The 67th Annual Grammy Awards will take place on Sunday, February 2, 2025, from 8:00 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. Eastern Time. This awards ceremony will commemorate, acknowledge, and award the best and most impressive songs, albums, and compositions from all genres of the music scene from September 16, 2023 to August 30, 2024. 

As someone who closely follows pop-culture and the most successful music of the time, I will be presenting my official Grammy Award Winners for the most popular categories for this year’s academy award show.

Record of the Year:

• “Espresso” by Sabrina Carpenter

This record was one of the most successful singles of the past year, putting Sabrina Carpenter on the map and making her one of the most successful pop stars of the 2020s. The song has amassed almost 2 billion streams since its release in May of 2024, spending 3 weeks at #1 on the Billboard Global 200 chart. 

Album of the Year:

• “The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess” by Chappell Roan

Chappell Roan’s debut album gained her tens of millions of fans in the short span of 6 months. In under one year, a small town girl from Missouri went from aspiring popstar to international LGBTQ+ music icon. This album has propelled queer culture further into the mainstream, while simultaneously challenging the bounds of the pop music genre with hits like “Red Wine Supernova” and “HOT TO GO!”. 

Song of the Year:

• “Not Like Us” by Kendrick Lamar

Long time rap icon Kendrick Lamar took the world by storm last Summer when he released “Not Like Us”, the eighth and by far the most popular in a series of back and forth diss-tracks between Lamar and fellow rapper Drake, each track attacking each other’s character and integrity. This song has 5 nominations for different categories this year at the Grammys with Drake being nominated for none, so I suppose you could say the Academy is team Kendrick. 

Best New Artist:

• Chappell Roan

Chappell Roan has had an outstanding impact on pop culture, as well as gaining the admiration of many other artists in the industry despite having virtually no fan base only one year ago. I think the whole world is excited to see what’s next for this young artist.

 Best Solo Pop Performance:

• “Good Luck, Babe!” by Chappell Roan

Have you seen Chappell Roan’s performance of “Good Luck, Babe!” at the 2024 Video Music Awards? If you haven’t, go watch it. If you have, enough said.

Best Pop Duo/Group Performance:

• “Guess” by Charli XCX & Billie Eilish

This song, while not in a typical genre of music I enjoy, is a remarkably catchy electronic dance tune. While it was tough to choose between this song and “Die With A Smile” by Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars, I feel that the Academy will favor the revolution of female artists and collaboration that we have seen this year.

Best Pop Vocal Album:

•  “Hit Me Hard and Soft” by Billie Eilish

Hit Me Hard and Soft was arguably Billie Eilish’s best work as a young artist. Not only has her voice matured so significantly between this record and her last, her newly-found experimental sound not only fits remarkably well with her vibe as an artist, but was also able to introduce fans to a sound they didn’t even know they loved. 

Best Dance/Electronic Album: 

• “Brat” by Charli XCX

 If you know me personally, you would know that I am probably Charli XCX’s harshest critic. I am not the biggest fan of her music for a number of reasons which I will not bore you with now. However, the numbers speak for themselves, and this album was by far one of the most successful of the summer. Not only was this album successful on the charts, fans called the era after its release “Brat Summer”, characterized by partaking in diva behavior (much like Charli XCX herself) with feminist undertones which both empowered and united so many young women. 

Best Alternative Music Album:

• “Charm” by Clairo

Although I am potentially a little biased by my deep love of this album, I think my adoration is justified. Charm is overwhelmingly one of the most popular indie-pop albums of the 2020s, featuring jazzy music and soft vocals which can both lull you to sleep and put you in a feel-good mood track by track.

 Best Rap Album:

• “Alligator Bites Never Heal” by Doechii

 This unexpected hit by Tampa Bay rapper, Doechii, has gained the attention of international stars such as Kendrick Lamar, SZA, and Billie Eilish, all citing her incredible lyrics, energized beats, and undeniable spunk. This refreshing album, while certainly of the modern rap genre, pays homage to 90s rap, musical theatre performance, jazz instrumentals, and lo-fi beats which all come together to create this iconic record.