The 67th Annual Grammy Awards were hosted in Los Angeles on February 2, 2025, just weeks after wildfires caused devastation throughout the city. The award show used its platform to raise money and awareness for the city of LA and those who were affected. This year’s host, Trevor Noah, said that instead of just celebrating music, the event would be “a celebration of the humanity and spirit of survival.” The winners of this years Grammys left many viewers in shock — with Beyoncé, typically a pop/R&B artist, winning best country album, and Kendrick Lamar winning song of the year with “Not Like Us,” the first diss track to win a Grammy since 1991. Other honorable mentions include Kanye West and his wife Bianca Censori showing up to the red carpet, showcasing their interesting outfit choices, and Chappell Roan’s dig on music producers not giving artists the support and respect they deserve in her speech after winning best new artist.
Prior to the awards show, Beyoncé was already a highly decorated artist, holding the record for the most Grammys with 32 wins and 99 nominations. But, she had yet to win the elusive album of the year award — until now. At the 2025 Grammys, Beyoncé was awarded album of the year as well as best country album for Cowboy Carter. These awards caused strife among many viewers of the show, as Beyoncé beat out lifelong country artists such as Chris Stapleton and Kacey Musgraves.
We got some insight from CB East students and teachers on how they feel about Beyoncé’s Grammy win. Mrs. Theis’s comment was, “This is all I have to say — BOOOO!” Izzy Galietta says that “it was rigged,” and Leela Konzelman thinks that Beyoncé “definitely sold her soul, bro.”
There has been much speculation on the validity of Beyoncé’s win, as many think that it was rigged or that someone was paid off, but regardless of how it was accomplished, she still holds the record for the most Grammy wins out of any artist.
Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us,” released in May 2024, is a diss track targeting the rapper Drake. The song achieved significant commercial success, becoming Lamar’s fourth number-one hit on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. At the 2025 Grammys, “Not Like Us” made history by winning five awards: record of the year, song of the year, best rap performance, best rap song, and best music video. This accomplishment elevated Kendrick Lamar to third place among hip-hop artists with the most Grammy wins, as he now has 22 Grammys, only behind Jay-Z and Kanye West.
Jackson Fetterman, a CB East student and a Kendrick Lamar listener, claims, “It’s the power of the community.” Winning all these awards was the last of Kendrick Lamar’s expectations — he expected for it to just be a diss track, but fans had other plans, ending up with it becoming a huge hit. Fans of Kendrick Lamar backed him on the song, and it quickly became a top 100, successfully defending him from Drake’s comeback.
The Grammy Awards were a night of both celebration and controversy, with Kendrick Lamar earning five more well-deserved awards, securing his position as one of the best rap artists. However, Beyoncé’s wins sparked tension, as some argued that her win overshadowed other deserving artists. While the ceremony strives to honor those with musical talent, moments like these raise questions about whether the music industry is truthful or not.
