Hey, everyone. Anthony Fantano here, the internet's busiest music nerd. I hope you're doing well. And last night was the Grammys.

Yep, the Grammys happened. And as you guys know, not too long ago, toward the end of last year on this channel, I went over what I felt were my predictions and hopes for the 67th annual Grammy Awards. The performances happened, awards given. So without beating around the bush, let's look at the winners list and see if anybody took some Grammys home who I was pulling for.

Okay, starting off, big one: record of the year. And as you can see on screen, it is, in fact, Kendrick Lamar for "Not Like Us". Drake is going to sue the Grammys! Oh, my God. Holy crap. "Not Like Us", really doing it out here. Getting it over "Fortnite" and "Good Luck, Babe", and "Birds of a Feather", "360", "Espresso", "Texas Hold 'Em", "Now and Then". I mean, these are pretty huge tracks. I mean, look, I love "Not Like Us". I'm happy to see it get the Grammy. But with that being said, there was a lot of competition, a lot of valid competition in this category. So it's interesting that Kendrick eked it out.

But the music industry has really been loving this track has been loving the Drake hate, I guess.

All right. Album of the Year goes to Cowboy Carter, Beyoncé, which this is one of the records I was pulling for. I'm happy it went to Cowboy Carter. Cowboy Carter is a great record. As good as Renaissance? No, but a very respectable contribution to this trilogy Beyoncé is in the midst of right now. Even crazier that she got Album of the Year off of a country record, a genre, a sound that Beyoncé is not usually known for dabbling in.

Let me just add here before I move on to the next category, though. I mean, this is long overdue. Beyoncé, Album of the Year. This is her first Album of the Year Grammy, which is crazy, considering that Renaissance got passed over for Album of the Year, Lemonade got passed over for Album of the Year, and the self-titled, which is not my favorite Beyoncé album, the record that beat that out was the most tired, boring Beck album of all time. So there have been multiple instances of Beyoncé, frankly, deserving that award in this category, given the competition she was up against, and now she's finally getting it.

And while there are other records in this section that I liked and frankly loved more like Brat, again, Beyoncé - Cowboy Carter, Album of the Year, is a long, overdue thing.

Let's see, Song of the Year, also going to "Not Like Us", Record of the Year, and Song of the Year. Kendrick doubling up on the awards off of this track, and I'm not unhappy about it, especially since it could have gone to a bar song instead.

Best new artist, it would seem, is going to Chappell Roan, which is fire fire fire. I think she is definitely the best out of this bunch. Could have either gone to Doechii or Sabrina, and I would have been more or less pleased. But Chappell's record has really grown on me. And as far as an independent meteoric rise in the industry, Chappell is definitely that artist and one to root for, especially given recent comments she has given on trans people and health care and support from labels to artists in the industry, which is very much deserved, and that is a change that absolutely needs to happen. I love that she continues to use her platform to push points and perspectives that need to be said.

Also, speaking of Chappell – Daniel Nigro, who did production on that very album, Midwest Princess, got Producer of the Year Non-Classical, which is pretty fire. Songwriter of the Year, Non-Classical went to Amy Allen, who's done work for "Espresso", for Tate McRae, also other Sabrina Carpenter stuff. Justin Timberlake, "Selfish"; she's been putting a lot of work. She's been about everywhere, it seems, as far as some of the biggest pop hits of the year. Olivia Rodrigo, too, so why not?

Best pop solo performance also going to Sabrina for "Espresso". I would have preferred "Apple", but honestly, all the tracks that are nominated for this particular category are great. I mean, "Espresso" is really just the summer jam of the year, so I'm not really surprised to see it go in that direction.

Best pop duo and group performance went to Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars, who obviously there's a lot of push in that direction given just how much star power is on that track. But for both of them, by both of their musical standards, respectively, I feel like "Die For A Smile" is such a bland, unadventurous track. It's really a song, in my opinion, that I feel like they were only able to do because it was the most agreeable thing either of them could come up with. And the specific, in regards to Gaga, more eccentric artistic qualities that you usually hear in her music just didn't really come through on this song, which to me just made it underwhelming. I would have rather seen it gone to "Guess" or even "Levii's Jeans", obviously.

Best pop vocal album went to Sabrina, which I mean, I'm not too unhappy about. There are a lot of great tracks on that record, but honestly, considering that it could have gone to Chappell or Billie, it's not the worst outcome, but it's not the best either. I mean, I'm just surprised that Taylor Swift is not sweeping with the Tortured Poets Department. Personally, if you guys check my review, I thought the record was pretty boring, dreadfully boring, in fact. Kind of surprised to find that there are people in the voting body that I guess, must have agreed on some level or just thought there was more interesting music out there this year. When it comes to pop, yeah, there most certainly was.

Best Dance electronic recording going to "Neverender", Justice and Tame Impala. Fire to see an award go to Justice off of that track, especially considering how much of a bop it is. I mean, it would have been awesome as well to see the award go to an underdog, a veteran such as Four Tet, but it is what it is, I suppose.

Best Dance Recording, though, going to "Von Dutch", Charli, yes! That was certainly the best track out of the bunch there. And Best Dance Electronic Album also going to Brat. Yes, yes, yes. Because that's what it is. It is the best dance and electronic album. Very well deserved. I mean, Album of the year potential, but very well deserved on this category as well.

Best Remixed Recording could have also gone to "Von Dutch", but it's going to the "Working Late" remix of "Espresso". Okay.

And best rock performance. There were some good records in this field. "Broken Man" is a great track, in fact, really the best song off the new St. Vincent record, and instead we're giving it to that tired AI-aided Beatles recording "Now and Then"? Come on, man. Really? Seriously? Are we that desperate to bow at the altair of nostalgia? It's unflattering. It's an embarrassment, honestly, especially since, again, there are a lot of great current day existing hardworking rock bands and artists, not just in this category, but in the music industry broadly that are very much more worthy of a nomination, of a shoutout, of some attention, but we're doing this.

Best metal performance is going to Gojira. I was pulling for Knocked Loose the most there, but honestly, Gojira was pretty much a second for me, so it's cool to see them get up and grab it.

Best rock song is going to "Broken Man", St. Vincent, Annie Clarke. Cool. That's fire. That's fire. Again, if you guys follow my reviews, I was not crazy about the entire album that that record came off of, generally, but that is a fire track, and incredible guitars, incredible vocals, bold writing from Annie Clark all around on that one. She's most definitely overdue for some Grammy wins for sure.

Best rock album, though, is perplexing because, again, we are stuck in the past, like on the Beatles song, and we're giving it to the goddamn Rolling Stones Hackney Diamonds record. That album is mediocre as hell. Meanwhile, the Jack White record, No Name, is right there, and that has to be one of the most badass rock albums of the year. If you are going to be addicted to nostalgia, could you at least do it for the sake of music that's good? Jack White is a veteran of the game at this point. We have to give it to the Rolling Stones for that underwhelming album over that totally blistering, exciting, thrilling record? Never mind the fact that we're passing over legitimately exciting up and comers like Fontaines DC, as well as Idles, who I'm sure maybe 10 years from now, when they're putting out some mid-tier work, we'll give that like an Album of the Year award out of the fact that we're sorry for not giving them an award when we should have, because it just seems like that's how the Grammys operate these days.

Best alternative music performance going to St. Vincent for "Flea", also fire. Though, honestly, part of me does wish I could live in an alternate universe where the award went to Kim Gordon for "Bye Bye" because I feel like the spoken word industrial trap noise madness that that song and The Collective brings to the table – that would have been one of the oddest Grammy wins of all time. Best alternative music album going to St. Vincent as well for All Born Screaming. St. Vincent is racking them up. Though, again, I did enjoy much more The Collective and What Now, and then even Clairo's Charm to a degree.

Best RnB performance is going to Muni Long for "Made for Me (live on BET)". Interesting to see her snatch that over even SZA with "Saturn" in the nominees there. Lucky Daye gets best traditional RnB performance for "That's You". Best RnB song, though, will in fact go to SZA for "Saturn".

So it seems like the awards are really being spread around in this category, but best progressive RnB album, which is a category that always seemingly has some odd outcome every year in terms of winners and nominees, does not disappoint or rather does not surprise this year by giving us a tie between AverySunshine and that really great NxWorries album from Anderson .Paak and Knxwledge, which I'm glad to see that record getting an award, but the best progressive RnB album category for a single year cannot be normal.

Best RnB album, disappointingly, goes to Chris Brown's boring 11:11 Deluxe. But I mean, I guess that's where it's going to go when the nominations for this year have been as bland as they are. I'm sorry.

Best rap performance going to "Not Like Us" over some pretty formidable tracks, including "Like That". You would figure the industry would be a little more Eminem leaning, but I guess not at this point. I mean, "Not like Us" is sweeping. It is sweeping.

Best melodic rap performance actually going to Rapsody, though, with Erykah Badu. There's some really good romantic writing on that "3:AM" track, honestly. Frankly, considering all the work and all the artistry Rapsody has put in over the years, even if some of it is behind one of her weaker records, in my opinion, she is very much well-deserving of a Grammy. So hell yeah to that. Love to see it. Just very unexpected win, especially considering the much bigger and much more commercial competition in this category from not just Future and Metro Boomin, but Beyoncé too, and Latto.

Best rap song also going to "Not Like Us", and best rap album, even though it's a mixtape, Alligator Bites Never Heal, Doechii, which you guys have seen my review of that record. I feel like as an overall project experience despite its incredible highlights, it is a bit of a mixed bag, but I feel like that comes with the territory of it being a mixtape. So I mean, it may not be the most exciting rap album of the year for me personally. I mean, I would definitely put the new Vince Staples album over this. The Kendrick album came out much later in the year, so it's most likely, if it's going to get any Grammy nominations or awards, it'll be for next year. But with that being said, I feel like Alligator Bites was definitely on par with nearly everything else that was nominated here. I mean, on par, if not better. It's way frigging better than Might Delete Later and the Death of Slim Shady. The Common and Pete Rock, though, I love that that was nominated, and I do like We Don't Trust You, but as far as writing and bars go, Alligator Bites is the record to go with. There is no point on We Don't Trust You that is as lyrical or as interesting verse-wise as "Denial". And look, like that is cool. It's a banger. It's a track that set off the biggest rap beef of all time. But with that being said, I don't put the responsibility of that on Future and Metro Boomin, and that's Patrick being his, I'm going to pop out at you-self, his control verse-self, and startin' some shit. That track is great, and the album is very good. But I feel like in terms of the sheer artistry showcased on the album by the artist the record is titled after, that's Doechii.

Sick to see Samara Joy rack up a few jazz Grammys, and also a frigging jazz legend, Chick Korea walks away with Best Jazz Instrumental album, too.

Meanwhile, Best Country solo performance, Chris Stapleton takes it away with "It Takes A Woman", which, sure, did come off of Chris's latest record, which I was not super crazy about, but honestly, I would rather it go there than Jelly Roll, if not "16 Carriages" from Beyoncé, because that track was obviously fire when it dropped.

And Best Country Duo/Group performance, "II Most Wanted" with Miley Cyrus from Beyoncé. That's a bop. Interesting to see Beyoncé is really doing well in the country categories. It's well-deserved, though, because she did come out with one of the more artful country records of the year and went about making this album that dabbled in a different genre for her, with a lot of heart and a lot of attention to detail and attention to the aesthetics that make country music country. She really wasn't fucking around on this record, and it showed in the quality of the music, and I'm glad that the voting body recognized that.

Best Country song is going to "The Architect", Kacey Musgraves, which was not a bad track from her new record, which I was not crazy about, but a solid song from that album for sure. Would have preferred "Texas Hold'em", but "The Architect" is not a bad choice.

And Beyoncé, Cowboy Carter, Best Country album. Man, this is... I'm genuinely surprised and pleased with a lot of the wins this year in the Grammys. A lot of the wins, I truly am.

Sierra Farrell is doing a bit of a sweep here in the American Roots section, Americana section, with "Lighthouse" for performance, for "American Dreaming" for Americana performance, American Roots song, American Dreaming" too, Best Americana album, even beating out Waxahatchee, who I know a lot of people watching this channel were pulling for. Charley Crockett came out with a decent record too on Ten Dollar Cowboy.

Gillian Welch and David Rawlings walk away with Best Folk Album. There were some definite highlights off of that, even though I was pulling for Adrianne Lenker on that one for sure.

Meanwhile, Best Latin Pop Album, Shakira grabs it over Kali Uchis, I mean... Shakira is pretty much a legend in the music industry, so you have to expect it. Best Latin Rock or Alternative Album, I really would have loved to have seen it go to Mon Laferte, given just how fantastic that record is. However, I have not checked out the Rawayana album. I think I'm going to have to.

TEMS walks away with best African music performance, which is pretty fire, considering how big of an introductory year she's been having in the industry.

And "Not Like Us" gets best music video too this year. That's crazy. That is crazy.

Also, best recording package went to Brat. I can't disagree. I mean, I own a copy of it myself, and the vinyl is great. The art is great. Just the whole presentation of it is fantastic. So that's well deserved.

Meanwhile, best engineered album went to Peter Gabriel's I/O, which... I don't know, it's a crisp, clean album, but I suppose, I mean, I think the the nominees are weak for this. I mean, I feel like this is a category that Beyoncé and Charli could have been nominated in again. Even the Jack White album, honestly, but I think I'm going to leave it there.

Okay, everyone, the winners, the losers. That was the 67th Grammy Awards.

Anthony Fantano, Grammys, 2025, forever.