There’s nothing minor about Kendrick Lamar’s latest triumphs.
The rapper scored a huge win at the 2025 Grammy Awards as his single “Not Like Us” took the trophy for Record of the Year one week before his headlining performance at the Super Bowl Halftime Show. As he accepted the award, the 37-year-old dedicated the win to his hometown of Los Angeles.
“This is my neck of the woods that held me down since [I was] a young pup,” Kendrick said during his acceptance speech at the city’s Crypto.com Arena, “since I was in the studio, scrapping to write the best raps and all that. I can’t give enough thanks to these places that I rolled around since high school.”
After listing several L.A. neighborhoods including his native Compton, Kendrick—who is the second rapper to win in the category after Childish Gambino won for “This Is America” in 2019—made special mention of the areas most affected by the recent wildfires as he recognized “the people and the families out in the Palisades and Altadena.”
“This is a true testament,” he continued, “that we continue to restore this city.”
Within minutes, Kendrick was back onstage as the diss track—which took several lyrical jabs at Drake—also won the award for Song of the Year.
“At the end of the day, [there’s] nothing more powerful than rap music,” Kendrick declared. “I don't care what it is, we are the culture. It's gonna always stay here and live forever.”
He went on to deliver a message to up-and-coming artists, saying, “I just hope you respect the art form—that's all.”
Keep scrolling to see who else took home awards at the 2025 Grammy Awards.
Album of the Year
New Blue Sun by André 3000
WINNER: Cowboy Carter by Beyoncé
Short N' Sweet by Sabrina Carpenter
Brat by Charli xcx
Djesse Vol. 4 by Jacob Collier
Hit Me Hard and Soft by Billie Eilish
The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess by Chappell Roan
The Tortured Poets Department by Taylor Swift
Best Pop Vocal Album
WINNER: Short N' Sweet by Sabrina Carpenter
Hit Me Hard and Soft by Billie Eilish
Eternal Sunshine by Ariana Grande
The Rise and Fall of A Midwest Princess by Chappell Roan
The Tortured Poets Department by Taylor Swift
Song of the Year
“A Bar Song (Tipsy)” by Shaboozey
“Birds of a Feather” by Billie Eilish
“Die With a Smile” by Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars
“Fortnight” by Taylor Swift ft. Post Malone
“Good Luck, Babe!” by Chappell Roan
WINNER: “Not Like Us” by Kendrick Lamar
“Please Please Please” by Sabrina Carpenter
“Texas Hold ‘Em” by Beyoncé
Record of the Year
"Now and Then" by The Beatles
"Texas Hold 'Em" by Beyoncé
"Espresso" by Sabrina Carpenter
"360" by Charli xcx
"Birds of a Feather" by Billie Eilish
WINNER: "Not Like Us" by Kendrick Lamar
"Good Luck, Babe!" by Chappell Roan
"Fortnight" by Taylor Swift ft. Post Malone
Best New Artist
Benson Boone
Sabrina Carpenter
Doechii
WINNER: Chappell Roan
Shaboozey
Teddy Swims
Khruangbin
Best Comedy Album
Armageddon by Ricky Gervais
WINNER: The Dreamer by Dave Chappelle
The Prisoner by Jim Gaffigan
Someday You’ll Die by Nikki Glaser
Where Was I by Trevor Noah
Best Pop Duo/Group Performance
"Us" by Gracie Abrams ft. Taylor Swift
"LEVII'S JEANS" by Beyoncé ft. Post Malone
"Guess" by Charli xcx ft. Billie Eillish
"The Boy Is Mine" by Ariana Grande ft. Brandy and Monica!
WINNER: "Die With A Smile" by Lady Gaga ft. Bruno Mars
Best Country Album
WINNER: Cowboy Carter by Beyoncé
F-1 Trillion by Post Malone
Deeper Well by Kacey Musgraves
Higher by Chris Stapleton
Whirlwind by Lainey Wilson
Best Country Duo/Group Performance
"Cowboys Cry Too" by Kelsea Ballerini and Noah Kahan
WINNER: "II Most Wanted" by Beyoncé and Miley Cyrus
"Break Mine" by Brothers Osborne
"Bigger Houses" by Dan + Shay
"I Had Some Help" by Post Malone and Morgan Wallen
Best Country Solo Performance
"16 Carriages" by Beyoncé
"I Am Not Okay" by Jelly Roll
"The Architect" by Kacey Musgraves
"A Bar Song (Tipsy)" by Shaboozey
WINNER: "It Takes A Woman" by Chris Stapleton
Best Country Song
WINNER: "The Architect" by Shane McAnally, Kacey Musgraves and Josh Osborne
"A Bar Song (Tipsy)" by Sean Cook, Jerrel Jones, Joe Kent, Chibueze Collins Obinna, Nevin Sastry and Mark Williams
"I Am Not Okay" by Casey Brown, Jason DeFord, Ashley Gorley and Taylor Phillip
"I Had Some Help" by Louis Bell, Ashley Gorley, Hoskins, Austin Post, Ernest Smith, Ryan Vojtesak, Morgan Wallen and Chandler Paul Walters
"Texas Hold 'Em" by Brian Bates, Beyoncé, Elizabeth Lowell Boland, Megan Bulow, Nate Ferraro and Raphael Saadiq
Best Dance/Electronic Album
WINNER: “Brat” by Charli XCX
“Three” by Four Tet
“Hyperdrama” by Justice
“Timeless” by Kaytranada
“Telos” by Zedd
Best Dance Pop Recording
"Make You Mine" by Madison Beer
WINNER: "Von Dutch" by Charli xcx
“L’Amour de Ma Vie [Over Now Extended Edit]” by Billie Eillish
"yes, and?" by Ariana Grande
"Got Me Started" by Troye Sivan
Best Latin Pop Album
Funk Generation by Anitta
El Viaje by Luis Fonsi
GARCÍA by Kany García
WINNER: Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran by Shakira
ORQUÍDEAS by Kali Uchis
Best Latin Rock or Alternative Album
Compita del Destino by El David Aguilar
Pa’ Tu Cuerpa by Cimafunk
Autopoiética by Mon Laferte
GRASA by NATHY PELUSO
WINNER: ¿Quién trae las cornetas? by Rawayana
Best Music Video
Tailor Swif—A$AP Rocky
360—Charli xcx
Houdini—Eminem
WINNER: Not Like Us—Kendrick Lamar
Fortnight—Taylor Swift ft. Post Malone
Best Música Urbana Album
nadie sabe lo que va a pasar mañana by Bad Bunny
Rayo by J Balvin
FERXXOCALIPSIS by Feid
WINNER: LAS LETRAS YA NO IMPORTAN by Residente
att. by Young Miko
Best Rap Song
“Asteroids” by Marlanna Evans
“Carnival” by Jordan Carter, Raul Cubina, Grant Dickinson, Samuel Lindley, Nasir Pemberton, Dimitri Roger, Ty Dolla $ign, Kanye West and Mark Carl Stolinski Williams
“Like That” by Kendrick Lamar Duckworth, Kobe “BbyKobe” Hood, Leland Wayne & Nayvadius Wilburn
WINNER: “Not Like Us” by Kendrick Lamar
“Yeah Glo!” by Ronnie Jackson, Jaucquez Lowe, Timothy McKibbins, Kevin Andre Price, Julius Rivera III & Gloria Woods
Best Rap Performance
“Enough (Miami)” by Cardi B
“When the Sun Shines Again” by Common and Pete Rock ft. Posdnuos
“Nissan Altima” by Doechii
“Houdini” by Eminem
“Like That” by Future & Metro Boomin ft. Kendrick Lamar
“Yeah Glo!” by GloRilla
WINNER: “Not Like Us” by Kendrick Lamar
Best Rap Album
Might Delete Later by J. Cole
The Auditorium, Vol. 1 by Common and Pete Rock
WINNER: Alligator Bites Never Heal by Doechii
The Death Of Slim Shady (Coup De Grâce) by Eminem
We Don’t Trust You by Future and Metro Boomin
Best R&B Song
"After Hours” by Diovanna Frazier, Alex Goldblatt, Kehlani Parrish, Khris Riddick-Tynes and Daniel Upchurch
"Burning” by Ronald Banful and Temilade Openiyi
“Here We Go (Uh Oh)” by Sara Diamond, Sydney Floyd, Marisela Jackson, Courtney Jones, Carl McCormick and Kelvin Wooten
“Ruined Me” by Jeff Gitelman, Priscilla Renea and Kevin Theodore
WINNER: “Saturn” by Rob Bisel, Carter Lang, Solána Rowe, Jared Solomon and Scott Zhang
Best R&B Performance
"Guidance" by Jhené Aiko
"Residuals" by Chris Brown
"Here We Go (Uh Oh)" by Coco Jones
WINNER: "Made for Me (Live on BET)" by Muni Long
"Saturn" by Sza
Best Pop Solo Performance
"Bodyguard" by Beyonce
WINNER: "Espresso" by Sabrina Carpenter
"Apple" by Charli xcx
"Birds of a Feather" by Billie Eilish
"Good Luck, Babe!" by Chappell Roan
Best Rock Performance
WINNER: “Now and Then” by The Beatles
"Beautiful People (Stay High)” by The Black Keys
“The American Dream Is Killing Me” by Green Day
“Gift Horse” by Idles
“Dark Matter” by Pearl Jam
“Broken Man” by St. Vincent
Best Rock Album
Happiness Bastards by The Black Crows
Romance by Fontaines D.C.
Saviors by Green Day
Tangk by IDLES
Dark Matter by Pearl Jam
WINNER: Hackney Diamonds by Rolling Stones
No Name by Jack White
Best R&B Album
WINNER: 11:11 (Deluxe) by Chris Brown
Vantablack by Lalah Hathaway
Revenge by Muni Long
Algorithm by Lucky Daye
Coming Home by Usher
Best Americana Performance
"Ya Ya" by Beyoncé
"Subtitles" by Madison Cunningham
"Don’t Do Me Good" by Madi Diaz ft. Kacey Musgraves
WINNER: "American Dreaming" by Sierra Ferrell
"Runaway Train" by Sarah Jarosz
"Empty Trainload of Sky" by Gillian Welch and David Rawlings
Best Musical Theater Album
WINNER: Hell's Kitchen
Merrily We Roll Along
The Notebook
The Outsiders
Suffs
The Wiz