Grammys 2025 predictions: from Beyoncé to Kendrick

With pop’s brightest stars in contention for the top prizes, Roisin O’Connor assesses who will win the big four’

- Roisin O’Connor

The Grammy Awards are notorious for getting it wrong. Over the years, the Recording Academy has caused uproar as it either snubs those artists deemed most deserving or goes with a rogue choice that no one saw coming. This means that each year it's really anyone’s guess, no matter how much of a certainty an artist might seem.

In 2025, the “big four” categories of Album of the Year, Record of the Year, Song of the Year and Best New Artist are as competitive as ever, with breakthrough pop stars Chappell Roan and Sabrina Carpenter muscling up against heavyweights like Taylor Swift and Beyoncé.

Pioneering British artist Charli XCX and groundbreaking, Pulitzer Prize-winning rapper Kendrick Lamar are up against The Beatles; UK singer and Grammys first-timer RAYE is competing with viral stars Benson Boone and Teddy Swims.

Ahead of the ceremony in Los Angeles on Sunday 2 February, here’s a look at the runners and riders for the big four categories at the Grammys.

Record of the Year

The Beatles - “Now and Then”

Beyoncé - “Texas Hold ’Em”

Sabrina Carpenter - “Espresso”

Charli XCX - “360”

Billie Eilish - “Birds of a Feather”

Kendrick Lamar - “Not Like Us”

Chappell Roan - “Good Luck, Babe!”

Taylor Swift featuring Post Malone - “Fortnight”

A reminder for the uninitiated: the Record of the Year prize is distinguished from Song of the Year by recognising the artists, producers and engineers who contributed to the recording, while Song of the Year deals more with the composition and recognises the songwriters behind the track. That said, most people – voters included – don’t often find much meaningful difference between the two.