The Grammys had a few surprises up their sleeves. Here are some key moments from the show

By MARK KENNEDY, Associated Press Entertainment Writer

All eyes astatine the Grammy Awards were connected whether the most-nominated creator successful the past of the telecast would yet locomotion distant with the coveted medium of the twelvemonth trophy. She did. “We yet saw it happen,” big Trevor Noah said, astir successful relief.

Beyoncé winning for “Cowboy Carter” capped a nighttime that turned into a tribute to a suffering Los Angeles, with metropolis firefighters chosen to uncover the victor of the past grant and speeches offering words of encouragement for communities devastated. The Grammys astir veered into a telethon; $7 cardinal was pledged from viewers of the show.

It was besides a telecast wherever the champion caller creator nominees similar Chappell Roan and Sabrina Carpenter were fixed plentifulness of clip to amusement wherefore there’s a heavy good of endowment coming up. And determination was a daze instrumentality for The Weeknd, who had been boycotting the Grammys.

Here are immoderate of the night’s notable moments:

Kicking it disconnected with immoderate section boys

Beyoncé and Lady Gaga were close there, arsenic were Taylor Swift and Billie Eilish, but the grant of opening the Grammy Awards successful Los Angeles was fixed to 2 section brothers profoundly affected by the wildfires: Taylor and Griffin Goldsmith of the set Dawes.

Taylor Goldsmith, left, and Brad Paisley execute “I Love L.A.” during the 67th yearly Grammy Awards connected Sunday, Feb. 2, 2025, successful Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

They mislaid 1 brother’s location on with their puerility home, instruments and overmuch else. They’ve advocated for victims, raised wealth and were included successful the FireAid payment performance connected Thursday.

“They genuinely epitomize the unsocial tone that we are seeing successful LA close now,” big Trevor Noah said. “What amended mode to commencement the Grammy Awards?”

Dawes past played Randy Newman’s “I Love L.A.” surrounded by an all-star backing band: John Legend, Brad Paisley, Sheryl Crow, Brittany Howard and St. Vincent.

“Look astatine these firefighters, ain’t nothin similar ‘em nowhere,” Taylor Goldsmith sang, altering the line: “Look astatine these women/There ain’t thing similar ’em nowhere.”

All hail the Swamp Princess

Doechii won the Grammy for champion rap album, lone the 3rd pistillate to triumph successful that category. And, with her parent by her side, she had a beardown connection for young Black girls.

“I cognize that there’s immoderate Black miss retired there, truthful galore Black women retired there, that are watching maine close now, and I privation to archer you: You tin bash it. Anything is possible. Anything is possible,” she said.

Doechii, center, accepts the grant for champion rap medium for “Alligator Bites Never Heal” during the 67th yearly Grammy Awards connected Sunday, Feb. 2, 2025, successful Los Angeles. Celesia Moore looks connected from left(AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

“Don’t let anybody to task immoderate stereotypes connected you, to archer you that you can’t beryllium here, that you’re excessively dark, oregon that you’re not astute enough, oregon that you’re excessively dramatic, oregon you’re excessively loud. You are precisely who you request to beryllium to beryllium close wherever you are, and I americium a grounds close now. Good night!”

The triumph caps an astounding fewer years for the 26-year-old Floridian who mixes R&B, hip-hop, jazz, boundary-pushing sounds and samples, and adds theatricality. She playfully calls herself the “swamp princess.”

Her 2024 mixtape, ”Alligator Bites Never Heal″ went to No. 33 connected the Billboard 200, No. 9 connected the Top R&B/Hip-Hop illustration and No. 8 connected the Top Rap Album chart.

Her Grammy show of “Catfish” and “Denial Is a River” was electric, with the singer-songwriter backed by implicit a twelve dancers successful matching Thom Browne suits and she yet stripped down to a achromatic two-piece set.

Chappell Roan advocates from the stage

Chappell Roan was crowned champion caller creator and past utilized her code to request alteration successful the euphony business.

Chappell Roan successful the assemblage during the 67th yearly Grammy Awards connected Sunday, Feb. 2, 2025, successful Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

“I told myself that if I ever won a Grammy and got to basal up present earlier the astir almighty radical successful music, I would request that labels successful the manufacture profiting millions of dollars disconnected of artists would connection a livable wage and wellness care, particularly to processing artists,” she said.

Roan began her euphony vocation successful 2015 erstwhile she signed with Atlantic Records, releasing respective singles including “Pink Pony Club.” In 2020, the statement dropped her. She moved backmost to her hometown to enactment arsenic a barista earlier releasing her debut full-length album.

“It was devastating to consciousness truthful committed to my creation and consciousness truthful betrayed by the strategy and dehumanized,” Roan said successful her speech. “Record labels request to dainty their artists arsenic invaluable employees with a livable wage and wellness security and protection.”

Earlier, Roan performed a rocking mentation of her “Pink Pony Club,” joined by a posse of dancing clown cowboys arsenic she sang from atop a elephantine pinkish horse.

Lady Gaga and Alicia Keys get political

Lady Gaga, accepting the trophy for champion popular duo oregon radical alongside Bruno Mars for their chart-topping collab, “Die with a Smile,” gave a shout-out to the trans community, targets of President Donald Trump.

“Trans radical are not invisible. Trans radical merit love. The queer assemblage deserves to beryllium lifted up. Music is love,” Lady Gaga said.

Not agelong after, Alicia Keys, being honored with The Dr. Dre Global Impact Award, besides backed diverseness and inclusion programs, another Trump target.

“This is not the clip to unopen down the diverseness of voices,” said Keys. “We’ve seen connected this signifier talented, hardworking radical from antithetic backgrounds with antithetic points of view, and it changes the game. DEI is not a threat, it’s a gift.”

The Weeknd returns to the Grammys

The Grammy Awards had a almighty mode to beryllium that they’ve changed. They got a astonishment endorsement by The Weeknd, who was past connected the Grammy signifier successful 2017.

The Weeknd performs a medley during the 67th yearly Grammy Awards connected Sunday, Feb. 2, 2025, successful Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

The popular superstar successful 2020 slammed the Grammys, calling them “corrupt” aft helium landed zero nominations contempt a megahit album. “You beryllium me, my fans and the manufacture transparency,” helium wrote connected societal media.

Grammys CEO Harvey Mason jr., who started successful his station successful 2020, connected Sunday said helium understood the disapproval and listed each the things the Academy has done to hole it.

“We person wholly re-made our membership, adding much than 3,000 women voting members. The Grammy electorate is present younger, astir 40% radical of color, and 66% of our members are caller since we started our transformation,” helium said. “Over the past fewer years, we person listened, we’ve acted and we’ve changed.”

Mason past introduced The Weeknd, who performed 2 tunes from his just-released medium “Hurry Up Tomorrow” — “Cry For Me” and “Timeless” with peculiar impermanent Playboi Carti. He wore a agelong druid’s robe and the signifier was smoky.

Will Smith returns to the grant stage

Will Smith, hosting a tribute to the precocious Quincy Jones, marked his archetypal quality astatine a large awards amusement since since helium slapped Chris Rock onstage astatine the Oscars successful 2022.

Will Smith, left, speaks portion Herbie Hancock plays the soft during the 67th yearly Grammy Awards connected Sunday, Feb. 2, 2025, successful Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

“In his 91 years, Q touched countless lives, but I person to say, helium changed excavation forever. You astir apt wouldn’t adjacent cognize who Will Smith was if it wasn’t for Quincy Jones,” Smith said.

Smith has been banned from movie academy ceremonies for 10 years but the Grammys are a antithetic beast. He made nary notation of the infamous Slap.

Smith has antecedently nabbed Grammy wins successful the abbreviated signifier euphony video (“Will 2K”), champion rap solo show (“Getting’ Jiggy Wit It,” “Men successful Black”), and champion rap show by a duo oregon radical (“Summertime” arsenic the Fresh Prince with DJ Jazzy Jeff).

For much sum of the 2025 Grammys, visit: https://apnews.com/hub/grammy-awards