On Nov. 8, the Recording Academy announced the nominees for the 2025 Grammy Awards. The nominations precede the final stage of Grammy voting, which will decide who wins at the 2025 award show. Largely, the nominations reflected the music that defined pop culture this year with some notable snubs, while giving some artists their first nominations years into their career.
The Nominees
Nominations in the general field categories (Album of the Year, Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Best New Artist, Songwriter of the Year and Producer of the Year) largely reflected the trends in pop from this summer. Sabrina Carpenter, Chappell Roan and Charli XCX defined the genre this year, making their music the centerpiece of music culture. All three were credited with re-igniting pop music and became the face of the genre and subject of the current state and future of music. Undoubtedly, Carpenter, Roan and Charli made culturally defining music, an attribute that should be considered when nominating and ultimately awarding an artist a Grammy. For these three artists to be nominated in the general field is a recognition of their influence on music this year and a shift in the Recording Academy recognizing changing trends among the younger generation. With at least five pop-leaning records being nominated in Album, Record and Song of the Year categories for the 2025 Grammys, it reflects the success of pop’s resurgence as a predominant cultural influence.
Charli XCX received her first Grammy nominations since 2014 (for her collaboration with Iggy Azalea on “Fancy”), which are seven nominations across the general field and in the pop and electronic music categories. Her general field categories included Record of the Year for “360” and Album of the Year for “brat.” Though “brat” was more minimalist than her past hyperpop work, Charli’s nominations in the general field could signal a change in the Recording Academy’s reception of hyperpop music. In the past, hyperpop leaning music was relegated to the electronic music category, which was the case for SOPHIE’s “Oil of Every Pearl’s Un-Insides.” But recent critically acclaimed hyperpop records like “10,000 gecs,” have found themselves snubbed by the Recording Academy.
With “brat” came a career breakthrough moment for Charli XCX, something that was also noted for Sabrina Carpenter and Chappell Roan. Carpenter and Roan are first-time Grammy nominees. Both are nominated in the same categories, which include Best New Artist, Album, Record and Song of the Year. The only difference between their nominations is that Carpenter’s “Short n’ Sweet” was also nominated for Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical. Amy Allen, a songwriter for “Espresso” and “Please Please Please,” also received a nomination in the Songwriter of the Year category for contributions to Carpenter’s “Short n’ Sweet” album.
Other artists that received their first nominations included Waxahatchee, whose album “Tiger’s Blood” was highly anticipated by critics this year, gaining high praise from Pitchfork. Waxahatchee is the project of Katie Crutchfield; “Tiger’s Blood” is her sixth album, which is now nominated for Best Americana Album. “Charm” saw Clairo continue with a folk sound from her second album “Sling.” The 70s inspired folk direction of “Charm” landed Clairo a Best Alternative Album nomination, the first Grammy nomination of her career. Long-time music band Khruangbin received a Best New Artist nomination, a part of the Recording Academy’s trend of nominating established acts for next year’s awards. Shaboozey is another breakthrough artist. His hit song “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” made Billboard history. He received six nominations including Best New Artist.
With more recognition comes more competition as outlined in the general field and pop categories. Grammy darlings Billie Eilish and Taylor Swift will be aiming for more wins in the general field and pop categories. Despite mixed, leaning towards negative reviews of her 11th album, “The Tortured Poets Society,” Swift received another Album of the Year nomination. She won the category last year, making her the artist with the most Grammy Album of the Year wins. Eilish’s third album, “Hit Me Hard and Soft,” was critically acclaimed and its single “Birds of a Feather” was a summer hit alongside music from Sabrina Carpenter, Chappell Roan and Charli XCX. This is the first year Eilish and Swift have numerous nominations in the same categories, their rapport with the Recording Academy and past Grammy wins could be a deciding factor in the next phase of Grammy voting. With a general field stacked with past Grammy winners and other culturally impactful music that was released this year, there could possibly be more split votes, only making the decision for a sole winner more challenging.
Another person who is adding to the stacked general field is Beyoncé. This year’s nominations made her the most nominated artist ever adding to her already title of the most Grammy wins. “Cowboy Carter” was a cultural moment about race and genre. A critically acclaimed album, “Cowboy Carter” received an Album of the Year nomination. Album of the Year is a category which Beyoncé has never won. The last Black woman to win the category is Lauryn Hill for the “Miseducation of Lauryn Hill” in 1999. Infamously, SZA’s culturally defining and critically acclaimed album “SOS” lost at the 2024 Grammys.
Among Beyoncé’s nominations were nominations in the country category. With “Cowboy Carter” it makes sense for her to be nominated, but considering her history with the Grammy’s country music committee, it is a shock she was nominated. In 2016, “Daddy Lessons” from Beyoncé’s sixth album “Lemonade,” was rejected by the Grammy country music committee for not being country enough. Already this year, she was shut-out by the Country Music Awards, an event that could have determined another country shut-out at the Grammys. However, she received four nominations in the country categories. Alongside country nominations, she received nominations in the Americana, pop and melodic rap categories.
SZA and Olivia Rodrigo returned for a small number of Grammy nominations. Both topped the 2024 Grammys with their albums “SOS” and “GUTS,” respectively. SZA was nominated for Best R&B Song and Best R&B Performance for her song “Saturn.” Rodrigo received a Best Song Written Visual Media for “Catch Me Now” from “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes.” This could be Rodrigo’s first Grammy win since her album “SOUR.” Raye, who was snubbed last year for her debut album “My 21st Century Blues” received Best New Artist and Songwriter of the Year nominations.
Snubs
Despite being one of the people who had a breakthrough moment alongside Sabrina Carpenter, Chappell Roan and Charli XCX, Tinashe did not receive any Grammy nominations. “Nasty” was a summer anthem and became a reference point in pop culture. Another culturally relevant song that was snubbed included “Hiss” by Megan Thee Stallion. “Hiss” ruffled feathers within the hip-hop community, most notably with Nicki Minaj. Megan’s song was also recalled in the beef between Kendrick Lamar and Drake. The fallout landed Lamar nominations for Song and Record of the Year for “Not Like Us,” and nominations in the hip-hop categories for Future and Metro Boomin for “We Don’t Trust You,” its singles and subsequent follow up album. However, “Hiss” was a starting gun for the historic beef, but forgotten when it came time for Grammy nominations.
Where Beyoncé carried country in the general field, Kacey Musgraves was relegated to the genre categories. Musgraves is a past Grammy Album of the Year winner for “Golden Hour.” However, Musgraves work since “Golden Hour” hasn’t received much recognition by the Recording Academy. Similarly, Ariana Grande was also relegated to her genre categories. There was discourse about Ariana Grande’s “Eternal Sunshine” being shut out of the general categories. Grande did receive nominations in her genre categories for best pop vocal album, dance pop recording and best pop duo/group performance.
The final round of Grammy voting begins Dec. 12, 2024 and will end on Jan. 3, 2025. The 2025 Grammys will be Feb. 2, 2025.
Suzanne Bagia can be reached at [email protected].
