The 2025 Grammy nominations have set the stage for a groundbreaking year, with some artists making history in unforgettable ways. While Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter garnered an unprecedented 11 nominations for a single album—cementing her as the most nominated individual and female artist in Grammy history (99 career nods)—there are several other milestones worth celebrating. Here are four achievements that highlight this year’s evolving music landscape:
1. Billie Eilish Sweeps the Expanded Pop Field
The Grammy pop categories have evolved, now encompassing Best Pop Solo Performance, Best Pop Duo/Group Performance, Best Pop Vocal Album, and the relatively new Best Dance Pop Recording.
Billie Eilish has become the first artist to score nominations in all four categories within the same year.
Her nominations include:
- “Birds of a Feather” (Best Pop Solo Performance)
- “Guess” with Charli XCX (Best Pop Duo/Group Performance)
- “L’Amour De Ma Vie (Over Now Extended Edit)” (Best Dance Pop Recording)
- Hit Me Hard and Soft (Best Pop Vocal Album)
Eilish also ties Taylor Swift’s record for the most nominations in the Best Pop Solo Performance category, with five. Notably, neither artist has won this award yet—but this could be the year Eilish changes that.
Ariana Grande also achieved a milestone, unlocking the Best Dance Pop Recording category with “Yes, And?” This nomination adds to her impressive legacy, which includes six Best Pop Vocal Album nods and a win for Sweetener.
2. Record Representation for Women in Best Metal Performance
Metal has long been male-dominated, but the tide is shifting. This year’s Best Metal Performance category features the highest number of female artists ever nominated, with three women contributing to the genre’s standout tracks:
- Marina Viotti (“Mea Culpa (Ah! Ça ira!)” with Gojira and Victor Le Masne)
- Poppy (“Suffocate” with Knocked Loose)
- Courtney LaPlante of Spiritbox (“Cellar Door”)
If any of these women win, they will make history as the first female recipient in this category—a significant step toward greater inclusivity in metal music.
3. Shane McAnally Becomes the Most Nominated in Best Country Song
Shane McAnally has solidified his status as a country music powerhouse, breaking the record for most Best Country Song nominations with nine career nods. He achieved this milestone with his co-writing credit on Kacey Musgraves’ “The Architect”.
Musgraves also made history with the same song, tying Miranda Lambert and Lori McKenna as the most nominated female songwriters in the category, each boasting six nods. Her previous nominations include hits like “Mama’s Broken Heart”, “Camera Roll”, and Grammy winners “Merry Go Round” and “Space Cowboy”.
4. First All-Female Best Pop Vocal Album Lineup
Women dominated the pop field this year, and for the first time, the Best Pop Vocal Album category is entirely female. The nominees are:
- Taylor Swift (The Tortured Poets Department)
- Ariana Grande (Eternal Sunshine)
- Billie Eilish (Hit Me Hard and Soft)
- Sabrina Carpenter (Short n’ Sweet)
- Chappell Roan (The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess)
Across all four pop categories, male artists are scarce, with only a few appearing as collaborators or featured artists. This marks a significant moment in the Grammys, celebrating the extraordinary contributions of female artists to pop music.
These milestones reflect the shifting dynamics of the music industry, highlighting greater diversity and representation in traditionally underrepresented genres. As we celebrate these achievements, it’s clear that the 2025 Grammys are poised to be one of the most historic ceremonies to date.