The 'Snubs' and 'Surprises' of the 2025 Grammy nominations

The 2025 Grammy nominees were revealed on Friday, and with 94 categories, The Hollywood Reporter is breaking down everything you need to know — including the snubs, the surprises, and Beyoncé's continued history-making.

Beyoncé.

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The Snubs

Ariana Grande had three nominations but was left out of the top three honors, including best pop solo performance. Post Malone lost out on album of the year, and while he is nominated for record and song of the year, it is for his cameo performance on Taylor Swift's "Fortnight," not for his own No. 1 single, "I Need Some Help" with Morgan Wallen.

Swift has six nominations, so why isn't her ground-breaking concert film, The Eras Tour, a contender for best music film? And "Fortnight" did not make the cut for best pop duo/group performance; instead, Swift is nominated for her cameo in Gracie Abrams' "Us."

Hozier returned to the top of the mainstream charts with "Too Sweet," Tommy Richman topped TikTok with "Million Dollar Baby," and Vampire Weekend pleased reviewers with Only God Was Above Us, yet they were entirely disregarded, receiving no nominations. Bad Bunny, Nicki Minaj, Megan Thee Stallion, Dua Lipa, and K-pop artists Lisa, RM, and Jung Kook were also excluded.

Benson Boone and Teddy Swims continue to dominate the Billboard charts with "Beautiful Things" and "Lose Control," but they only received nominations for best new artist. Despite creating songs for Swift and Sabrina Carpenter and winning non-classical producer the previous three years, Jack Antonoff did not receive a nomination in the category.

Winning Women

Months after female artists won all broadcast honors at the 2024 Grammys, women continue to dominate key categories the next year. Women are responsible for six of the eight album and record of the year nominees. Women are also heavily represented in categories such as best pop solo performance, best pop vocal album, best R&B performance, best R&B song, best Americana performance, best folk album, and best Latin pop album.

Black Queens

Beyoncé, who has received nods in pop, R&B, rock, rap, and dance, adds country to her CV this year, continuing to create history. However, she is also inspiring others in the process. Linda Martell, a pioneer for Black artists in country music and the first Black woman to play solo at the Grand Ole Opry, receives her first Grammy nomination for a duet with Queen Bey. They're nominated for best melodic rap performance with "Spaghetti" by Cowboy Carter, which also features Shaboozey. Martell launched her debut album in 1970 and achieved a Top 25 country hit, but she faced significant challenges, including prejudice at her live appearances.

Female Rappers

Although Nicki Minaj and Megan Thee Stallion were not included, there are additional female rap voices. Doechii received three nominations: best new artist, best rap album for Alligator Bites Never Heal, and best rap performance for "Nissan Altima"; GloRilla's "Yeah Glo!" and Cardi B.'s "Enough (Miami)" are also in the latter category. Latto and Rapsody are vying for best melodic rap performance, while GloRilla and Rapsody will fight for best rap song.

Grammy Starboy

The Weeknd won best melodic rap performance at the 2022 Grammys for his performance on Kayne West's "Hurricane," despite having boycotted the 2021 ceremony. He can do the same at the 2025 awards—he's nominated in that category for his guest vocals on Future and Metro Boomin's "We Still Don't Trust You."

Famous Faces

Daniel Radcliffe has the potential to win a Grammy award. Merrily We Roll Along has earned him a nomination for best musical theater album. Alicia Keys and Wayne Brady have also received nominations in the same category for Hell's Kitchen and The Wiz, respectively.

Nikki Glaser maintains her world dominance with a nomination for best comedy album, competing against five-time Grammy winner Dave Chappelle, Trevor Noah, Ricky Gervais, and Jim Gaffigan.

The late Matthew Perry and Michelle Williams, who made news for narrating Britney Spears' memoir, did not receive awards for best audio book, narration, or narrative recording. Instead, the nominees are Jimmy Carter, Barbra Streisand, Dolly Parton, and George Clinton.

Sing It Live

Muni Long was devastated earlier this year when she discovered that her popular R&B single, "Made for Me," did not qualify for the 2025 event. Her live rendition of the song, however, from her BET Awards performance, has put her in the running for a nomination for best R&B performance. She is also nominated for best R&B album (Revenge), best R&B single ("Ruined Me"), and best traditional R&B performance ("Make Me Forget").