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Youngsters Honor Grownups at the 2025 Grammys
As Beyonce, the Stones and Beatles won and Taylor Swift lost, Diana Ross, Stevie Wonder, and AARP-generation tunes sung by young performers made the music industry’s top awards show a winner
Herbie Hancock and Stevie Wonder perform at the 67th Grammy Awards.
Christopher Polk/Billboard via Getty Images
The 2025 Grammy Awards on Feb. 2 had a more serious vibe than usual, because the catastrophic Los Angeles fires forced organizers to rethink the show’s format. The makeover generated a three-hour-plus marathon that was by turns exciting and somber. This year’s show centered on the crisis, with host Trevor Noah toggling between gentle humor, celebrity praise and pleas for donations to aid victims of the widespread destruction — the show raised over $7 million before the night was done. Along with the biggest names in pop, rap and country, first responders who fought the wildfires were in the audience at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.
Grownups over 50 were less prominent than last year, when Joni Mitchell, 81, Billy Joel, 75, Annie Lennox, 75, and Celine Dion, 56, performed. But though the winners and singers were mostly youngsters, they often honored their elders in word and song, and a few grownups were terrific. The Beatles won rock performance of the year for their last tune, “Now and Then,” and the Stones won best rock album for Hackney Diamonds, but didn’t show up to collect them. Taylor Swift showed up but got snubbed. Several grownup legends did make an impressive appearance, classic tunes AARP members remember were sung, and a tribute to the late Quincy Jones inspired some of the night’s finest moments.
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Sheryl Crow, Brittany Howard, St. Vincent, Taylor Goldsmith and Griffin Goldsmith of Dawes, Brad Paisley, and John Legend perform during the Grammy Awards.
Johnny Nunez/Getty Images for The Recording Academy
Everyone loved L.A.
The show opened with the rousing 1983 anthem “I Love L.A” by Randy Newman, 81, performed by Los Angeles rock duo Dawes and an all-star ensemble including Sheryl Crow, 62, Brad Paisley, 52, St. Vincent, John Legend and Brittany Howard. The lyrics were revised to address the resilience of fire victims (“Look at this city getting back off its knees”). Dawes brothers Taylor Goldsmith, whose home studio burned down, and Griffin Goldsmith, who lost his home (as did his parents around the corner), have been joining fund-raising efforts for neighbors.
Beyonce accepts the Album of the Year award.
Amy Sussman/Getty Images
Finally, Beyoncé won album of the year
Queen Bey won best album for lauded Cowboy Carter. Beyoncé had racked up 99 nominations, more than any other artist, and she’s also won more Grammys than anyone (32). But she had never won album of the year. “I feel very full and very honored — it’s been many, many years,” she said on stage. “I hope we just keep pushing forward, opening doors.” Earlier in the evening, when Cowboy Carter won best country album, Beyoncé said, “I think sometimes genre is a code word to keep us in our place as artists. And I just want to encourage people to do what they’re passionate about, and to stay persistent.”
Chad Smith and Anthony Kiedis of Red Hot Chili Peppers.
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for The Recording Academy
Los Angeles rocked on
On stage as presenters, singer Anthony Kiedis, 62, and drummer Chad Smith, 63, of the Red Hot Chili Peppers delivered a capella lines from their L.A.-centric hit “Under the Bridge."
Sometimes I feel like my only friendIs the city I live in, the City of Angels/Lonely as I am, together we cry
Kiedis added enthusiastically, “Tonight, let’s get it on, and let’s all get vocal about helping our friends and neighbors.”
Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars perform during the Grammy Awards.
JC Olivera/WireImage/Getty Images
All the leaves are burnt, and the sky is gray
Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars were expected to sing their huge hit, “Die with a Smile,” but in keeping with the night’s theme, they belted out a strapping version of the Mamas & the Papas’ “California Dreamin'." When the pair won best pop duo/group performance for “Die with a Smile," Gaga voiced support for a favorite cause. “I just want to say tonight that trans people are not invisible,” she said. “Trans people deserve love. The queer community deserves to be lifted up. Music is love.”
Stars salute Quincy Jones
British singer/actress Cynthia Erivo, currently riding high on Wicked acclaim, sang “Fly Me to the Moon” to pay homage to 28-time Grammy winner Quincy Jones, who died in November at 91, and arranged and produced Frank Sinatra’s 1964 hit. Backed by Herbie Hancock, 84, she began in a sultry, shimmering voice before ripping off the roof when a big band joined her. Her performance earned a standing ovation.
Will Smith, 56, introduced the powerful tribute to Jones, who produced his debut show The Fresh Prince of Beverly Hills. On harmonica, Stevie Wonder, 74, joined Hancock to play “Bluesette,” the Toots Thieleman tune on Jones’ Mellow Madness album. Wonder then sang Jones’ most famous work, “We Are the World,” joined by a chorus of students from wildfire-ravaged Palisades Charter High and Pasadena Waldorf School. Smith noted afterward, “Quincy always took care of people. That’s how he fed the world.”
Janelle Monae on stage at the Grammy Awards.
Christopher Polk/Billboard via Getty Images
Janelle Monae was a thriller
Monae continued the Quincy Jones love fest with an electrifying rendition of Michael Jackson’s “Don’t Stop Till You Get Enough” (produced by Jones). The pop/funk singer/songwriter had the look, the moves, the energy and vibe as she moonwalked and high-kicked her way from the stage to the audience and ended her performance with a mike drop.
Diana Ross speaks onstage.
Getty Images
Diana Ross, 80, had a spectacular outfit and an uplifting message
The Motown queen told the crowd, “You look so beautiful!” So did she, in a Dolce & Gabbana number with a white tulle cape over a glimmering silver dress. When she presented Kendrick Lamar with song of the year for “Not Like Us” (which also won record of the year), he bowed down to her, as everybody should. “How can we have the balance between celebrating and being filled with sorrow?” she said, referring to the fires. “I am inviting us all with love and hope and courage to those who are hurting tonight.”
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