big and bright from Chappell Roan's performance, and she dazzled as expected with an impressive version of Pink Pony Club, her ode to the community and comfort she found within Los Angeles's LGBTQI+ clubs.
A gaggle of dancers dressed in western attire backed her, as Chappell straddled a massive pink pony while singing the anthemic song. She had plenty of help as the whole arena joined in on those unforgettable choruses.
Chappell Roan felt 'dehumanised' by her label
In her Best New Artist acceptance speech, Chappell Roan spoke about being "betrayed by the system" when she was dropped from a record deal she signed as a minor.
"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 liveable wage and health care, especially to developing artists," she said in her acceptance speech.
"Because I got signed so young, I got signed as a minor, 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.
"It was so devastating to feel so committed to my art and feel so betrayed by the system and so dehumanised to not have health care.
"If my label would have prioritised artists' health, I could have been provided care by a company I was giving everything to."
It was a rare display of using power to hold the powers that be to account, but it should not have been unexpected. Roan had hinted that she'd speak her mind if given the chance, telling Apple's Zane Lowe that she wasn't the type to back down from expressing how she felt.
"I'm going to say something controversial," she said.
"Why not? Girl, what do I have to lose? The fearlessness comes from in my heart knowing I'm always going to be OK."
Wildfires and politics can't be ignored
Chappell Roan's speech wasn't the only earnest moment of the night.
A touching tribute to the late Quincy Jones saw incredible performances from Stevie Wonder, Herbie Hancock and Cynthia Erivo, and a warm reflection from Will Smith.
Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars tackled The Mamas and the Papas' California Dreamin' in tribute to the state that has been so ravaged by fire in recent weeks.
With the newly inaugurated Trump administration beginning to take effect, the current political and social climate in the US was also in the crosshairs for some.
Shakira dedicated her award for Best Latin Pop Album to immigrants living the United States.
"You're loved, you're worth it, and I will always side with you," she said.
Dr Dre Global Impact award winner Alicia Keys took aim at recent commentary around diversity, equity and inclusion from the likes of US President Trump and billionaire Elon Musk.
"DEI is not a threat, it's a gift" she said.
While Lady Gaga sent out a message to her transgender fanbase.
"Trans people are not invisible," she said.
Diana Ross presents the award for Song of the Year at The 67th Annual Grammy Awards. (Sonja Flemming/CBS via Getty Images)
One of the final words of the night came from the great Diana Ross, a woman so legendary that even Kendrick Lamar admitted to being starstruck in front of her. Her short speech tackled the question of how we can celebrate and commiserate at the same time.
"To those who are hurting tonight, you are not alone. We stand with you, my heart reaches out to you," she said.
"May this moment remind us all of the power that we hold to rebuild, to lift and to come together with compassion, and by reminding our future generations that even in the darkness we can rise again and keep the light of hope and love alive."
In not taking itself too seriously, and offering a bit of levity amid a harrowing disaster, the Grammys managed to deliver one of its most entertaining ceremonies yet.
And now that Beyoncé has won that Album of the Year, we're going to have to find another injustice to argue over. Something tells me that won't be hard.
