Harvey Mason Jr., CEO, Recording Academy and MusiCares and Tammy Hurt, chair of the academy’s board of trustees, held a webinar on Wednesday (Jan. 15) to tell Academy members of their plans for the Feb. 2 show and other Grammy Week events.

Mason also released a press statement in which he explained the rationale for going forward. “We understand how devastating this past week has been on this city and its people,” Mason said. “This is our home, it’s home to thousands of music professionals, and many of us have been negatively impacted. So, after thoughtful consideration and multiple assurances from state and local elected leaders, public safety agencies and with support from our incredible artist community, we have decided to go ahead with the Grammy telecast and some select events. Grammy Week 2025 will not just be about honoring music, it will be about using the power of music to help rebuild, uplift and support those in need.”

The academy also released a revised (they used the term “condensed”) 2025 Grammy Week event schedule. As previously announced, the 67th Annual Grammy Awards telecast on CBS will continue to be held on Feb. 2, “but with a renewed sense of purpose: raising additional funds to support wildfire relief efforts and honoring the bravery and dedication of first responders who risk their lives to protect ours.”

The academy’s decision to go forward with the 67th annual Grammy Awards at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, despite the wildfires that have devastated parts of the city, has been controversial.

Even before the Grammys announced plans to go on with the show, Lucas Keller, president and founder of Milk & Honey Management, announced that he was cancelling Milk & Honey’s popular Grammy party. “It would be tone deaf to celebrate and I hope all other companies will follow suit,” he wrote on his Instagram Story.

Many followed Keller’s lead. Just hours after the Recording Academy announced that it planned to go ahead with the telecast, Universal Music Group (UMG) announced it was canceling all of the company’s Grammy-related events, including its artist showcase and after-Grammy party, and will instead “redirect the resources that would have been used for those events to assist those affected by the wildfires.” Within 24 hours, Warner Music Group and Sony Music Entertainment had also canceled plans. BMG and Billboard also canceled party plans.

Many executives not based in Los Angeles expressed concern about taking up hotel rooms that may be needed by evacuees and planned not to attend.

In the web session, Mason showed an awareness of the objections that have been raised and attempted to counter them, one by one. “It’s really important I put to rest or just dispel some misinformation that’s been floating around,” he said. “The first thing that I hear a lot about is why are the Grammys happening in L.A. because it’s going to take away resources. It could displace people in hotels [or] there’s a shortage of supplies or police or fire.”

Mason rebutted these points by noting that he has talked to managers of high-end hotels (like the ones many, but not all, Grammy attendees would favor), who have told him they are running at 30% of capacity and could use the business. “The concern about hotels is misplaced,” he said. He also noted that Grammy events aren’t a drain on police or fire resources, because the academy generally hire off-duty police officers. “We’re not going to take [police] out of the city of L.A. for our events.0000000”

He also noted that two major conventions are set for late January, and sporting events are ongoing. “L.A. is still functioning.”

He also noted that the Grammys bring work to many people. “There’s thousands and thousands of people that rely on events like the Grammys to make their living,” he said. He also pointed to the fund-raising potential of these events, with all the affluent people they typically draw.

And he cited other reasons, too. “We’re proceeding because we believe in the power of music to heal and bring people tougher. L.A. needs events like this to keep our city’s morale high. … By acting thoughtfully and respectfully and doing it sensitively, I know we can create a meaningful set of events that honor artists and our community’s resilience. It’s not just ‘the show must go on.’ It’s ‘the show must serve the greater purpose.’

Mason noted that the show will be different. “The Grammy telecast and the Premiere Ceremony are also going to look and feel very different. Of course we’re going to honor music, but … there will be different talking points, a different tone. The performances are being reimagined throughout. You can be sure it’s not going to be a typical Grammy party atmosphere. We are scaling back on the some of the red-carpet.”

Mason acknowledged that some critics of the academy’s choice to go forward with the show won’t be satisfied with his explanations. “I also know that we’re going to get some feedback that’s probably not positive, but this is the right thing to do,” he said. He added that the academy has set up a web address (LAWildfires@grammy.com) where people can write in to give information and feedback, questions, ideas and suggestions.

“Canceling for us does not help anyone,” he said. “It doesn’t help the city, doesn’t help the academy, doesn’t help our members, doesn’t help the workers. Canceling, pushing, moving does not accomplish what us standing together, unifying and coming together, honoring music, but also using the power of music to heal, rebuild and provide services to people who need it. I think this might be one of the most important Grammy Weeks we’ve ever had. We’ve had some shows whether we get a chance to party, to celebrate and dance around and that’s great, but this show will be a chance to do something different, to have a real purpose; make a real impact.”  

In their messaging, the Academy is stressing the philanthropic angle. They note that each event on the schedule “will have a fundraising element.” Clive Davis’ & the Recording Academy’s legendary pre-Grammy gala – which most simply refer to as “Clive’s party” – has been rebranded for this year as Clive Davis’ & the Recording Academy’s Pre-Grammy Fundraising Event. The academy also made sure to include the word “charity” in the name of another of its most exclusive events — the MusiCares Persons of the Year Charity Gala.

The revised schedule for Grammy Week events is as follows:

The academy statement also confirmed that other academy-sponsored Grammy Week events are not going forward as planned, as the organization focuses on its flagship events that it believes can raise the most money. “In order to generate maximum support not only for members of the music community but also for all those affected by the crisis in Los Angeles and the city at large, many events that traditionally make up Grammy Week have been canceled or repurposed,” the statement noted. Among the previously announced events that have been canceled for this year are the Producers & Engineers Wing celebration, the Black Music Collective’s event honoring Kirk Franklin and numerous events at Grammy House.

Since launching the Los Angeles Fire Relief Effort to Support Music Professionals last week, the Recording Academy and MusiCares have raised and pledged more than $2 million in emergency aid to music people affected by the wildfires.

This is the third time in the last five years that the Grammy telecast has been impacted by outside events. The 2021 and 2022 shows were both postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2021 show was bumped from Jan. 31 to March 14. The 2022 ceremony was pushed all the way from Jan. 31 to April 3, and its location was moved to the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas due to scheduling conflicts with the Crypto.com Arena.

The Recording Academy has yet to announce the host of this year’s Grammys. The announcement was expected last week, but has been delayed to avoid stepping on the news about whether the show was going to proceed or not. The announcement is expected soon.

The Recording Academy had first announced Feb. 2 as the date for this year’s telecast last May. Dates are not easy to move. For one thing, the Oscars, the oldest and most heavily covered awards show, are set for March 2.

The Grammy telecast will be produced by Fulwell 73 Productions for the Recording Academy for the fifth consecutive year. Ben Winston, Raj Kapoor and Jesse Collins are executive producers.

Beyoncé is the top nominee for the 67th annual Grammy Awards with 11 nods, followed by Charli XCX and Post Malone with eight nods each, and Billie Eilish and Kendrick Lamar with seven nods each. Final-round voting closed on Jan. 3 at 6 p.m. PT, so the outcomes will have been sealed for weeks before they are finally announced.

Just hours after the Recording Academy announced, on Monday Jan. 13, that it plans to go ahead with the 67th annual Grammy Awards telecast on Feb. 2 as scheduled despite the wildfires that have devastated parts of Los Angeles in the past week, Universal Music Group (UMG) announced it is canceling all of the company’s Grammy-related events, including its artist showcase and after-Grammy party, and will instead “redirect the resources that would have been used for those events to assist those affected by the wildfires.” Within 24 hours, Warner Music Group and Sony Music Group had also canceled plans.

“Our deepest gratitude goes to the first responders and emergency personnel, who continue to perform heroically,” said Universal in a statement. “L.A. is home to so many of us. We are committed to helping and supporting the music community, our artists, our teams and the people of Los Angeles get through this horrific episode.”

Also on Monday, Warner Music Group confirmed to Billboard that the company made a decision over the weekend not to hold a Grammy Week party and will instead redirect funds to efforts to combat the wildfires and help those affected by the destruction. The company previously announced it would be making a $1 million donation to support fire relief and rebuilding efforts in the L.A. region via its Warner Music Group/Blavatnik Family Foundation Social Justice Fund.

Then on Tuesday morning (Jan. 14), Billboard learned that Sony Music Group had also decided to cancel its Grammy Week party and the plans and will redirect the funds toward local relief efforts.

Later that day, BMG followed suit, canceling its pre-Grammy party. “It is with heavy hearts that we announce BMG will no longer host its Pre-Grammy Party on Tuesday, Jan. 28. Our thoughts are with everyone affected, and we extend our deepest gratitude to the firefighters and first responders in Los Angeles County who are working tirelessly to contain the fires.”

Recording Academy and MusiCares CEO Harvey Mason jr. and Tammy Hurt, chair of the board of trustees, expressed similar sentiments in a statement released on Monday. “Our hearts go out to everyone affected by the devastating wildfires in Los Angeles. This city is our home, and we mourn the loss of life and destruction that have come to it in recent days.”

But then they announced their intention to go on with the show. “In close coordination with local authorities to ensure public safety and responsible use of area resources, the 67th Grammy Awards telecast on CBS on Feb. 2 will proceed as planned,” they continued. “This year’s show, however, will carry a renewed sense of purpose: raising additional funds to support wildfire relief efforts and honoring the bravery and dedication of first responders who risk their lives to protect ours.”

Those local authorities reportedly include the office of Mayor Karen Bass, public safety agencies and fire marshals.

While the Recording Academy’s current plan is to go ahead with the telecast, it has made no decision about other Grammy Week events, such as the MusiCares Person of the Year event (which this year is set to honor the Grateful Dead) and the Recording Academy’s Special Merit Awards.

A major ancillary Grammy event, the Milk & Honey party, was canceled on Sunday (Jan. 12) with a pointed message on founder Lucas Keller‘s Instagram Story. “I regret that we will be canceling our annual award season pre-Grammy event in partnership with Reservoir and others. … It would be tone deaf to celebrate and I hope all other companies will follow suit,” he wrote. “Don’t come to town for the Grammy’s and take up hotels that people need desperately. Release your hotel blocks or donate them. In the meantime, if you can, please give money to MusiCares at this link to support wildlife relief. Everything counts.”

The Recording Academy and MusiCares launched the Los Angeles Fire Relief Effort last week with an initial $1 million donation to support music creatives and professionals. “Thanks to additional contributions, we have already distributed over $2 million in emergency aid to those most in need — and we remain steadfast in our commitment to providing ongoing assistance,” Mason and Hurt said in their statement.

UPDATE: This story was updated on Jan. 13 and Jan. 14 to add that Warner, Sony and BMG all canceled their Grammy Week events.

The 2025 Grammys are still set for Feb. 2 at Crypto.com Arena, the Recording Academy announced on Monday (Jan. 13). There was some question whether the show would go on as scheduled, given the wildfires that have devastated many neighborhoods in the greater Los Angeles area in the past week.

Other Grammy Week events, such as the MusiCares Person of the Year event and the Recording Academy’s Special Merit Awards, are up in the air at this point.

In a joint statement,  Recording Academy and MusiCares CEO Harvey Mason Jr. and Tammy Hurt, the chair of the academy’s board of trustees, addressed the trauma that has befallen the region since the first fires broke out on Tuesday Jan. 7, whipped by ferocious Santa Ana winds. “Our hearts go out to everyone affected by the devastating wildfires in Los Angeles. This city is our home, and we mourn the loss of life and destruction that have come to it in recent days.

“In close coordination with local authorities to ensure public safety and responsible use of area resources, the 67th Grammy Awards telecast on CBS on Feb. 2 will proceed as planned. This year’s show, however, will carry a renewed sense of purpose: raising additional funds to support wildfire relief efforts and honoring the bravery and dedication of first responders who risk their lives to protect ours.”

Those local authorities reportedly include the office of Mayor Karen Bass, public safety agencies and fire marshals.
 
“In challenging times, music has the power to heal, comfort, and unite like nothing else,” Mason and Hurt added. “The Grammys will not only honor the artistry and achievements of our music community but also serve as a platform to amplify the spirit of resilience that defines this great city of Los Angeles.”

The show will be produced by Fulwell 73 Productions for the Recording Academy for the fifth consecutive year. Ben Winston, Raj Kapoor and Jesse Collins are executive producers. The show will be broadcast live on CBS from 8 to 11:30 p.m. ET/5 to 8:30 p.m. PT, and will be available to stream live and on-demand on Paramount+.

Winston, Kapoor and Collins will have the very difficult task of somehow combining an awards show, which is a joyous celebration of achievement, with something far more serious and sobering.

Not everyone thinks it can, or should, be done. A major ancillary Grammy event, the Milk & Honey party, was canceled on Jan. 12 with a pointed message on founder Lucas Keller’s Instagram Story. “I regret that we will be canceling our annual award season pre-Grammy event in partnership with Reservoir and others. … It would be tone deaf to celebrate and I hope all other companies will follow suit,” he wrote. “Don’t come to town for the Grammy’s and take up hotels that people need desperately. Release your hotel blocks or donate them. In the meantime, if you can, please give money to MusiCares at this link to support wildlife relief. Everything counts.”

The Recording Academy and MusiCares launched the Los Angeles Fire Relief Effort last week with an initial $1 million donation to support music creatives and professionals. “Thanks to additional contributions, we have already distributed over $2 million in emergency aid to those most in need – and we remain steadfast in our commitment to providing ongoing assistance,” Mason and Hurt said in their statement.
 
This is the third time in the last five years that the Grammy telecast has been impacted by outside events. The 2021 and 2022 shows were both postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2021 show was bumped from Jan. 31 to March 14. The 2022 ceremony was pushed all the way from Jan. 31 to April 3, and its location was moved to the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, due to scheduling conflicts with the Crypto.com Arena.

The Recording Academy has yet to announce the host of this year’s Grammys. The announcement was expected last week, but has been delayed to avoid stepping on the main news about whether the show was going to proceed or not. The announcement is expected soon.

Beyoncé is the top nominee for the 67th annual Grammy Awards with 11 nods, followed by Charli XCX and Post Malone with eight nods each, and Billie Eilish and Kendrick Lamar with seven nods each. Final-round voting closed on Jan. 3 at 6 p.m. PT.

UPDATES (Jan. 13): The Recording Academy announced on Monday (Jan. 13) that the Grammys are still set for Feb. 2. The Motion Picture Academy announced later that same day that the Oscar voting window is being extended and that the nominations announcement is being delayed, both for the second time during this crisis.

PREVIOUSLY (Jan. 12): The wildfires that have been devouring multiple neighborhoods in the greater Los Angeles area for the last five days have caused so much misery and heartbreak for so many that it may seem trifling to point out the impact they have had on awards season. But it’s not. Awards shows aren’t just about privileged celebrities, but also about the thousands of everyday people who make their livings in support roles — caterers, bartenders, limo drivers, hairstylists, make-up artists and many more.

The latest show to be affected by the fires is the Producers Guild of America Awards. The nominations were set to be announced on Sunday (Jan. 12) at noon PT, but have been pushed to next week. “Out of care and concern for those being affected by the fires, we will be holding the announcement of the PGA award nominees until next week,” the guild said in a statement on Sunday.

The big question is whether the Grammys will go forward on Feb. 2, which is just three weeks away. Billboard has reached out to the Recording Academy; an answer is expected this week.

If the show is postponed, this will be the third time in the past five years that Music’s Biggest Night has been pushed back due to outside events. The 2021 and 2022 shows were both postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2021 show was bumped from Jan. 31 to March 14. The 2022 ceremony was pushed all the way from Jan. 31 to April 3.

A major ancillary Grammy event, the Milk & Honey party, was canceled on Jan. 12 with a pointed message on founder Lucas Keller‘s Instagram Story. “I regret that we will be canceling our annual award season pre-Grammy event in partnership with Reservoir and others. … It would be tone deaf to celebrate and I hope all other companies will follow suit,” he wrote. “Don’t come to town for the Grammy’s and take up hotels that people need desperately. Release your hotel blocks or donate them. In the meantime, if you can, please give money to MusiCares at this link to support wildlife relief. Everything counts.”

The Oscars are set for March 2, which gives the Motion Picture Academy and the show’s producers more breathing room. The fires have already impacted the Oscars voting schedule. Academy CEO Bill Kramer wrote a letter to all Academy members on Wednesday (Jan. 8), one day after the first fires exploded.

“Given the fire situation, we want to share some updates regarding an extension to the Oscars nominations voting window… Nominations voting for the 97th Oscars opened this morning at 9 a.m. PT. We will be extending the voting window by two days to give members more time to cast their ballots. Voting will now close on Tuesday, January 14 at 5 p.m. PT. As such, our Oscars Nominations Announcement will move from Friday, January 17 to Sunday, January 19.”

Other shows have also been impacted. The Critics Choice Awards, which were set to air live on E! tonight, were postponed to Jan. 26. (It is unknown if they will be able to proceed on that date.) The show was to be held at Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, Calif., which is located just a few miles from Pacific Palisades, where the fires originated.

In retrospect, the Golden Globes, held one week ago at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California, were extremely lucky. The show concluded just 38 hours before L.A.’s wind and fire nightmare began.

Songwriters Jessi Alexander, Amy Allen, Edgar Barrera and Jessie Jo Dillon will not be attending or performing at Spotify’s Songwriter of the Year Grammy party slated for Jan. 28, with Allen and Dillon citing Spotify’s treatment of songwriters as the reason for their absence. As a result, four out of five nominees in the Songwriter of the Year category at this year’s Grammys will be opting out of the event.

A representative for RAYE (“Escapism.” by RAYE, “Prada” by cassö, RAYE and D-Block Europe, RIIVERDANCE by Beyonce), who is also nominated in this category, says the singer/songwriter never committed to attending or performing at this event, so “there’s nothing for her to back out of at present,” but adds that RAYE has been “an outspoken advocate on behalf of songwriters’ rights igniting an industry-wide dialogue on the topic.”

Representatives for Allen (“Espresso” by Sabrina Carpenter, “Adore You” by Harry Styles and “greedy” by Tate McRae) and Dillon (“10,000 Hours” by Dan + Shay, “Lies Lies Lies” by Morgan Wallen and “Am I Okay?” by Megan Moroney) confirmed to Billboard that they both made the decision not to attend due to Spotify cutting royalty rates on premium streams for songwriters and publishers in April of last year, which Billboard estimated will lead to a $150 million decrease in royalties over 12 months compared to how much they would have made had the royalty rate not been reconfigured.

Spotify believes it qualifies for a lower mechanical royalty rate for songwriters and publishers because it has added audiobooks to its premium subscription tiers and reclassified those services as “bundles,” with multiple services included in one price. Now, the royalty originally intended for songwriters and publishers alone is split between paying for music and audiobooks.

“After some thought, I couldn’t in good conscience support this initiative given their approach to bundling royalties,” said Dillon in a statement to Billboard. “It is very nice to be individually honored, but it is better for me and my entire songwriter community to be paid fairly for our art. There are no songs without songwriters.”

Representatives for Alexander (“Ain’t No Love in Oklahoma” by Luke Combs, “The Climb” by Miley Cyrus, “You, Me and Whiskey” by Justin Moore & Priscilla Block) and Barrera (“Hawái” by Maluma, “Bam Bam” by Camila Cabello and Ed Sheeran, “Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido” by KAROL G) confirmed to Billboard that they will not be attending the event but did not provide a reason why.

A representative for Spotify declined Billboard’s request for comment.

Spotify started its Songwriter of the Year Grammy event to celebrate the nominees for the prestigious writing award, which the Recording Academy established in 2023. Each Songwriter of the Year nominee has been invited to take the stage at Spotify party and sing the songs they wrote for other artists in a room full of their peers.

Other songwriters have taken to social media to express their dismay about Spotify’s upcoming event after receiving Save the Dates from the streamer. Songwriter Ross Golan said, via an Instagram Story, “If you are a songwriter, you cannot go to this. Do not let Spotify f— you on bundling and then give you free booze.” A 2023 Grammy Songwriter of the Year nominee Laura Veltz said in her own Instagram Story, “Spotify is robbing you. Songwriters: do not fall for this horse s—.”

In April 2024, Spotify officially added audiobooks as an offering to its premium tiers (which include premium, family and duo plans). By adding audiobooks, the streaming service claimed it now qualifies to pay a discounted so-called “bundle” rate to songwriters for premium, duo and family tier streams.

At the time, a Spotify representative said that “changes in our product portfolio mean that we are paying out in different ways based on terms agreed to by both streaming services and publishers” and called its decision to reclassify premium tiers as bundles as “consistent” with “multiple [other] DSPs.” Other competitors like Apple Music and Amazon Music do have bundled offerings — including Amazon bundling Prime and Amazon Music and Apple bundling Apple Music and Apple News — but Spotify’s move to make its popular premium tiers into bundles has a much larger impact than its competitors, given that Spotify is the most popular streaming service in the U.S. and the premium tiers are a widely used offering.

“Spotify is on track to pay publishers and societies more in 2024 than in 2023,” the Spotify representative added at the time, citing the company’s Loud and Clear report that says the streamer has paid nearly $4 billion to publishers, PROs and collection societies in the last two years.

The National Music Publishers Association (NMPA), The Mechanical Licensing Collective (MLC), and various songwriters did not take the news lightly. The MLC filed a lawsuit against Spotify in May, claiming the streamer “improperly” classified its premium tiers as bundles. The NMPA’s CEO/president David Israelite said Spotify had “declare[d] war” on songwriters and launched a multi-faceted attack that included sending a cease-and-desist for unlicensed lyrics, video and podcast content; unveiling a legislative proposal; and filing complaints with the FTC and nine other consumer trade groups.

Israelite has also voiced his disapproval over Spotify’s Songwriter of the Year party, saying in an Instagram post: “Is this a joke? Spotify declares war on songwriters. Is attempting to gut what they pay them. Is being sued by the MLC. And they think they can throw a party honoring songwriters? I’m at a loss for words. Actually, I’m not. Hubris. Audacity. Crassness. Hypocritical. Cynical. Forward this and add your own word.”

In a statement to Billboard, Evan Bogart and Susan Stewart, the chair and senior managing director of the Recording Academy’s Songwriters & Composers Wing, expressed their support for creators.

“The Recording Academy not only celebrates music at the annual Grammy Awards but also advocates for the people who create it. We are proud of our Songwriter of the Year nominees and support their right to be fully and fairly compensated for their work. We look forward to honoring them and all our songwriter nominees during Grammy Week.”

UPDATE: This article was updated Jan. 10 to correct the songs listed for RAYE as a songwriter and to further clarify that she never committed to attend the event. It also added a new statement from the Recording Academy’s Songwriters & Composers Wing and a response from Edgar Barrera.

Sabrina Carpenter‘s road to Grammy-nominated pop star wasn’t short — but that doesn’t mean it hasn’t been sweet.

In a new interview with People published Wednesday (Jan. 8), the 25-year-old pop star opened up about the long road she had to take before she was ever nominated for best new artist by the Recording Academy, which this year has her in the running for the award despite Carpenter being more than 10 years into her career. “I’ve always been true to myself and believed in my work since I was young,” she told the publication. 

“I’ve realized that it’s always been about the small baby steps that you take over time to get you to this point,” the “Taste” singer continued. “I don’t think I have fully reflected yet, as I’m also trying to be present in the moment.”

“I’m just happy to see my songs connect with so many people from all walks of life,” she added. “That’s why I love to write songs.”

Carpenter was entered and eligible for best new artist at the awards presented in 2017 and again last year, but she wasn’t nominated.

Carpenter is up for a total of six Grammys, including best new artist, ahead of the February ceremony. The Girl Meets World alum will also compete for song of the year for Billboard Hot 100-topper “Please Please Please,” record of the year and best pop solo performance for smash hit “Espresso,” and album of the year and best pop vocal album for No. 1 LP Short n’ Sweet. 

When Grammy nominations first went live in November, Carpenter — who has released six albums since 2015 — also touched on the irony of being considered a “new” artist in 2025. “I don’t know how that’s possible,” she joked in an Instagram video of herself reacting to the nod. “I’m the best old artist. S—t, I’ve been here.” 

“I’d be lying if i said i hadn’t dreamt about this day my whole life,” she added in her caption at the time. “so i am filled with gratitude.” 

The Recording Academy made Beatlemaniacs happy on Nov. 8, when The Fab Four’s “Now and Then” was nominated for two awards – record of the year and best rock performance. But only the two living Beatles — Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr — are nominated for those awards. John Lennon, who died in 1980, and George Harrison, who died in 2001, are not.

Because Lennon and Harrison have each been dead for more than five years, they cannot meet the Grammy test for “new recordings” – “material that has been recorded within five years of the release date.” There is precedent for this. Nat “King” Cole was not nominated when daughter Natalie Cole won record of the year and best traditional pop performance in 1992 for their studio-created duet “Unforgettable.” He had died in 1965.

Lennon’s last Grammy nomination was at the 1985 ceremony – best spoken word or non-musical recording for Heart Play (Unfinished Dialogue), a collab with Yoko Ono. The album, which reached No. 94 on the Billboard 200, consisted of excerpts from a Playboy magazine interview done shortly before Lennon’s death.

Thus, Lennon was not included the last time the Beatles were nominated, 28 years ago, when the band won three awards – best pop performance by a duo or group with vocal and best music video, short-form, both for “Free as a Bird,” and best music video, long-form for The Beatles Anthology. (The other three Beatles were included because they were all alive to contribute to the work.)

Harrison’s last Grammy nominations were at the 2004 ceremony, where Brainwashed, his posthumously released 12th and final studio album, was nominated for best pop vocal album. Two tracks from the album were also honored. “Marwa Blues” won best pop instrumental performance, while “Any Road” was nominated for best male pop vocal performance.

McCartney co-produced “Now and Then” with Giles Martin, the son of legendary Beatles producer George Martin, who produced the band’s four previous record of the year nominees, “I Want to Hold Your Hand,” “Yesterday,” “Hey Jude” and “Let It Be.” Martin also produced McCartney’s one post-Beatles record of the year nominee, “Ebony and Ivory,” a 1982 collab with Stevie Wonder.

Both McCartney and Giles Martin are nominated for record of the year as producers of the single, as are eight engineer/mixers and a mastering engineer – but not John and George.

Bonus factoid: If “Now and Then” wins record of the year, McCartney will complete his sweep of the Big Four awards, though it will have taken him longer to do so than any other act in Grammy history. He won best new artist in 1965 (with The Beatles), song of the year in 1967 for “Michelle” (in tandem with Lennon) and album of the year in 1968 for The Beatles’ landmark Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.

Even before his death on Sunday (Dec. 29) at age 100, Jimmy Carter already seemed a shoo-in to win his fourth Grammy at the 67th Grammy Awards on Feb. 2. But with his death, his victory seems even more certain. Final-round Grammy voting continues through Friday (Jan. 3).

But one thing has changed with the former president’s death. Carter had seemed likely to set a new record as the oldest Grammy winner in history. Now, if he wins, the award will be posthumous. Technically, the oldest recipient will continue to be blues pianist Pinetop Perkins, who was 97 years and 221 days old on Feb. 13, 2011 when he won best traditional blues album for Joined at the Hip, a collab with Willie “Big Eyes” Smith, a blues harmonica player. (Perkins died about six weeks later, on March 21, 2011.)

Carter is nominated for best audio book, narration and storytelling recording for Last Sundays in Plains: A Centennial Celebration. The other nominees in the category are All You Need Is Love: The Beatles in Their Own Words (Guy Oldfield, producer), George Clinton’s …And Your Ass Will Follow, Dolly Parton’s Behind the Seams: My Life in Rhinestones and Barbra Streisand’s My Name Is Barbra. (Oldfield, 55, is the only nominee in this category who’s under 75. Parton is 78, Streisand is 82 and Clinton is 83.)

This will likely be Carter’s fourth win in this category, which will enable him to break out of a tie with poet Maya Angelou for the most wins in the category. Carter won in 2007 for Our Endangered Values, in 2016 for A Full Life: Reflections at 90 and in 2019 for Faith: A Journey for All. Angelou won in 1994 for On the Pulse of Morning, in 1996 for Phenomenal Woman and in 2003 for A Song Flung Up to Heaven.

Carter will also likely extend his record as the U.S. president with the most Grammy wins. Bill Clinton and Barack Obama have each won two Grammys.

Carter was a late-comer to Grammy glory. He was 82 when he won his first Grammy. He had lost on his first three tries.

If you’re curious, the second-oldest person ever to win a Grammy is Tony Bennett, who was 95 years and 243 days old in 2022 when he won for best traditional pop vocal album for Love for Sale, a collab with Lady Gaga. (He died in 2023.) Third-oldest is comedian George Burns, who was 95 years and 31 days old in 1991 when he won best spoken word or non-musical recording album for Gracie: A Love Story, a salute to his wife and comedy partner Grace Allen. (He died in 1996.) Fourth-oldest is Carter, who was 94 and 132 days old in 2019 when he won best spoken word album for Faith: A Journey for All.

Kendrick Lamar was rap’s undoubted MVP of 2024 and Billboard‘s Greatest Pop Star of the Year, and Eminem thinks his epic run is going to continue into 2025.

While Em and Lamar will be facing off in the best rap performance category at the 2025 Grammy Awards, Eminem believes that K. Dot is going to “sweep” all seven of his nominations come Feb. 2.

Slim Shady and Paul Rosenberg celebrated 20 years since the launch of their SiriusXM station Shade45 on Christmas Eve when they joined DJ Whoo Kid for an interview on the channel, which ended with Em giving Lamar his props.

“It’s very stiff competition,” Eminem said of his Grammy-nominated peers. “Kendrick is gonna sweep that sh–. He’s going to, and he should.”

Across Lamar’s seven noms, there are categories where he’s double-dipping with dual consideration thanks to his Mustard-produced “Not Like Us” Drake diss and his assist on Future and Metro Boomin’s “Like That,” both of which topped the Billboard Hot 100 in 2024.

Eminem is competing in a stacked best rap performance category with his The Death of Slim Shady lead single “Houdini” in the mix.

The Detroit icon also earned a nomination in the best rap album category for The Death of Slim Shady, which Lamar’s GNX won’t be in since it was released outside of the Grammy calendar for 2025 so it will compete for a nom at the 2026 awards.

Eminem has long hailed Kendrick Lamar’s greatness as he declared that K. Dot was “at the very, very top tier of lyricists. Not just of this generation, but of all time.”

They also hit the Super Bowl stage together in 2022 when the big game came to Los Angeles for the Super Bowl LVI Halftime Show headlined by Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre.

Listen to the full interview below. Kendrick’s Grammy talk begins shortly after the 30-minute mark.