Best Moments

Photo by Sonja Flemming/CBS via Getty Images

Los Angeles County firefighters presented the Album of the Year award

After more than four weeks of around-the-clock efforts to combat nine wildfires spread across Los Angeles County, the last of the largest blazes, Eaton and Palisades, were finally 100% contained on January 31st. Just two days later, Fire Chief Anthony Marrone and Captain Sheila Kelliher Berkoh, alongside 20 other heroic LA firefighters, took to the stage to present the final category of the night, Album of the Year. They were met with the longest standing ovation that evening. So well deserved, and yes I cried. And yes, I’m crying again, dammit.

Alicia Keys, Shakira, and Chappell Roan delivered powerful acceptance speeches

Shakira, accepting the Best Latin Pop Album award: "I want to dedicate this award to all my immigrant brothers and sisters in this country. You are loved, you are worth it, and I will always fight with you."

Keys, accepting the Dr. Dre Global Impact award: “We've seen on this stage talented, hardworking people from different backgrounds with different points of view, and it changes the game. DEI is not a threat, it's a gift."

Roan, accepting the Best New Artist award: “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 health care, especially to developing artists.”

Great Moments

Kendrick Lamar won Record of the Year & Song of the Year

Lamar took home not one but two gramophones for his song "Not Like Us". Take that, Drake!! He kept his acceptance speeches local and poignant, dedicating his first win to LA and all of those impacted by the wildfires and proclaiming in his second, “at the end of the day, nothing more powerful than rap music”. Where’s the lie?

Quincy Jones tribute

Quincy Jones’s legacy was honored with star-studded performances by the likes of Steve Wonder, Janelle Monáe, Lainey Wilson, Cynthia Erivo, and the legendary Herbie Hancock. Wonder crushed it on the harmonica and Erivo, accompanied by Hancock on the piano, delivered a flawless rendition of “Fly Me to the Moon”.

Cringe Moment

Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images for The Recording Academy

The Weeknd performed his new song “Cry for Me”

I can only assume The Weeknd was going for fierce and artistic with this performance, but literally everything about it was either boring or bizarre. The outfits, the dancing, the set design. None of it made sense. I just wanted it to end.

My 2025 GRAMMYs Recap