2025 was full of sound; the year was filled with noise from albums and soundtracks, or podcasts and audiobooks. Though the year seemed to be specifically bountiful in music, the Grammys thought otherwise.
The Grammy awards are judged by the Recording Academy, an esteemed set of producers, musicians, and engineers. Due to their individual high levels of musical and sound knowledge, they decide who should be awarded what. Fans don’t always agree with the Recording Academy’s choices, usually taking to social media to comment on how certain artists were “snubbed” or how the Academy’s choices are skewed to fit others’ beliefs.
That “snubbing” was done this year in three main categories: Best New Artist, Record Of The Year, and Album Of The Year.
For Best New Artist, the nominees included groups; The Marias, and KATSEYE, and solo artists: Olivia Dean, Leon Thomas, Alex Warren, Addison Rae, Lola Young, and sombr. The winner, British pop singer Olivia Dean, received a general positive response, but has since gotten a smaller amount of backlash from social media. While Dean is an extremely talented singer, some could point out that she had only risen to fame in the later months of last year, as opposed to other artists, like Alex Warren, Lola Young, or sombr. Each of the artists had gained popularity through social media, though one had stood out more than the others. Indie rock artist sombr had grabbed the attention of many in late 2024, mainly by teasing his chart-topping single, “back to friends,” with a later release in early 2025. He released his debut album further in the year, atop three other phenomenal singles, and seemed like a shoo-in for Best New Artist. Or so we believed. The Recording Academy ultimately chose Olivia Dean, a suitable enough fit, leaving many unsatisfied with the decision.
Another category that led to much discourse was Record Of The Year. The award recognizes both production and performance of a single track, a more prestigious version of Song Of The Year. The nominees this year included: Bad Bunny “DtMF,” Sabrina Carpenter “Manchild,” Doechii “Anxiety,” Billie Eilish “WILDFLOWER,” Lady Gaga “Abracadabra,” Kendrick Lamar ft. SZA “luther,” Chappell Roan “The Subway,” and ROSÉ and Bruno Mars “APT.,”. The winners, Kendrick Lamar and SZA, with their song “luther” surprised many watchers, as this was Lamar’s second year consecutively winning.
Typically, the award is given in representation of the year and reflection on the most popular and continuously successful song. Most would’ve expected the award to go to a pop hit, like “The Subway” or “Manchild”, but it did not, which left many fans in confusion. Though the songs listed all had their own effects on 2025, a more hidden song, “DtMF,” by Bad Bunny, seemed to resonate with many listeners, the highest-streamed track off his album with the same title. The track leans into the colder sides of nostalgia, of wishing that you’d done something or had more vividly notable memories. The song had its own accomplishments as well, having achieved the highest weekly streaming in the Billboard 100 for a non-English track in early 2025. Though it was overshadowed by bigger, more memorable songs, it was seen and appreciated nonetheless.
The final, and most crucial category wrongly awarded, would be Album Of The Year. The nominees for the award were: Sabrina Carpenter “Man’s Best Friend,” Bad Bunny “DtMF,” Justin Bieber “SWAG,” Leon Thomas “MUTT,” Clipse with Pusha T & Malice “Let God Sort Em Out,” Tyler, The Creator “Chromakopia,” Lady Gaga “MAYHEM,” and Kendrick Lamar “GNX.” The award was given to Bad Bunny for his sixth studio album, “DtMF.” While some fans were overjoyed at the recipient, others didn’t respond as happily. The category this year was diverse genre-wise, in opposition to the primarily pop scheme that had been in occurrence for the past few years. Due to the turnout, many watchers hoped for the limited pop albums to win, specifically “Man’s Best Friend” by Sabrina Carpenter. The album is upbeat while including a few sadder ballads, but also consistently maintains Carpenter’s light-hearted and satirical style. The album hasn’t yet had its own tour, but had songs featured in the setlist of Carpenter’s extended “Short ‘N’ Sweet” tour, gaining their own popularity. The album topped charts instantly upon release, staying at #1 for two weeks, and her only initial single, “Manchild,” had a non-consecutive two weeks at #1 as well. Carpenter ended up nominated for six awards for her album and single, but left the ceremony empty-handed, a shock to many. While “Man’s Best Friend” may be a pop lover’s dream, not everyone shares the same views, and that was exhibited strongly at the Grammys.
