The 67th Grammy Awards returned to Los Angeles on Sunday, Feb. 2 at the Crypto.com Arena. Host Trevor Noah kicked off the show by acknowledging that just a few weeks ago, they didn’t know if the show would continue because of the wildfires that devastated Los Angeles in January. Noah noted tonight’s show would be celebrating not just great music, but also the city of Los Angeles, which is responsible for so much of that great music.
- Related: Top winners from the 2025 Grammys
Lots of love for Los Angeles
The Award Show started with a musical number bringing together performers Dawes (who lost their homes in Altadena), John Legend, St. Vincent, Brittany Howard and Brad Paisley to perform “I Love L.A.”
Billie Eilish also ended her performance of “Birds of a Feather” with her brother and co-collaborator Finneas by sharing she loved L.A, the two started making music from a bedroom in L.A.’s Highland Park, after all.
In between performances, Noah reminded viewers that they could donate to Music Cares Fire Relief by scanning the QR code that was featured on screen throughout the telecast. Later on in the evening, he announced that the show had raised $7 million from viewers watching at home.
Additionally, he shared that another theme of the evening would be putting the spotlight on local businesses, especially those impacted by the fires. He noted that a local florist, Orla Floral Studio, was used for all of the flowers at each table that they were using local catering to feed the guests. The Grammys also gave airtime to local LA businesses during commercial breaks.
Halfway through the show, Noah returned to the stage and reminded viewers of the devastation the Palisades and Eaton fire had caused in the communities of Pacific Palisades, Malibu, Altadena and Pasadena. It also showcased the hope of how the city has come together.
The video montage then led into a performance from Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars of “California Dreamin,’” paying tribute to Los Angeles. Just a few days prior Lady Gaga was one of the many artists that took part in FireAid, a benefit concert to raise money for those impacted by the Los Angeles wildfires. Lady Gaga closed out the show with a new song, “All I Need is Time,” which she wrote just for the City of Angels.
At the end of the Quincy Jones tribute performance, Stevie Wonder was joined by student singers from Pasadena Waldorf School in Altadena and Palisades Charter High School, both of which had burned down during the Palisades and Eaton fire. The students wore shirts with a red heart and “LA” written on them as they performed “We Are the World.”
In Kendrick Lamar’s win for “Record of the Year,” he dedicated a part of his speech to the city of Los Angeles, highlighting different neighborhoods in the area before taking a moment to reflect on those impacted by the Palisades and Eaton fire.
Members of the Los Angeles County Fire Department were brought on stage to present the final award for the night, “Album of the Year.” They were met with a standing ovation. Fire Chief Anthony C. Marrone took the moment to thank first responders who came from near and far to help protect Los Angeles from the wildfires. “I am confident that we will rebuild together because we are LA strong,” said Marrone.
Sabrina Carpenter brings the best of her tour to the Grammys Stage
Sabrina Carpenter began off her Grammys performance with her hit single “Espresso,” pulling in the theatrics and comedy that made her “Short N Sweet” Tour the phenomenon it became and landed her a Netflix Christmas Special.
With a tap dance break comparable to “Forget About the Boy” from the Tony Award-winning musical “Thoroughly Modern Millie,” she showed the crowd her Broadway chops.
Carpenter then went into her second single of last summer, “Please Please Please,” before returning to “Espresso” for her quotable lyrics “I’m working late, cause I’m a singer.”
Noah joked about how she was coming for his hosting responsibilities, a role she’s showcased she can take on in the future.
Chappell Roan takes the Grammys to the Pink Pony Club
Chappell Roan’s performance was introduced by Grammy Award winner and friend Olivia Rodrigo, who previously had Roan as her opening act during both her Sour and GUTS World Tours. Shortly after Roan wrapped up her time during the GUTS World Tour, her career skyrocketed thanks to her sets at Coachella and other music festivals. Clips of crowds dancing to “HOT TO GO” began to populate social media, with each audience bigger than the next, gaining the attention of mainstream media. All of this happened while Rodrigo was still on her sold-out GUTS World Tour, leading her to bring out Chappel Roan as a surprise guest during her show at the Forum in Los Angeles, where the two singers performed “HOT TO GO.”
Chappell Roan’s “Pink Pony Club” Grammy performance included sad clowns dancing and the star riding a giant pink horse, or as host Trevor Noah pointed out, “My Little Pony grown up.” Towards the end of the number, Roan pointed her microphone to the audience and shouted, “sing it!” and without missing a beat the crowd, which included her peers, fellow nominees and music legends, joined in.
Beyonce wins Best Country Album
Moments after Taylor Swift read out loud “Cowboy Carter” for Best Country Album, the camera cut to a shocked Beyonce. The moment became a meme on social media almost instantly. After hugging her husband Jay-Z and daughter Blue Ivy, she took to the stage to give her speech. “I was really not expecting this.”
“Cowboy Carter” was notably snubbed at the 58th Annual Country Music Association Awards, with the album not receiving any nominations.
Best New Artist Mashup
While a few “Best New Artist” nominees had performed earlier in the night, viewers were treated to a showcase of the remaining singers in the category.
It began with Benson Boone, sitting at a table in the crowd, grabbing the microphone from his jacket pocket, doing a quick change from a suit to a light blue jumpsuit, all before he ran to the stage to do his now famous stage flip while he belted his hit single “Beautiful Things.”
Doechii was next on the lineup. The artist had already won “Best Rap Album,” with a memorable speech that gained attention online. Her performance of “CATFISH” featured dancers in school uniforms, choreography that took the performance to another level and vocals that wowed the crowd.
The camera then panned to Teddy Swims for his song “Lose Control.” The artist kept his performance simpler with the others, standing behind the mic stand with a band behind him, smoke and big lights adding to the atmosphere, but ultimately letting his vocals take center stage.
Shaboozey followed with his song “A Bar Song (Tipsy),” bringing some fun country sound to the show, backed by dancers in cowboy apparel.
The mega mix concluded with Raye. Her performance was akin to classic Hollywood, with a big band and vocal talent to match. The British singer has made it part of her style to perform barefoot, and the Grammy stage was no exception.
While each of the performances from those in the “Best New Artist” category proved they were each deserving of the award, it ultimately went to Chappell Roan. After thanking her friends, family, fans and collaborators, Chappell Roan used her speech as a platform to advocate for artists. “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 in the industry, profiting millions of dollars off of artists, offer a livable wage and healthcare, especially to developing artists.” The artist shared that she was dropped by her label and had a difficult time affording health care. “It was so devastating to feel so committed to my art and feel so betrayed by the system and so dehumanized to not have health [care]. If my label would have prioritized artists’ health, I could have been provided care by a company I was giving everything to,” she continued. “So record labels need to treat their artists as valuable employees with a livable wage and health insurance and protection. Labels, we got you, but do you got us?”
The Weeknd’s surprise performance
Harvey Mason Jr., President and CEO Of the Recording Academy, took to the stage to address some of the criticism the Grammys had received in recent years. In 2021, The Weeknd said he would be boycotting the annual award show, voicing on social media that he felt “the Grammys remain corrupt” and because of “secret committees.” The headlines surrounding the controversy were a factor in the Recording Academy putting new initiatives into place, and ultimately, to the surprise of many, led to the Weeknd ending his boycott and returning to the stage to perform “Timeless” with Playboi Carti.
Quincy Jones tribute
Will Smith took to the stage to reflect on Quincy Jones and share memorable moments from the late artist’s career, with Herbie Hancock on piano. Hancock was then joined by Cynthia Erivo to perform “Fly Me to the Moon.” The performance started in an intimate setting with just the two and the piano before the curtain lifted to showcase a grand ensemble that was met with applause from the crowd. Erivo then introduced the next artists in the tribute, Lainey Wilson and Jacob Collier, who performed “Let the Good Times Roll” before passing the baton to Stevie Wonder who played “Bluesette” on harmonica with Hancock joining him on piano.
Wonder took a pause from performing to speak fondly about Jones before introducing the next song, “We Are the World” featuring student singers.
After the performance, Smith returned to the stage to tell a story about Jones, who had been an executive producer for “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.” “Quincy Jones always took care of people, and that’s how he fed the world,” said Smith. He then introduced the final performer of the tribute, Janelle Monet, who sang “Don’t Stop ’til You Get Enough” with some iconic Michael Jackson dance moves mixed in and ending with a reveal of a “I heart QJ” shirt.