7 unforgettable moments that stole the show at the 2025 GRAMMYs

From Tems’ record-breaking award to Beyoncé’s historic wins, here are the moments that made us cheer last night. 

The 2025 Grammy Awards ceremony, which aired on Sunday from Los Angeles, was certainly one for the books. Like media mogul Issa Rae, I was rooting for everyone Black, and thankfully, I wasn’t let down by the end of the night. 

From Tems’ record-breaking award and Beyoncé’s historic wins to Kendrick Lamar making a case of being petty, the 67th annual event was filled with several interesting, fun and downright unexpected moments.

Let’s get into the seven major moments we couldn’t get enough of:

Tems made us proud, per usual

Nigerian-born superstar, fashion icon, and my personal favourite won her second GRAMMY in the Best African Music Performance category for her song, “Love Me JeJe”. 

So far, she has received 23 award wins and 28 nominations, including 4 BET awards, an NAACP Image Award, a BMI London Award, two awards at The Headies, and now, two Grammys. She has become the most awarded Nigerian artist, and we can’t wait to see what our very own music icon does next. 

Beyoncé FINALLY wins the Album of the Year award and makes history all at once

Last night, Queen Bey got her long overdue Album of the Year award for “Cowboy Carter”. Like the audience at the award ceremony, I was up on my feet, cheering as she got up on stage to receive her award from the members of the L.A. Fire Department. Before her, only three other Black women had won the Album of the Year award in Grammy history: Natalie Cole (1992), Whitney Houston (1994) and Lauryn Hill (1999).

Beyoncé, who led with 11 nominations, also made history by winning Best Country Album for the same project. She is the first Black woman ever to win this award. “Cowboy Carter”, released in March 2024, remains a major moment not just for the singer, but for Black artists in the country music space. This long-awaited recognition from the Grammy Awards comes after she was snubbed by the Country Music Association, which declined to nominate her album for any awards last year. For the record, Beyoncé won a total of three awards last night.

Kendrick Lamar’s winning streak continues 

Following an incredible 2024, one of my best rappers took home one of the highly coveted awards of the night – Record of the Year – as the crowd sang along to “Not Like Us”, one of the biggest songs of last year.    

Lamar also won every other category in which he was nominated, including  Best Rap Performance, Best Rap Song, Best Music Video, and another major award of the night, Song of the Year. He left with five awards for one of the several diss tracks he released against Drake amid their ongoing feud, which quickly became an international and cultural anthem. With these latest wins, it’s safe to say that he is the winner in the Kendrick Lamar vs. Drake feud.

I can’t wait to sing along to his Grammy-winning song at his highly anticipated Super Bowl LIX halftime show on February 9.

Doechii wins Best Rap Album for staying true to herself 

I have been in love with Doechii’s one-of-a-kind artistry since I first heard “Denial Is A River”, so it felt extra special for me when she won Best Rap Album for her hit debut album “Alligator Bites Never Heal”. 

She is now the third Black Woman to win this award, which was introduced in 1989. Lauryn Hill was the first, followed by Cardi B, who announced the award last night. Doechii proves that the world needs true creativity, and being original still pays off

SZA wins Best R&B song for the second time in a row

Like Doechii, SZA is another favourite because of her originality and genre-bending projects. I love to see her shine. She won the 2025 Grammy Award for Best R&B Song for “Saturn,” which was also nominated for Best R&B Performance, but lost to Muni Long’s “Made for Me” (Live on BET). This is her second year in a row winning this category. She took home the same award last year for “Snooze.”

Alicia Keys wins the Dr. Dre Global Impact Award

After years of giving us great songs and hairstyles, the award-winning singer-songwriter and producer received the Dr. Dre Global Impact Award for making her mark on the industry. 

True to her personality, she took the moment to celebrate diverse representation in music, and gave a heartfelt shoutout to female music producers during her speech. Keys, who has co-produced all nine of her studio albums, has won 17 Grammy awards so far.

The true heroes get their flowers 

2025 has had a turbulent start with the devastating Los Angeles wildfires, which have claimed lives and destroyed countless homes and properties. At this year’s Grammys, the impact of the tragedy was deeply felt, as host Trevor Noah and several presenters took moments throughout the night to acknowledge the heartbreak and rally support. Viewers were urged to contribute to MusiCares Fire Relief, a fund established by the Recording Academy to aid those affected.

A particularly moving moment came when members of the Los Angeles Fire Department took the stage, receiving a standing ovation from the audience. By the end, Noah announced that the initiative had raised an astounding $7 million for relief efforts. 

Author

  • Inem is the Features Editor at Marie Claire Nigeria. A multimedia storyteller with an insatiable curiosity, she is always in search of a good story. She can often be found with her headphones on, lost in music or having fascinating conversations with strangers.

    View all posts Features Editor
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