Beyoncé, Kendrick Lamar, André 3000, Shaboozey and Doechii break barriers in this year’s Big Four Grammy nominations
Top Black artists redefine ‘Black’ music ahead of Sunday’s Awards ceremony.
By Sheridan Hunter
February 02, 2025 at 3:20PM PST
Music’s Biggest Night is here, and while the Los Angeles fires have left many things uncertain, the anticipation of awards this special night is certain. Airing live from Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, the 67th Grammy Awards, hosted by Trevor Noah, will recognize this year’s best from 94 categories, including the Big Four: Album, Record and Song of the Year, and Best New Artist.
Over the past year, music has been brimming with chart-topping and genre-redefining hits that go beyond comparison. Top competitors like Beyoncé – the most recognized artist this year with 11 nominations, three of which occupy spots in the Big Four, and winningest artist in Grammy history – serve as a reminder of the boundlessness of music.
Earning more than 400,000 units during its debut week, Cowboy Carter was Beyoncé’s biggest streaming week ever, propelling her to No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums, Americana/Folk Albums and Top Album Sales charts, and making her the first-ever Black woman to lead the Top Country Albums list since its inception in 1964. Beyond statistics, Cowboy Carter also carries cultural significance. As her eighth studio album and second act in a three-act musical reinvention, Cowboy Carter pays homage to Black country music and serves as a prominent reminder of Black contributions to American music. Predicted to win Album of the Year at this year’s Awards ceremony, Cowboy Carter would mark the Houston-born star’s first-ever win in the category over her decades-long career.
In addition to Beyoncé, other Black artists like Kendrick Lamar, Shaboozey, André 3000 and Doechii also claimed their spots in this year’s Big Four categories. Icesha Sanders, an occupational therapy and popular music studies student and current GRAMMY U member, noted the significance of their nominations in breaking cultural and genre-specific boundaries once assigned to Black artists.
“What’s most important is how a lot of these artists were nominated for work that is typically not associated with Black culture,” said Sanders. “Doechii being the alt-rap Black girl, Shaboozey and Beyoncé filling the country categories, and André making an ambient album accompanied by his flute playing shines a light on just how much we can do, and how good we are at it.”
The three-time Grammy nominated Swamp Princess holds a particularly special place in Sanders’ heart.
“[Doechii] is the representation of the weird, fun, [alternative] Black girl that a lot of us, especially [myself], needed,” Sanders said. “It feels like a different side of what is usually shown in the media as ‘Black culture.’”
Joslyn Bowman, a music industry and political science student and current GRAMMY U member, said the representation of women nominees also holds significance in the traditionally male-dominated industry.
“Looking in the Big Fours, it’s primarily women that are nominated,” said Bowman. “So for someone like me, a woman and a woman of color, it’s really awesome to get to see women and women of color doing really big things.”
With top competitors, highly anticipated performances and the potential for history to be made, this year’s Grammys promises to be one to remember. The Awards ceremony will commence Sunday at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on CBS.