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2025 Grammy nominations: Biggest surprises and snubs

2024 was a huge year for the music industry, which included notable releases from some of the industry’s most popular artists. 

On Nov. 8, the Recording Academy released the nominees for the 2025 Grammy Awards, which will be held in February 2025 in Los Angeles, California. This year’s nominees included several surprising additions and missed a number of forgotten favourites. Here are the surprises and snubs of the 2025 Grammy nominations.

Album of the Year

Album of the Year is the most prestigious award category at the Grammy Awards. The award honours an entire album and is awarded to the artist, producer, recording engineer and mastering engineer of the work.

The 2025 nominees are:

Hit Me Hard and Soft – Billie Eilish

The Tortured Poets Department – Taylor Swift

New Blue Sun – André 3000

COWBOY CARTER – Beyoncé

BRAT – Charli xcx

The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess – Chappell Roan

Short n’ Sweet – Sabrina Carpenter

Djesse Vol. 4 – Jacob Collier 

The biggest controversy in this category is the surprising omission of Ariana Grande’s Eternal Sunshine. The album was received well by music critics and was seen by some as a leading contender to win this category. Eternal Sunshine displays Grande’s vulnerability following her divorce. It features dreamy, futuristic production mixed with retro early-2000s production, taking inspiration from Jim Carrey’s sci-fi romance film Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004). Many consider this her best album since the critically acclaimed Thank U, Next.

The biggest surprise in this category is Jacob Collier’s Djesse Vol. 4., as there were several other albums that were expected to receive a nomination over this one. This album showcases a strong experimentation with sound and production.  

Song of the Year

Song of the Year is another highly anticipated category, which recognizes the songwriters responsible for writing a single song or track. The award is only awarded to the artist if they wrote the song. 

The 2025 nominees are:

Fortnight – Taylor Swift ft. Post Malone

BIRDS OF A FEATHER – Billie Eilish

Not Like Us – Kendrick Lamar

Good Luck, Babe! – Chappell Roan

Please Please Please – Sabrina Carpenter

A Bar Song (Tipsy) – Shaboozey

Die With A Smile – Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars

TEXAS HOLD ‘EM – Beyoncé

The biggest surprise is Kendrick Lamar’s Not Like Us. Not only are diss tracks rarely acknowledged at the Grammys, but rap music also tends to fall under the radar.  Rap music’s lack of recognition in this category has led in part to longstanding accusations of racial bias in the Grammys. Year after year, influential Black artists are forgotten at the Grammys. Most notably The Weeknd received no nominations for his record-breaking album After Hours, and, despite being the most awarded artist in Grammy history, Beyoncé has yet to win a major category.

Record of the Year

The Record of the Year category recognizes an artist’s performance on a track, as well as the work of the producer, recording engineer and/or mixer. This differs from the Song of the Year category, which focuses on songwriting and composition.

The 2025 nominees are:

Fortnight – Taylor Swift ft. Post Malone

BIRDS OF A FEATHER – Billie Eilish

Not Like Us – Kendrick Lamar

Good Luck, Babe! – Chappell Roan

Espresso – Sabrina Carpenter

360 – Charli xcx

Now and Then – The Beatles

TEXAS HOLD ‘EM – Beyoncé

The biggest snub is Ariana Grande’s “we can’t be friends (wait for your love)” which features beautiful melodies and astounding vocals from Grande. The instrumentals are dreamy and blend with the song thematically. 

The biggest surprise is the Beatles’ “Now and Then.” The song, based on an unreleased demo from John Lennon, features contributions from each of the Fab Four and successfully pays tribute to the band. However, it is surprising to see this record receive a Grammy nomination, especially compared to the band’s most notable works.

Best New Artist

According to the Recording Academy, the Best New Artist award is awarded to “a new artist who releases, during the eligibility year, the first recording which establishes the public identity of that artist as a performer.”

The 2025 nominees are:

Chappell Roan

Sabrina Carpenter

Bensen Boone

Khruangbin

Shaboozey

Doechii

Raye

Teddy Swims

Some might be surprised to see Khruangbin on this list, noting a lack of mainstream attention compared to some other emerging artists. Others may be surprised to see Renée Rapp left off the list. Her album Snow Angel, while lacking in any lyrical breakthroughs, showcased powerful vocals and catchy production. Rapp also gained traction and acclaim this year for her portrayal of Regina George in Mean Girls (2024). 

Some believe Gracie Abrams, who failed to bring home the award after being nominated last year, should have been up for the award again, as Grammy rules rendered her eligible to receive another nomination this year.

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