As an avid follower of music and pop culture, the Grammy Awards are my personal Super Bowl. I look forward each year to the outfits, performances and wins of the show, and as someone who tries to stay up to date on what’s happening in music, I usually have strong opinions about the nominations in the major categories.
Although music is subjective and these awards are arbitrary at the end of the day, I do enjoy watching artists be recognized and praised, especially when I have a personal attachment to their work. Here are my thoughts about the winners in the major categories:
Album of the Year: "DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS" Bad Bunny
Bad Bunny made history last night by becoming the first Spanish-language artist to be nominated in three major categories at the same ceremony, with his record “DtMF” being the first ever non-English language album to win Album of the Year.
While I’ve only heard a couple of songs and can’t speak to the entire album, Bad Bunny has achieved massive commercial success this past year, and I think this win is indicative of the global influence he has. This culturally significant achievement also comes a week before he will become the first exclusively Spanish-speaking artist to headline the Super Bowl Halftime Show.
Song of the Year: “WILDFLOWER” by Billie Eilish
With Billie Eilish being a known Grammys darling, I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised that her song “WILDFLOWER” took home the Song of the Year award; however, I have to say I really don’t think the song deserved it. "WILDFLOWER” was re-released as a single in February 2025, which placed it in the eligibility window for this year’s Grammys, but it was originally released in April 2024. For that reason, I don’t think of it as a song that defined 2025. I also think the song is generally overrated, and I would have been satisfied if almost any other song nominated in this category had won instead; specifically, I think Lady Gaga’s “Abracadabra” is far more deserving of this award.
Record of the Year: “luther” by Kendrick Lamar and SZA
While Song of the Year awards lyricism, Record of the Year honors production, which I think makes it a fair award for “luther.” This win makes Kendrick Lamar the first rapper to have secured the award two years in a row. The song seamlessly samples Luther Vandross’ “If This World Were Mine” and features angelic vocals from SZA, and it spent more time on the Billboard Hot 100 than any other single in 2025. It’s a great song everyone knows, and I’ll always cheer when SZA accepts an award.
While I’m not disappointed at “luther” winning, there are a few other nominees I would’ve liked to see take home the award. Sabrina Carpenter’s “Manchild” was a solid hit throughout last year and I really liked its sparkling, vibrant production. I also would have been happy to see Chappell Roan’s “The Subway” win this award for its impressive vocal performance.
Best New Artist: Olivia Dean
Out of all the Best New Artist nominees, Olivia Dean was definitely my prediction for this award; I think she falls into the same category of elegant, vocal-powerhouse British women like Adele that the Grammys historically love to award. After years of building her career, I think it’s amazing she’s finally experiencing such a rise. I think she’s immensely charismatic, talented and deserving of this award.
While I wasn’t surprised or disappointed at this win, I would have loved to see Addison Rae take this award. I know it was a long shot, but I truly think she’s establishing herself as one of the most creative and interesting artists we have today. Although a lot of people write her off because of her TikTok background, her artistic vision and work ethic deserve to be taken seriously.
“MAYHEM” was my top pick for Best Pop Vocal Album, and I was personally clapping for this win. I think this is the best album Gaga has released in years and was one of my favorites of last year. From rock to disco, the production dipped into a variety of different sonic influences, which makes it an engaging listen from start to finish. Out of all the other nominees for this award, “MAYHEM” deserved it the most.
