The 68th annual Grammy Awards showcased veteran artists such as Kendrick Lamar, Bad Bunny, Lady Gaga and others taking home multiple Grammys, alongside new artists like Olivia Dean making their mark on the industry. The Grammys, held on Feb. 1 at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, were hosted by comedian Trevor Noah.
It should be noted that for the Grammys, recordings were eligible if they were released between Aug. 31, 2024 and Aug. 30, 2025.
The major categories discussed, which are among the most sought-after and popularized, include Record of the Year, Album of the Year, Best New Artist and Song of the Year.
For Record of the Year, the nominees were:
“DtMF” by Bad Bunny, “Manchild” by Sabrina Carpenter, “Anxiety” by Doechii, “WILDFLOWER” by Billie Eilish, “Abracadabra” by Lady Gaga, “luther” by Kendrick Lamar and SZA, “The Subway” by Chappell Roan and “APT.” by ROSÉ and Bruno Mars.
The winning song was “luther,” which marked Lamar’s 27th Grammy win. The award also highlighted “GNX,” Lamar’s most recent studio album, released on Nov. 22, 2024, which also won Best Rap Album. By the end of the night, Lamar took home five Grammys: Best Rap Album (“GNX”), Best Rap Song (“tv off”), Best Melodic Rap Performance (“luther”), Best Rap Performance (“Chains & Whips”) and Record of the Year (“luther”).
For Album of the Year, the nominees were:
“DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS” by Bad Bunny, “SWAG” by Justin Bieber, “Man’s Best Friend” by Sabrina Carpenter, “Let God Sort Em Out” by Clipse, Pusha T and Malice, “MAYHEM” by Lady Gaga, “GNX” by Kendrick Lamar, “MUTT” by Leon Thomas and “CHROMAKOPIA” by Tyler, the Creator.
The winner was “DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS” by Bad Bunny. Like Lamar, Bad Bunny recently performed at Super Bowl LX, featuring several songs from “DtMF.” By the end of the night, Bad Bunny won three Grammys: Best Global Music Performance (“EoO”), Best Música Urbana Album (“DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS”) and Album of the Year (“DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS”).
For Song of the Year, the nominees were:
“Abracadabra” by Lady Gaga, “Anxiety” by Doechii, “APT.” by ROSÉ and Bruno Mars, “DtMF” by Bad Bunny, “Golden — From K-Pop Demon Hunters” by HUNTR/X: EJAE, Audrey Nuna and REI AMI, “luther” by Kendrick Lamar and SZA, “Manchild” by Sabrina Carpenter and “WILDFLOWER” by Billie Eilish.
The winner was “WILDFLOWER” by Billie Eilish. Although “WILDFLOWER” is on Eilish’s 2024 album, “Hit Me Hard and Soft,” she rereleased it as a single in February of 2025, making it eligible for the nomination.
For Best New Artist, the nominees were:
Olivia Dean, KATSEYE, The Marías, Addison Rae, SOMBR, Leon Thomas, Alex Warren and Lola Young.
The winner was Dean, a 26-year-old artist from London. Her most recent album, “The Art of Loving,” released on Sept. 26, 2025, helped propel her to greater recognition in the industry.
The Grammys featured performances from Addison Rae, Alex Warren, Andrew Watt, Brandy Clark, Chad Smith, Clipse, Duff McKagan, Justin Bieber, KATSEYE, Leon Thomas, Lola Young, Lukas Nelson, Lauryn Hill, Olivia Dean, Pharrell Williams, Post Malone, Reba McEntire, Sabrina Carpenter, Slash, SOMBR and The Marías.
Two performances that stood out were Gaga’s “Abracadabra” and Tyler, the Creator’s medley from albums “CHROMAKOPIA” and “DON’T TAP THE GLASS.”
Gaga’s performance was electrifying, from her costume design to her live synth playing. Her song “Abracadabra” won Best Dance Pop Recording and appeared on her studio album “MAYHEM,” which also won Best Pop Vocal Album.
Tyler, the Creator performed a medley of his songs: “Thought I Was Dead,” “Like Him” and “Sugar On My Tongue.” The performance featured a surprise appearance by Regina King. Tyler used the full stage to bring the spirit of his albums to life in a dynamic and theatrical way.
Overall, the Grammys were a strong showcase of the diversity and creativity of the music industry, even if not all artists appeared in the main broadcast.
