On Feb. 2, the Recording Academy turned over a new leaf in their 67th annual Grammys award show. This year’s show not only illuminated the talent of the industry, but also emphasized strong themes of appreciation for Los Angeles and diversity within the music community.
The entire award show aimed to raise money for the devastation of the Los Angeles wildfires and even included advertisements from local businesses that were affected by the fires, as well as frequent reminders for the viewers to donate from the host, Trevor Noah. According to cnn.com, it is estimated that the Grammys raised $9 million during the broadcast for wildfire support.
In addition, the show began with a performance meant to show appreciation for Los Angeles, featuring Dawes, Sheryl Crow, Brad Paisley, John Legend, Brittany Howard and St. Vincent with their own take on Randy Newman’s 1983 song “I Love L.A.”
Surprise guest, the Weeknd, put on another notable performance during the show, despite announcing a Grammys boycott in 2020. This came as a shock to many viewers as he had previously accused the Academy of being corrupt and lacking diversity. In an effort to reform the Academy, Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. sought to solve this dissatisfaction. Mason Jr. announced the performance and said, “I remember waking up to the headlines that the Weeknd called out the Academy for lack of transparency in our awards.” He continued, “But you know what? Criticism is ok. I heard them. I felt his conviction.”
Along with the return of the Weeknd, these changes to the administration’s efforts regarding diversity and inclusion were further emphasized in the repetition of “as selected by the 13,000 voting members of the Recording Academy:” a statement meant to highlight the Academy’s focus in creating a more diverse, numerous and youthful representation of the music industry to cast votes for winners. According to the Grammy awards, there has been a 65 percent increase of the Academy’s voting body that identifies as people of color since 2019.
The Academy also made a statement regarding their stance on diversity, equity and inclusion efforts in lieu of recent pullbacks from many large corporations in America. Mason Jr. made sure to embolden this stance by mentioning their new initiatives: Black Music Collective, Women in the Mix and Academy Proud. All three committees aim to speak out and support minority artists in order to reinforce inclusivity within the music industry.
While some may consider the list of winning artists controversial, it’s important to note that many of these artists represent success for marginalized communities. For example, Beyoncé won Country Album of the Year after not even being recognized at the Country Music Awards while also taking home Best Album of the Year for the first time. Chappell Roan earned her first ever Grammy for Best New Artist with a discography that highlights the queer community. Kendrick Lamar took home five awards, and first time winner Doechii won Best Rap Album, marking the third woman to ever win this award.
The 2025 Grammys was a great reminder of the good that can come from communities that band together and uplift one another. This year’s Grammys will go down in history for being a night of change, celebration and charity.