Host Trevor Noah speaks at the 2025 Grammy Awards. (Kevin Winter/Getty Images for The Recording Academy)
Trevor Noah, host of the Grammys this year, opened the Los Angeles-based show with a brief but meaningful introduction, calling out the “unusual circumstances” underlying the show. The city just experienced one of the largest natural disasters in U.S. history, and for a while, no one was certain whether the show would go on.
He gave a shout-out to the “heroic efforts of firefighters” and said the “spirit of the city has emerged” before letting a band take over with a musical tribute.
Dawes performed a cover of Randy Newman’s “I Love L.A.,” backed by John Legend, Sheryl Crow, Brad Paisley, Brittany Howard and St. Vincent.
Noah then continued his monologue, taking on a more lighthearted tone, as is customary for award shows.
He threw a few playful jabs at André 3000, who couldn’t attend, for pivoting to flute music. Shortly after Beyoncé announced she’d be taking Cowboy Carter on the road, Noah joked that people couldn’t afford another one of her tours. He also joked that if Taylor Swift won Album of the Year, breaking her own record for number of wins in that category, the Swifties would go after her.
“Speaking of history, the Beatles are nominated tonight for Record of the Year. … I think if they win this, it’s gonna open up a few doors for them,” Noah joked.
Before tossing it to Billie Eilish for the second performance of the night, Noah made sure to note that “Tonight’s not just about music.” There are QR codes at every seat, where people can donate to support several charities providing relief to victims of the wildfires.
Now, on with the show.
Leave a Reply