Beyoncé wins big, Taylor Swift 'empty-handed' at Grammy 2025

America’s Beyoncé received the most important award – Album of the Year – presented by Los Angeles firefighters, Taylor Swift left empty-handed at the 2025 Grammys.

At the awards ceremony on the morning of February 3, Beyonce was honored with the album Cowboy Carter , released at the end of March 2024, consisting of 27 songs. The spirit of the album aims to honor the black community in American history and music. After its release, the album received many compliments from experts. Pitchfork gave it 8.4/10 points, commenting that Beyoncé “asserted her rightful place in country music in a way that only a pop star as talented and incredibly influential as her can do.”

afp-20250203-2197337182-v1-hig-2998-8014 — Beyoncé received the Album of the Year award. Photo: *AFP*

She accepted the award alongside her eldest daughter, Blue Ivy, and opened her speech by thanking the firefighters who came on stage to present her with the award. “I just feel so fulfilled and so honored. It’s been so many, many years, and I just want to thank the Grammys. Every songwriter, every collaborator, every producer, everyone has worked so hard,” the singer said. Beyoncé dedicated her win to Linda Martell, a leading black country artist who appeared on her album. “I hope we keep moving forward, opening doors,” the singer said.

Beyoncé's 2025 Grammy Album of the Year acceptance speech — Beyoncé’s acceptance speech for the 2025 Grammy Album of the Year award. Video: *Grammys*

The award marks Beyoncé’s first win in the Grammys’ most important category. Last season, her husband Jay-Z was upset because “Beyonce has the most golden trumpets but she didn’t win Album of the Year.”

The singer is also the first black woman in more than 50 years to win Best Country Album. She also won Best Country Collaboration (for II Most Wanted , featuring Miley Cyrus).

Although she didn’t win any Golden Horn, Taylor Swift enjoyed the event, dancing along to the performances. Considered Beyoncé’s big rival in the Album of the Year category, when her senior was honored, Swift happily celebrated, clinking glasses with Beyoncé’s husband – Jay-Z.

AFP-20250203-2197310835-v1-Hig-8063-7470 — Singer Taylor Swift on the event’s red carpet. Photo: *AFP*

Kendrick Lamar also won big with five awards, including two major ones — Song of the Year and Record of the Year for Not Like Us , which revolved around his feud with rapper Drake in 2024.

The remaining grand prize – Best New Artist – went to Chappell Roan, a 27-year-old drag queen. Born in 1998, she is currently one of the most promising figures in the international music scene. The artist had a busy year with the album The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess , released in September 2023, and the single Good Luck, Babe!, released in April 2024.

The award for Best Pop Album went to Sabrina Carpenter – a new phenomenon in the music industry – with Short n’ Sweet . She went from being a backup singer on Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour to a sought-after superstar. Her hit Espresso reached 1.6 billion streams on Spotify, considered “the song of summer 2024”.

Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars won the award for Best Pop Duo or Group Performance for Die With a Smile, a ballad that became a global sensation and received much praise from critics. The song revolves around the desire to love until death, the desire to spend the last moments with the person you love.