Four years ago, Canada’s pop superstar the Weeknd announced he was boycotting the Grammys because of a lack of transparency in the voting process. On Sunday, at the 67th annual award ceremony held at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. said that over the past few years, “we’ve listened, acted and changed.” He then welcomed back the Weeknd for a surprise appearance.
Covered in a hooded parka and wearing sunglasses, he performed Timeless and Cry For Me, songs off his just-released album, Hurry Up Tomorrow. Appearing with him was rapper Playboi Carti, who did not bother to hide his lip synching.
The Weeknd performs during the 67th annual Grammy Awards on Sunday, Feb. 2, 2025, in Los Angeles.Chris Pizzello/The Associated Press
The ceremony was held in a city devastated by recent wildfires. Returning host Trevor Noah was less jokey than usual. Instead, he served as something of a telethon master of ceremonies, reminding the stars in the arena and the people watching at home to donate to the MusiCares fire relief fund. A stage full of firefighters was applauded at the end of the night.
Kendrick Lamar’s Not Like Us earned five Grammys, including Record of the Year (for performance and production) and Song of the Year (for songwriting). Beyoncé won Album of the Year for Cowboy Carter, and Chappell Roan won Best New Artist.
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The Good
They love L.A.: Griffin Goldsmith of the folk rockers Dawes lost his home in the recent wildfires that devastated parts of Los Angeles. He and his bandmate brother Taylor Goldsmith also lost their family house, home music studio and nearly all their musical instruments. Still, helped by what host Noah called the “greatest backing band of all time,” composed of Brad Paisley, Sheryl Crow, St. Vincent, Brittany Howard and John Legend, they performed Randy Newman’s classic hit I Love L.A. sincerely.
Ranch dressing: Saddling up to the cowboy chic aesthetic perfected by Beyoncé and Shaboozey, breakout star Roan performed her L.A.-themed hit song Pink Pony Club sitting on a giant toy horse, surrounded by a bunch of rodeo clowns and awash with sequins.
Chappell Roan performs her song Pink Pony Club during the Grammy Awards.Kevin Winter/Getty Images
On such a winter’s day: A soulful version of the Mamas & the Papas’ yearning 1965 hit California Dreamin’ performed by Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars brought at least one member of the audience to tears.
Sublime: Herbie Hancock on piano and Stevie Wonder on harmonica elegantly performed the jazz standard Bluesette as part of the night’s tribute to Quincy Jones. It was followed by a version of the Jones co-written anthem We Are the World, featuring student choirs from a pair of L.A. schools destroyed by wildfires.
The Bad
Where there’s a Will, there’s a no way: Actor Will Smith infamously slapped Chris Rock across the face during the Academy Awards telecast in 2022. The Recording Academy’s decision to have him him memorialize the late, great Jones was a bizarre misstep.
Interesting choice: Janelle Monáe‘s snazzy version of Michael Jackson’s Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough during the salute to Jones was a hoot, but it seemed more like a tribute to Jackson than to Jones (who produced the track from 1979).
Janelle Monae performs during the tribute to the late Quincy Jones during the 2025 Grammys.Kevin Winter/Getty Images
Women need not apply: It should come as no surprise that Canadian singer-guitarist Sue Foley lost the Traditional Blues Album award to a man, Taj Mahal. Only one solo female artist, Etta James, has won in the category’s 37-year history. Ike Turner, accused of domestic abuse by his former wife, Tina Turner, won in 2007.
The Quotes
White House humour: Referencing either Donald Trump’s aversion to DEI hires or the President’s severe immigration policies, Black South African host Noah said he was going to enjoy the night because “it may be the last time I get to host anything in this country.”
Grammys host Trevor Noah.VALERIE MACON/AFP/Getty Images
Wisdom from Beyoncé: Upon winning Best Country Album for Cowboy Carter, the versatile superstar spoke against rigid industry categorizations: “I think sometimes genre is a code word to keep us in our place as artists,” she said. (She was nominated in four genres: country, pop, Americana and melodic rap.)
Truth to power: Clutching her golden gramophone for winning Best New Artist, Roan called for better treatment of musicians. “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 pocketing millions of dollars off of artists would offer a livable wage and healthcare, especially to developing artists.”
Imagine that: Accepting a Grammy during a pre-broadcast ceremony for the re-release of his father’s album Mind Games, Sean Ono Lennon gave a piece of advice that Toronto rap god Drake would understand: “Never get into a rap battle with Kendrick Lamar.”
Empowering rap: Doechii became only the third woman to win in the Best Rap Album category, for Alligator Bites Never Heal. “Don’t allow anybody to project any stereotype on you, that tell you that you can’t be here, that you’re too dark, or that you’re not smart enough or that you’re too dramatic or you’re too loud,” the Florida rapper said during her emotional acceptance speech. “You are exactly who you need to be, to be right where you are.”
Doechii accepts the Best Rap Album Grammy.Kevin Winter/Getty Images
The Canadian winners
Scott Zhang: The Torontonian was one of six songwriters to contribute to SZA’s Saturn, which ran rings around the other contenders for Best R&B Song.
Yannick Nézet-Séguin: The Montreal conductor, the London Symphony Orchestra and actor Bradley Cooper shared credit for Maestro: Music by Leonard Bernstein, which won for Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media.
Dave Hamelin: The former member of Montreal indie band The Stills produced six tracks (co-writing five) on Beyoncé‘s Cowboy Carter, which won for Best Country Album and Album of the Year.