Sabrina Carpenter and Charli XCX Shine at 2025 Grammy Awards

Sabrina Carpenter and Charli XCX claimed their first Grammy wins at the 2025 ceremony, with Carpenter's 'Espresso' earning best pop solo performance and XCX's 'Brat' taking home best dance/pop album and song honors. The event also honored community resilience following recent Los Angeles wildfires.

Sabrina Carpenter has won the first Grammy Award of 2025, taking home best pop solo performance for her catchy summer anthem, "Espresso." British artist Charli XCX also secured several early awards—best dance/pop album for her masterful club project "Brat" and best dance/pop song for its leading single, "Von Dutch." These awards mark XCX's first Grammys as a solo performer.

The Grammy Awards are currently being presented at the "premiere ceremony," which takes place before the main event scheduled for 5 PM Los Angeles time / 1 AM London time. The show commenced with a star-studded performance of Simon & Garfunkel's "Bridge Over Troubled Water," paying tribute to the victims of the recent LA wildfires. The rendition featured Yolanda Adams and Angelique Kidjo, who delivered a soulful, gospel-infused performance dedicated to first responders who bravely tackled the fires and safeguarded the community.

Grammys CEO Harvey Mason Jr expressed that the celebration honors "music's great power to inspire, to heal and to unite." He emphasized the recognition of resilience in the face of adversity due to the devastating fires, with efforts focused on uplifting the beloved city of Los Angeles.

Beyoncé leads the nominations this year with eleven nods for her country-influenced album "Cowboy Carter." She has already received the award for best country performance by a duo or group for her collaboration with Miley Cyrus, "II Most Wanted." In contrast, Kacey Musgraves won best country song with "The Architect," a reflection on spiritual turmoil following a tragic school shooting. Musgraves noted the importance of using music to combat darkness, highlighting the role of artists in challenging times.

The nominees for album of the year include other heavyweights like Billie Eilish, Taylor Swift, Chappell Roan, and rapper André 3000 for his spiritual jazz flute album "New Blue Sun." The early wins for both Carpenter and XCX amplify speculation about their chances for the top prize as neither artist was present to collect their trophies, being slated to perform at the main ceremony later in the evening. Charli's producer, Finn Keane, collected the award on her behalf, commending her as an "amazing collaborator" and noting that her musical style has finally gained the recognition it deserves after a decade of hard work.