Welcome to Beyoncé country.
When it comes to the 2025 Grammy Award nominations, 91ƵCowboy Carter91Ƶ rules the nation. She leads the nods with 11, bringing her career total to 99 nominations. That makes her the most nominated artist in Grammy history.
91ƵCowboy Carter91Ƶ is up for album and country album of the year, and 91ƵTexas Hold 91ƵEm91Ƶ is nominated for record, song and country song of the year. She also received nominations in a wide swath of genres, including pop, country, Americana and melodic rap performance categories.
This is her first time receiving nominations in the country and Americana categories. Previously, she and her husband Jay-Z were tied for most career nominations, at 88.
If Beyoncé wins the album of the year, she91Ƶll become the first Black woman to do so in the 21st century. Lauryn Hill last won in 1999 for 91ƵThe Miseducation of Lauryn Hill,91Ƶ joining Natalie Cole and Whitney Houston as the only Black women to take home the Grammys91Ƶ top prize.
Post Malone also received his first ever nominations in the country categories this year, having released his debut country album 91ƵF-1 Trillion91Ƶ in August. That one is up for country album and 91ƵI Had Some Help,91Ƶ his collaboration with Morgan Wallen, is nominated for country song and country duo/group performance. They are Wallen91Ƶs first ever Grammy nominations.
Malone is just behind Beyoncé, with seven nominations, tied with Billie Eilish, Kendrick Lamar and Charli XCX, who earned her first nominations as a solo artist.
Lamar91Ƶs ubiquitous diss track released during his feud with Drake, 91ƵNot Like Us,91Ƶ is nominated for record and song of the year, rap song, music video as well as best rap performance. He has two simultaneous entries in the latter category, a career first: Future & Metro Boomin featuring Lamar, 91ƵLike That91Ƶ is up for best rap performance and best rap song.
This is his third time receiving two simultaneous nominations for best rap song.
Taylor Swift and first-time nominees Sabrina Carpenter and Chappell Roan boast of six nominations each.
Last year, women artists dominated the major categories. This year, that continues somewhat, but the main trend seems to be a variance of genre. In the album of the year category, alongside 91ƵCowboy Carter91Ƶ is André 300091Ƶs new age, alt-jazz 91ƵNew Blue Sun91Ƶ and multi-instrumentalist Jacob Collier91Ƶs 91ƵDjesse Vol. 4.91Ƶ Rising pop stars Carpenter and Roan round it out, with 91ƵShort n91Ƶ Sweet91Ƶ and 91ƵThe Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess91Ƶ respectively, as well as Swift91Ƶs 91ƵThe Tortured Poets Department,91Ƶ Eilish91Ƶs 91ƵHit Me Hard and Soft,91Ƶ and Charli XCX91Ƶs rave-ready 91ƵBRAT.91Ƶ
Eilish is the only artist to have her first three albums become nominated for album of the year.
Last year, Swift won album of the year for 91ƵMidnights,91Ƶ breaking the record for most wins in the category with four. This year, she becomes the first ever woman to seven career nominations in the category.
91ƵThe breadth and the variety of genres represented in the general field feels new and really exciting,91Ƶ says the Recording Academy CEO and President Harvey Mason jr. He credits an active and evolving voting body for its success. 91ƵWe91Ƶve been very intentional in how we looked at and tried to rebalance our membership. So not just gender or people of color, different racial makeup, but also genre equity and trying to make sure that all different types of music in different regions and different locations are being represented in every way possible.91Ƶ
Only recordings commercially released in the U.S. between Sept. 16, 2023 through Aug. 30, 2024 were eligible for nominations. The final round of Grammy voting, which determines its winners, will take place Dec. 12 through January 3.
In the best new artist category, Carpenter and Roan will go head-to-head, alongside Benson Boone, Doechii, Khruangbin, RAYE, Shaboozey and Teddy Swims.
In the song of the year category, Beyoncé is joined by Eilish with 91ƵBirds of a Feather,91Ƶ Swift and Post Malone with 91ƵFortnight,91Ƶ Roan91Ƶs 91ƵGood Luck, Babe!91Ƶ, Carpenter91Ƶs 91ƵPlease Please Please,91Ƶ Lamar91Ƶs 91ƵNot Like Us,91Ƶ Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars91Ƶ 91ƵDie With A Smile,91Ƶ and Shaboozey91Ƶs 91ƵA Bar Song (Tipsy).91Ƶ
Shaboozey is also a first-time nominee. His 91ƵA Bar Song (Tipsy)91Ƶ is the biggest song of the year, having spent more weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 than any other 91Ƶ it is so popular, a remix of the track is also up for remixed recording.
Elsewhere, Shaboozey is nominated in the melodic rap performance category for his feature on Beyoncé91Ƶs 91ƵSPAGHETTII.91Ƶ Linda Martell, the first commercially-successful Black woman musician in country, is also featured on the song, delivering the 83-year-old artist her first Grammy nomination.
For record of the year, 91ƵTexas Hold 91ƵEm91Ƶ will compete against Swift and Post Malone91Ƶs 91ƵFortnight,91Ƶ Eilish91Ƶs 91ƵBirds of a Father,91Ƶ Lamar91Ƶs 91ƵNot Like Us,91Ƶ Roan91Ƶs 91ƵGood Luck, Babe!91Ƶ, Carpenter91Ƶs 91ƵEspresso,91Ƶ Charli XCX91Ƶs 91Ƶ360,91Ƶ and the Beatles last new song, the AI-assisted 91ƵNow and Then.91Ƶ
91ƵWe91Ƶre trying to make sure we91Ƶre keeping up with how music creators and our community are using technology. And in this case, AI enhanced the record and allowed it to be eligible in the categories that it was eligible in,91Ƶ Mason jr explains.
So, what91Ƶs missing? Like last year, there91Ƶs a huge dearth of Latin music 91Ƶ the fastest growing streaming genre in the United States 91Ƶ across the board, and no representation in the major categories. There are also only four entries in the best Música Mexicana album category, despite it also being one of the fastest growing genres.
And K-pop, too, seems to be absent. There are no nominations for the BTS members who91Ƶve released solo material this year: RM91Ƶs 91ƵRight Place, Wrong Person,91Ƶ J-Hope91Ƶs 91ƵHope on the Street, Vol. 1,91Ƶ and Jimin91Ƶs 91ƵMuse.91Ƶ As a boy band, BTS has received five nominations across their career.
91ƵI definitely see room for improvement across many genres and we are continuing to invite people to be a part of the academy,91Ƶ Mason jr. says. 91ƵWithout the right representation we don91Ƶt get the right results. When I say right, I mean reflective and representative of what91Ƶs happening in music today. So, the work continues.91Ƶ
The 2025 Grammy Awards will air Feb. 2 live on CBS and Paramount+ from the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.
Maria Sherman, The Associated Press