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The 67th edition of the Grammy Awards took place last night (2 February) at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, with performances from some of the biggest names in pop music.
More than 20 musicians performed during the awards show, which took place in the wake of the LA wildfires – one of the largest natural disasters in US history.
The ceremony kicked off with a tribute to the city, featuring an all-star cast of artists including Dawes, Brad Paisley, John Legend, Sheryl Crow, Brittany Howard and St. Vincent.
The supergroup delivered a jaunty rendition of Randy Newman’s I Love L.A. as clips of firefighters and first responders played on the screens behind them.
Elsewhere, Charli XCX delivered a ‘boisterous’ performance of Von Dutch and Guess, with the former track earning her Best Dance/Pop Recording. The British popstar also scooped Best Dance/Electronic Album for the cultural phenomenon BRAT.
Doechii delivered an electrifying performance of her breakout hits Catfish and Denial Is A River after becoming the third woman ever to win Best Rap Album and Chappell Roan gave a buoyant performance of Pink Pony Club before walking away with Best New Artist.
Beyoncé, the most nominated artist in 2025 and in Grammys history, did not perform, but she finally won Album of the Year on her fifth try for Cowboy Carter. The star also went home with Best Country Album and Best Country Duo/Group Performance for her track II Most Wanted ft Miley Cyrus.
Beyoncé finally won Album of the Year on her fifth try for Cowboy Carter
Minutes before winning her first-ever Grammy Award, Sabrina Carpenter took the stage to perform her smash hit Espresso (which earned her Best Pop Solo Performance) and Please Please Please. She later earned Best Pop Vocal Album for her recent LP Short n’ Sweet.
Taylor Swift and Billie Eilish – who earned six and seven nominations, respectively – went home empty-handed. Eilish performed her nominated hit Birds of a Feather alongside her brother Finneas.
The biggest winner of the night was Kendrick Lamar whose track Not Like Us was named Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Best Rap Song, Best Rap Performance and Best Music Video.
Other artists that performed during the ceremony included Shakira, Benson Boone, Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars, Raye, Shaboozey, Teddy Swims, Khruangbin and The Weeknd, who delivered a surprise performance.
An all-star tribute to Quincy Jones, who died on 3 November 2024, drew performances from Cynthia Erivo, Herbie Hancock, Jacob Collier, Lainey Wilson, Stevie Wonder and Janelle Monáe. Elsewhere, Coldplay’s Chris Martin delivered a muted take on the band’s track All My Love for the ceremony’s In Memoriam segment.
See the full list of nominees and winners at Grammys 2025 here.
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As wildfires across Los Angeles rage on, the global music industry continues to grapple with the devastating crisis.
The 67th annual Grammy Awards, set for 2 February at Ingelwood’s Crypto.com Arena (cap. 20,000), is still projected to go on.
“This year’s show, however, will carry a renewed sense of purpose: raising additional funds to support wildfire relief efforts and honouring the bravery and dedication of first responders who risk their lives to protect ours,” said Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr.
Yet, Universal Music Group (UMG) has cancelled all Grammy-related events, and will instead “redirect the resources that would have been used for those events to assist those affected by the wildfires,” the firm wrote. UMG historically coordinates an artist showcase and awards after-party around the event.
“L.A. is home to so many of us. We are committed to helping and supporting the music community, our artists, our teams and the people of Los Angeles get through this horrific episode.”
After donating $2.5 million in relief efforts yesterday, Beyoncé has postponed today’s rumoured tour announcement.
“I will continue to pray for healing and rebuilding for the families suffering from trauma and loss. We are so blessed to have brave first responders who continue to work tirelessly to protect the Los Angeles community,” she says.
“My focus remains on supporting the recovery of these communities and aiding its incredible people as they rebuild”
The Weeknd has postponed the release of his new album Hurry Up Tomorrow by one week to 31 January and cancelled a one-off show at the Rose Bowl Stadium (89,702) on 25 January.
“This city has always been a profound source of inspiration for me, and my thoughts are with everyone impacted during this difficult time … My focus remains on supporting the recovery of these communities and aiding its incredible people as they rebuild,” he says.
Donations have been pouring in to aid in the city’s recovery. Sony Corporation will donate $5m in emergency aid and rebuilding efforts, while AEG donated $1m as part of a greater $8m package from 12 professional sports teams.
Metallica, through its All Within My Hands Foundation, has donated $500,000 to various funds supporting recovery efforts.
“In the past week, the community has suffered at least 24 lives lost, nearly 100,000 people under evacuation orders, 40,000 acres burned, and more than 12,000 structures—commercial and residential—destroyed. However, numbers cannot articulate the magnitude of anguish as the disaster upends families and dismantles livelihoods,” the band wrote online.
Other organisations are staging benefit events. Independent promoter Another Planet Entertainment has partnered with IHEARTCOMIX, Brownies & Lemonade and Teragram to present LA Gives Back: Fire Relief at The Bellwether (1,600). The 7th edition of the event, which is set to feature multiple stages, will see 100% of the funds raised go to charity.
“Los Angeles is home to a vibrant independent creative community – we’re proud to open our stage in support of our neighbours who lost everything in this disaster,” says Casey Lowdermilk, The Bellwether general manager.
FireAid, organised by Live Nation, AEG Presents and the Azoff family, will precede the Grammys on 30 January at the neighbouring Intuit Dome (18,000). Performers are expected to be announced in the coming days.
“We are devastated by the impact of the fires in our community and are grieving alongside our city”
Dance music promoter Insomniac Events announced a series of benefit events with “100% of the net proceeds [going] directly to assist those in need.” Details will be announced this week.
Even still, show disruptions are rife. Young The Giant’s two The Troubadour (500) shows, set to celebrate their debut self-titled album and 10 years of their sophomore Mind Over Matter, have been pushed to 4-5 September.
“We are devastated by the impact of the fires in our community and are grieving alongside our city. Our heartfelt gratitude goes out to the first responders and emergency personnel working tirelessly to protect lives and contain fires,” the band wrote.
The blazes have ripped through more than 40,000 acres since igniting last week, causing more than 150,000 people to evacuate and burning 12,000 structures, according to NPR. At least 24 people have been killed, with the cause of the widespread fires’ initial spark currently unknown.
The economic damage could top $50 billion and may rank as one of the most costly natural disasters in US history, according to the Los Angeles Times.
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De La Soul has announced a concert in New York City in 2025 with a ‘choose-what-you-pay’ ticketing model.
The Grammy Award-winning hip-hop group will perform at Lincoln Center’s David Geffen Hall on 17 January 2025.
According to the venue’s website, the suggested ticket price is US$35 but fans have the option of paying more or less than that in order to “make the arts more accessible”.
Lincoln Center is also offering flexible pricing for concerts with the metal band Sunn O))), the Portuguese fado singer Mariza, Polish guitarist Raphael Rogiński, and organist Kali Malone.
The pay-what-you-can ticketing model has also been used by UK festivals Outlook and Greenbelt – the latter of which continues to do so.
“To make the arts more accessible, tickets are available on a Choose-What-You-Pay basis”
Pre-sale tickets for De La Soul’s NYC concert will go on sale from 5 September with the general public getting their chance on 12 September.
Before returning to their hometown of New York, De La Soul will deliver a handful of festival performances and concerts in the UK, Canada, France, Belgium, Luxembourg and the US.
Earlier this year, the Recording Academy and the Grammy Museum announced that De La Soul’s 1989 debut album 3 Feet High and Rising was one of 10 recordings selected for the Grammy Hall of Fame.
It came after De La Soul’s first six studio albums debuted on streaming services in March 2023 following years of internal conflicts and label issues.
Last year also marked the passing of the group’s co-founder Trugoy the Dove (born David Jolicoeur) who died at the age of 54.
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The 66th edition of the Grammy Awards took place last night (4 February) at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, with performances from U2, Burna Boy, Miley Cyrus and more.
U2 joined the annual awards ceremony from inside the Sphere in Las Vegas, where the Dublin-hailing band currently has a residency.
“Remember, no television cameras have ever been allowed inside until right now,” said host Trevor Noah before the broadcast of the band performing Atomic City.
Elsewhere, Burna Boy made history as the first Afro-fusion artist to perform at the Grammys. The Nigerian artist performed On Form, City Boys, and Sitting on Top of the World – the latter of which featured 21 Savage and Brandi.
Performing at the Grammys for the first time ever was 80-year-old Joni Mitchell, who treated the audience to her 1966 hit Both Sides Now. The song also appears on her 2023 live album, Joni Mitchell At Newport, which took home the golden gramophone for Best Folk Album.
Miley Cyrus’s hit song Flowers received its first-ever televised performance at the ceremony. She went on to win Record of the Year and Best Solo Pop Performance for the same song.
“Music must always be our safe space… when that’s violated it strikes at the very core of who we are”
SZA – the most-nominated artist of the 2024 Grammy Awards, with nine nods – also graced the stage with her double performance of Snooze and Kill Bill.
She picked up the awards for Best Progressive R&B Album for SOS and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for Ghost In The Machine featuring Phoebe Bridgers. Bridgers scooped up three more awards with her band boygenius and went home with the most awards of any artist that night.
The other big awards of the night were handed out for Taylor Swift’s Midnights (Album of the Year), Billie Eilish’s What Was I Made For (Song of the Year) and Victoria Monét (Best New Artist).
Elsewhere, three new categories debuted: Best African Music Performance (Tyla), Best Alternative Jazz Album (Meshell Ndegeocello) and Best Pop Dance Recording (Kylie Minogue).
The ceremony also saw Harvey Mason Jr, The Recording Academy CEO, honour the victims of last year’s Israel Supernova Festival attack during his speech.
“Music must always be our safe space,” he said. “When that’s violated it strikes at the very core of who we are. We felt that at the Bataclan music hall in Paris. We felt that at the Manchester Arena, in England. We felt that at the Route 91 music festival in Las Vegas. And on October 7, we felt that again when we heard the tragic news from the Supernova music festival for love, that over 360 music fans lost their lives, and another 40 were kidnapped.”
Other performances on the night came from Billie Eilish, Travis Scott, Olivia Rodrigo, Dua Lipa, Luke Coombs and Tracy Chapman.
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