Beyoncé is once again making history. With 11 nominations for her album Cowboy Carter and its singles, the iconic artist has set a personal best, surpassing her previous high of 10 nominations in 2009. The Grammy announcement, made Friday morning, solidified Beyoncé’s place at the center of this year’s race, but she is not alone at the top.
For the first time in recent memory, five women have received nominations across all three of the Grammys’ most coveted general categories: Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Album of the Year. In addition to Beyoncé, fellow nominees Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish, Chappell Roan, and Sabrina Carpenter round out this powerhouse group.
Roan and Carpenter have a unique distinction: each has earned a nomination for Best New Artist, securing their spots in all four major categories—Record, Song, Album of the Year, and Best New Artist. If either Roan or Carpenter takes home Best New Artist along with one of the top three general awards, they would join Billie Eilish, who achieved this feat in 2020, as the second artist to win all four major categories in a single year.
Other artists with significant recognition include Charli XCX, Post Malone, and Kendrick Lamar, who each earned nominations in two of the three top categories. In total, they each received seven nominations this year, just behind Beyoncé’s 11. Swift, Roan, and Carpenter follow closely with six nominations apiece.
The 2025 Grammys are shaping up to be another year of female dominance. Women hold six out of the eight nominations in both the Album and Record of the Year categories. This trend of female success in the top categories, however, is not new. In fact, last year, women claimed seven out of eight spots in these prestigious fields. The consistent rise of female artists over the past few years makes it clear that their visibility and influence in the music industry is no fleeting moment.
The overwhelming success of these women on the charts made predicting this year’s nominations somewhat easier, with many industry watchers accurately forecasting the names that would appear in the top categories. A month ago, Variety predicted six out of eight nominees correctly in each of the four general categories. However, the Recording Academy still managed to surprise with a few unexpected choices, most notably André 3000’s nomination for New Blue Sun, an instrumental album that many did not anticipate being nominated for Album of the Year.
In another surprise, Now and Then, a song by The Beatles, was nominated for Record of the Year. This track, a reworked Beatles song, had been considered a long shot but managed to capture the attention of the Academy voters. Despite the predictability in some respects, the nominations featured enough surprises to keep things interesting.
The most talked-about nominees in the male artist category include Benson Boone, Teddy Swims, and Shaboozey, each of whom earned their place in the nominations. Boone and Swims are nominated for Best New Artist, while Shaboozey scored multiple nods, including Best New Artist and nominations for his hit single “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” and a feature on Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter. The latter track also earned a nomination for Best Remix.
With February’s Grammy ceremony just around the corner, all eyes will be on whether Beyoncé will finally win one of the top awards that have eluded her for years. Though she has claimed a record number of Grammys throughout her career, both Album and Record of the Year have remained out of reach. The competition in these categories will be fierce, especially with the presence of Kendrick Lamar, who has had a massive year with his single “Not Like Us,” which gained significant cultural relevance across multiple sectors, including sports and politics.
As the ceremony approaches, speculation is rife about which artist will claim the prestigious top honors. If Beyoncé wins one of the big categories, it will undoubtedly be a major moment in her career. However, with such a strong field of female contenders—including Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish, Chappell Roan, and Sabrina Carpenter—the competition is far from over.
2025 Grammy Nominations:
Record of the Year:
- “Now and Then” – The Beatles
- “Texas Hold ‘Em” – Beyoncé
- “Espresso” – Sabrina Carpenter
- “360” – Charli XCX
- “Birds of a Feather” – Billie Eilish
- “Not Like Us” – Kendrick Lamar
- “Good Luck, Babe!” – Chappell Roan
- “Fortnight” – Taylor Swift Featuring Post Malone
Album of the Year:
- “New Blue Sun” – André 3000
- “Cowboy Carter” – Beyoncé
- “Short n’ Sweet” – Sabrina Carpenter
- “Brat” – Charli XCX
- “Djesse Vol. 4” – Jacob Collier
- “Hit Me Hard and Soft” – Billie Eilish
- “The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess” – Chappell Roan
- “The Tortured Poets Department” – Taylor Swift
Song of the Year:
- “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” – Shaboozey
- “Birds of a Feather” – Billie Eilish
- “Die With a Smile” – Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars
- “Fortnight” – Taylor Swift Featuring Post Malone
- “Good Luck, Babe!” – Chappell Roan
- “Not Like Us” – Kendrick Lamar
- “Please Please Please” – Sabrina Carpenter
- “Texas Hold ‘Em” – Beyoncé
Best New Artist:
- Benson Boone
- Sabrina Carpenter
- Doechii
- Khruangbin
- Raye
- Chappell Roan
- Shaboozey
- Teddy Swims
Producer of the Year (Non-Classical):
- Alissia
- Dernst “D’Mile” Emile II
- Ian Fitchuk
- Mustard
- Daniel Nigro
Best Pop Solo Performance:
- “Bodyguard” – Beyoncé
- “Espresso” – Sabrina Carpenter
- “Apple” – Charli XCX
- “Birds of a Feather” – Billie Eilish
- “Good Luck, Babe!” – Chappell Roan
As February draws nearer, the excitement around the 2025 Grammys continues to build, with Beyoncé at the forefront of a competitive race against formidable female talent, including both established and rising stars. Fans are eagerly awaiting to see if this year will be her year, or if one of her equally deserving competitors will take home the coveted top honors.