The 2025 Grammy Awards are only a few days away and nominees in each of the 94 categories have been announced. But what does each category actually measure? Some of the major categories and their descriptions as well as this year’s nominees are listed below.
(For a comprehensive list of nominees in all 94 categories, please visit https://www.grammy.com/news/nikki-glaser-someday-youll-die-interview-2025-grammys.)
Record Of The Year: To be eligible for the Grammy in the “Record of the Year” category, the song must have been commercially released during the specified eligibility period and must include both the performance and production elements. The award recognizes the overall achievement of the artist, producers, engineers, and other contributors involved in creating the song, with an emphasis on artistic excellence and production quality.
2025 NOMINEES:
- “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
You might be asking yourself how the Beatles made this list. Living band members Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr used original vocals from John Lennon (which had been recorded in 1970 and preserved through artificial intelligence) and combined them with new instrumentals to create “Now and Then.”
Best New Artist: To be eligible for the Grammy in the “Best New Artist” category, an artist must have released their first commercially successful recording within the eligibility period and not have previously been nominated in the category. The award recognizes the artist’s breakout success and potential for long-term impact in the music industry.
2025 NOMINEES:
- Benson Boone
- Sabrina Carpenter
- Doechii
- Khruangbin
- Raye
- Chappell Roan
- Shaboozey
- Teddy Swims
Song of the Year: To be eligible for the Grammy in the “Song of the Year” category, the song must be commercially released within the eligibility period and be an original work, with the award specifically recognizing the songwriting and composition. The focus is on the song’s lyrical content, melody, and overall craftsmanship, with the award given to the songwriters.
2025 NOMINEES:
- “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” — Sean Cook, Jerrel Jones, Joe Kent, Chibueze Collins Obinna, Nevin Sastry & Mark Williams, songwriters (Shaboozey)
- “BIRDS OF A FEATHER” — Billie Eilish O’Connell & Finneas O’Connell, songwriters (Billie Eilish)
- “Die With A Smile” — Dernst Emile II, James Fauntleroy, Lady Gaga, Bruno Mars & Andrew Watt, songwriters (Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars)
- “Fortnight” — Jack Antonoff, Austin Post & Taylor Swift, songwriters (Taylor Swift Featuring Post Malone)
- “Good Luck, Babe!” — Kayleigh Rose Amstutz, Daniel Nigro & Justin Tranter, songwriters (Chappell Roan)
- “Not Like Us” — Kendrick Lamar, songwriter (Kendrick Lamar)
- “Please Please Please” — Amy Allen, Jack Antonoff & Sabrina Carpenter, songwriters (Sabrina Carpenter)
- “TEXAS HOLD ‘EM” — Brian Bates, Atia Boggs, Beyoncé, Elizabeth Lowell Boland, Megan Bülow, Nate Ferraro & Raphael Saadiq, songwriters (Beyoncé)
Best R&B Performance: To be eligible for the Grammy in the “Best R&B Performance” category, the song must be released commercially during the eligibility period and feature an R&B performance by a solo artist, duo, or group. The award recognizes the quality of the vocal or instrumental performance, with an emphasis on artistry and technical skill within the R&B genre.
2025 NOMINEES:
- “Guidance” — Jhené Aiko
- “Residuals” — Chris Brown
- “Here We Go (Uh Oh)” — Coco Jones
- “Made For Me (Live On BET)” — Muni Long
- “Saturn” — SZA
Best Traditional R&B Performance: To be eligible for the Grammy in the “Best Traditional R&B Performance” category, the song must be released commercially during the eligibility period and feature a performance that draws on the classic elements of R&B, such as soulful vocals and instrumentation. The award highlights the artist’s ability to honor the genre’s traditional sound while delivering a high level of artistry and emotional expression.
2025 NOMINEES:
- “Wet” — Marsha Ambrosius
- “Can I Have This Groove” — Kenyon Dixon
- “No Lie” — Lalah Hathaway Featuring Michael McDonald
- “Make Me Forget” — Muni Long
- “That’s You” — Lucky Daye
Best R&B Song: To be eligible for the Grammy in the “Best R&B Song” category, the song must be released during the eligibility year and contain significant elements of R&B music, with the award primarily recognizing the songwriters’ contribution. The criteria focus on musical composition, lyrical quality, and overall impact in the genre.
2025 NOMINEES:
- “After Hours” — Diovanna Frazier, Alex Goldblatt, Kehlani Parrish, Khris Riddick-Tynes & Daniel Upchurch, songwriters (Kehlani)
- “Burning” — Ronald Banful & Temilade Openiyi, songwriters (Tems)
- “Here We Go (Uh Oh)” — Sara Diamond, Sydney Floyd, Marisela Jackson, Courtney Jones, Carl McCormick & Kelvin Wooten, songwriters (Coco Jones)
- “Ruined Me” — Jeff Gitelman, Kareen Lomax, Priscilla Renea & Kevin Theodore, songwriters (Muni Long)
- “Saturn” — Rob Bisel, Cian Ducrot, Carter Lang, Solána Rowe, Jared Solomon & Scott Zhang, songwriters (SZA)
Best Progressive R&B Album: To be eligible for the Grammy in the “Best Progressive R&B Album” category, the album must be released during the eligibility year and feature an innovative blend of R&B with other genres or avant-garde elements. The award measures artistic experimentation, musical complexity, and the album’s forward-thinking approach within the R&B genre.
2025 NOMINEES:
- So Glad to Know You — Avery*Sunshine
- En Route — Durand Bernarr
- Bando Stone & the New World — Childish Gambino
- Crash — Kehlani
- Why Lawd? — NxWorries (Anderson .Paak & Knxwledge)
Best R&B Album: To be eligible for the Grammy in the “Best R&B Album” category, the album must be released during the eligibility year and predominantly feature R&B music. The award measures overall artistic excellence, including vocal performance, production quality, and cohesion of the album within the R&B genre.
2025 NOMINEES:
- 11:11 (Deluxe) — Chris Brown
- VANTABLACK — Lalah Hathaway
- Revenge — Muni Long
- Algorithm — Lucky Daye
- COMING HOME — Usher
Best Rap Performance:
To be eligible for the Grammy in the “Best Rap Performance” category, the track must be released during the eligibility year and primarily feature rap as the main vocal style. The award measures the quality of the performance, including lyrical skill, delivery, flow, and overall impact within the rap genre. It applies to singles and tracks only.
2025 NOMINEES:
- “Enough (Miami)” — Cardi B
- “When The Sun Shines Again” — Common & Pete Rock Featuring Posdnuos
- “NISSAN ALTIMA” — Doechii
- “Houdini” — Eminem
- “Like That” — Future & Metro Boomin Featuring Kendrick Lamar
- “Yeah Glo!” — GloRilla
- “Not Like Us” — Kendrick Lamar
Best Melodic Rap Performance: To be eligible for the Grammy in the “Best Melodic Rap Performance” category, the track must be released during the eligibility year and feature a blend of rap and melody, where the rap artist incorporates significant sung elements. The award measures the fusion of rap with melodic vocals, evaluating both the vocal and rap performance in terms of creativity, execution, and overall impact.
2025 NOMINEES:
- “KEHLANI” — Jordan Adetunji Featuring Kehlani
- “SPAGHETTII” — Beyoncé Featuring Linda Martell & Shaboozey
- “We Still Don’t Trust You” — Future & Metro Boomin Featuring The Weeknd
- “Big Mama” — Latto
- “3” — Rapsody Featuring Erykah Badu
Best Rap Song: To be eligible for the Grammy in the “Best Rap Song” category, the song must be released during the eligibility year and primarily feature rap as its central vocal style. The award measures the quality of songwriting, including lyrical content, theme, structure, and overall impact within the rap genre.
2025 NOMINEES:
- “Asteroids” — Marlanna Evans, songwriter (Rapsody Featuring Hit-Boy)
- “Carnival” — Jordan Carter, Raul Cubina, Grant Dickinson, Samuel Lindley, Nasir Pemberton, Dimitri Roger, Ty Dolla $ign, Kanye West & Mark Carl Stolinski Williams, songwriters (¥$ (Kanye West & Ty Dolla $Ign) Featuring Rich The Kid & Playboi Carti)
- “Like That” — Kendrick Lamar Duckworth, Kobe “BbyKobe” Hood, Leland Wayne & Nayvadius Wilburn, songwriters (Future & Metro Boomin Featuring Kendrick Lamar)
- “Not Like Us” — Kendrick Lamar, songwriter (Kendrick Lamar)
- “Yeah Glo!” — Ronnie Jackson, Jaucquez Lowe, Timothy McKibbins, Kevin Andre Price, Julius Rivera III & Gloria Woods, songwriters (GloRilla)
Best Rap Album:
To be eligible for the Grammy in the “Best Rap Album” category, the album must be released during the eligibility year and primarily feature rap music across its tracks. The award measures the overall quality of the album, including its artistic merit, production, lyricism, cohesion, and impact within the rap genre. The album must contain greater than 75% playing time of new rap recordings.
2025 NOMINEES:
- Might Delete Later — J. Cole
- The Auditorium, Vol. 1 — Common & Pete Rock
- Alligator Bites Never Heal — Doechii
- The Death Of Slim Shady (Coup De Grâce) — Eminem
- We Don’t Trust You — Future & Metro Boomin
Best Country Song: To be eligible for the Grammy in the “Best Country Song” category, the song must be released during the eligibility year and predominantly feature elements of country music. The award measures the quality of songwriting, including lyrics, melody, and overall impact, with an emphasis on the song’s composition within the country genre.
2025 NOMINEES:
- “The Architect” — Shane McAnally, Kacey Musgraves & Josh Osborne, songwriters (Kacey Musgraves)
- “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” — Sean Cook, Jerrel Jones, Joe Kent, Chibueze Collins Obinna, Nevin Sastry & Mark Williams, songwriters (Shaboozey)
- “I Am Not Okay” — Casey Brown, Jason DeFord, Ashley Gorley & Taylor Phillips, songwriters (Jelly Roll)
- “I Had Some Help” — Louis Bell, Ashley Gorley, Hoskins, Austin Post, Ernest Smith, Ryan Vojtesak, Morgan Wallen & Chandler Paul Walters, songwriters (Post Malone Featuring Morgan Wallen)
- “TEXAS HOLD ‘EM” — Brian Bates, Atia Boggs, Beyoncé, Elizabeth Lowell Boland, Megan Bülow, Nate Ferraro & Raphael Saadiq, songwriters (Beyoncé)
Best Country Album: To be eligible for the Grammy in the “Best Country Album” category, the album must be released during the eligibility year and primarily feature country music. The award measures the overall artistic quality of the album, including production, performance, songwriting, and the album’s impact within the country genre. The album must contain at least 75% new recordings.
2025 NOMINEES:
- COWBOY CARTER — Beyoncé
- F-1 Trillion — Post Malone
- Deeper Well — Kacey Musgraves
- Higher — Chris Stapleton
- Whirlwind — Lainey Wilson
Best Global Music Performance:
To be eligible for the Grammy in the “Best Global Music Performance” category, the track must be released during the eligibility year and feature music that represents global or world music traditions, often blending regional styles with contemporary influences. The award measures the quality of the performance, cultural authenticity, and the artistic impact of the track within the global music scene. The recordings can be vocal or instrumental.
2025 NOMINEES:
- “Raat Ki Rani” — Arooj Aftab
- “A Rock Somewhere” — Jacob Collier Featuring Anoushka Shankar & Varijashree Venugopal
- “Rise” — Rocky Dawuni
- “Bemba Colorá” — Sheila E. Featuring Gloria Estefan & Mimy Succar
- **”Sunlight To My Soul”**— Angélique Kidjo Featuring Soweto Gospel Choir
- “Kashira” — Masa Takumi Featuring Ron Korb, Noshir Mody & Dale Edward Chung
Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media: To be eligible for the Grammy in the “Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media” category, the soundtrack must be released during the eligibility year and consist of original music composed for a film, TV show, video game, or other visual media. The award measures the composer’s creativity, the integration of music with the visuals, and the overall artistic impact of the score within the context of the project.
2025 NOMINEES:
- American Fiction — Laura Karpman, composer
- Challengers — Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross, composers
- The Color Purple — Kris Bowers, composer
- Dune: Part Two — Hans Zimmer, composer
- Shōgun — Nick Chuba, Atticus Ross & Leopold Ross, composers
Best Music Video: To be eligible for the Grammy in the “Best Music Video” category, the video must be released during the eligibility year and accompany a song released within that period. The award measures the artistic direction, creativity, and overall impact of the video, including how well it complements and enhances the music it represents.
2025 NOMINEES:
- “Tailor Swif” — A$AP Rocky
- “360” — Charli xcx
- “Houdini” — Eminem
- “Not Like Us” — Kendrick Lamar
- “Fortnight” — Taylor Swift Featuring Post Malone
