Grammys ceremony opens with tribute to Los Angeles

The 2025 Grammy Awards have opened with a special performance by the Los Angeles band Dawes, two brothers whose homes were destroyed in the recent wildfires.

The duo were joined on stage by former Grammy winners including Sheryl Crow, John Legend, Brad Paisley and Brittany Howard to perform Randy Newman’s classic song I Love LA.

“It’s often said that in the darkest of times, the best of humanity shines through, and the people of Los Angeles right now are a perfect example of that,” said host Trevor Noah, introducing the performance.

“So tonight, we decided we’re not just going to be celebrating our favourite music. We’re also celebrating the city that brought us so much of that music.”

The comedian, who is hosting the ceremony for the fifth time, said that “just a few weeks ago, we weren’t sure that this show would even happen”.

“Thankfully, due to the heroic efforts of firefighters, the fires have now been contained, and despite all the devastation, the spirit of the city has emerged,” he added, to generous applause.

Several firefighters were invited to the awards to honour their efforts; and walked the red carpet taking selfies with the biggest stars in music.

Los Angeles native Billie Eilsh was the second artist on stage, playing her Grammy-nominated song Birds Of A Feather against a backdrop inspired by California’s natural beauty.

“I love you LA,” she said as the music ended.

The ceremony is raising money for those affected by what Noah called “one of the largest natural disasters in US history”; and organisers have handed over a portion of their airtime to let local businesses advertise for free as they try to rebuild.

Noah also joked that winners whose speeches ran longer than one-and-a-half minutes would pay $1,000 for every extra second they spoke.

As for the awards, Beyoncé is the night’s biggest nominee, with 11 nods for her country-inspired album Cowboy Carter – including album of the year.

The star arrived at the ceremony with more Grammys than any other artist in history, a total of 32, but she has never won the biggest prize.

Ahead of the main ceremony, she picked up one additional trophy – best country duo/group performance, for II Most Wanted, a duet with Miley Cyrus.

Other artists awarded in the early “premiere ceremony” included the Beatles, who won best rock performance for their AI-assisted track Now And Then, based on an old John Lennon demo.

British pop star Charli XCX won three trophies for her trend-setting club album Brat; and Sabrina Carpenter’s Espresso was named best pop solo performance.

The first prize of the main ceremony was best rap album, which went to Florida-born rapper Doechii, for her mixtape Alligator Bites Never Heal.

She noted it was only the third time a woman had won the category since it was introduced in 1989, with a shout-out to her predecessors Lauryn Hill and Cardi B.

“I put my heart and soul into this mixtape,” she added. “I bared my life, I went through so much, I dedicated myself to sobriety and God told me that I would be rewarded.”

She ended her speech with a message to other aspiring female artists.

“There are 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. Don’t allow anybody to project any stereotypes on you [or] tell you that you can’t be here, that you’re too dark, or that you’re not smart enough, or that you’re too dramatic or you’re too loud.

“You are exactly who you need to be to be right where you are and I am a testimony. Praise God.”