Grammy Awards 2025 winners: Doechii UPSETS Eminem to earn Best Rap Album as show kicks off

Doechii kicked off the Grammy Awards 2025 with a major upset as they earned the first gramophone in the Best Rap Album category over a field including Eminem. The year-old star received the honor for Alligator Bites Never Heal as she won over some of rap's biggest stars including the aforementioned Eminem, Common and Pete Rock, J. Cole, and Future and Metro Boomin. The Tampa Bay, Florida native - born Jaylah Ji'mya Hickmon - was the third female winner in the category since it's inception in 1996 as she followed Lauryn Hill in 1997 and Cardi B in 2019.

Doechii shed some light on this historic moment as she said: ' I don't want to make this long. But, this category was introduced in 1989, and two women have won: Lauryn hill -- three women have won. Lauryn Hill, Cardi B, and Doechii. 'I put my heart in my soul into this mix tape. I buried my life. I went through so much. I dedicated myself to sobriety, and god told me that I would be rewarded, and that he would show me just how good it can get. I have to thank god. I have to thank my beautiful mother for coaching me. I want to thank my label, my engineer Jayda, my fans.'.

She went on to personally thank her fans which she affectionally refers to as 'The Swamp before saying there is talent there. Doechii kicked off the Grammy Awards 2025 with a major upset as they earned the first gramophone in the Best Rap Album category over a field including Eminem. Doechii concluded with a message to fellow Black artists as she said: 'I know that there is some Black girl out there, so many Black women out there that are watching me right now, and I want to tell you: You can do it. Anything is possible. Anything is possible.

'Don't allow, don't allow anybody to project any stereotypes on you, that tell you that you can't be here, that tell you that you are too dark or that you are not smart enough or that you are too loud you are exactly who you need to be, to be right where you are. I am a testimony. Praise god.'. The 2025 Grammys were hosted by Trevor Noah for the fifth consecutive year and held at LA's Crypto.com Arena.

He kicked off the event by introducing the band Daws and a funny monologue complete with an announcement that Beyonce was going to be in attendance. Some of music's biggest stars had won big before the event even started as Beyonce, Kendrick Lamar, Charli xcx, and Sabrina Carpenter earned golden gramophones. Beyonce scooped her first ever Grammy in the country categories for her collaboration with Miley Cyrus, as music's premier awards gala began with dozens of prizes handed out before the televised marquee event.

Rapper Kendrick Lamar jumped out as an early top winner with three awards, as did club diva Charli xcx, while Sabrina Carpenter won her first Grammy. The 2025 Grammys were hosted by Trevor Noah for the fifth consecutive year and held at LA's Crypto.com Arena. Billie Eilish and her brother FINNEAS performed her massive hit Birds Of A Feather. Of her 11 chances to win, Beyonce's victory was coupled with four losses in genre categories. The other awards will be presented at the gala hosted by comedian Trevor Noah.

The Beyonce paradox -- she has won the most Grammys of anyone in history but has never won the top album or record prizes -- has been on the minds of many people in the industry in the run-up to Sunday's ceremony. Her early win with Cyrus for best country duo/group performance is one signal that she was on the minds of voters in Nashville, the capital of country that is infamous for promoting a rigid view of the genre that is overwhelmingly white and male.

Beyonce's Cowboy Carter was a critically praised, not-so-subtle indictment of the country music industry's powers-that-be, a genre-spanning record that elevated the work of Black artists and celebrated the rich history of their work. For Album and Record of the Year, many critics think Beyonce might finally get what broad consensus believes is her due. But she faces stiff competition, including from perennial winners like Billie Eilish and Taylor Swift along with Carpenter, Charli xcx and the buzzy Chappell Roan.

It appears the Recording Academy is saving several awards Beyonce is nominated for -- like best Americana performance and best country album -- for the telecast, which could imply a big night for Queen Bey. On Grammys eve, she already made headlines by announcing an upcoming tour in support of Cowboy Carter. Hip-hop laureate Lamar's early wins could also signal a big night for him: his viral smash Not Like Us derived from his much-publicized rap battle with Drake.

Other top artists to watch include Roan and Post Malone. In true Grammy fashion, a few curiosities emerged from the handout of early awards. Iconic band The Beatles scored the prize for best rock performance despite breaking up more than 50 years ago. Their track Now And Then spotlighted the Recording Academy's ongoing debate on how to handle artificial intelligence after it used an AI tool to isolate the late John Lennon's vocals from a poor quality demo tape they could then use as the foundation of the new song.