Watch highlights from the 2025 GRAMMYs on live.GRAMMY.com.
The 2025 GRAMMYs telecast has been reimagined to raise funds for MusiCares Fire Relief, a dedicated campaign to support the people affected by the recent wildfires in the Greater Los Angeles Area. Donate now.
It was almost impossible not to feel hopeful about the future the moment the Special Merit Awards ceremony kicked off on Feb. 1 during 2025 GRAMMYs Week.
Onstage at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre in Los Angeles, a montage showing the smiling faces of previous recipients — all legends who transformed the course of popular music — was accompanied by snippets of such recordings as Tina Turner’s soulful "What’s Love Got To Do With It" and Aretha Franklin’s majestic reading of Puccini’s opera classic "Nessun Dorma."
The video felt especially poignant on that balmy afternoon, as Los Angeles is still reeling from the catastrophic fires that disrupted the lives of thousands — including many of the city’s musicians.
"We have to acknowledge the hardship that many of our fellow creators are experiencing," Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason jr. said during his introductory remarks, pausing to note the magnitude of Musicares’ Fire Relief efforts.
Noting that this is a vital time to recognize the importance of music education in our nation, Mason Jr. introduced the 2025 Music Educator Award. Its 12th winner is Adrian Maclin, a teacher at Cordova High School in Memphis, Tennessee.
"I’m always looking for that a-ha moment in the classroom," Maclin, who was chosen for his lifelong commitment to excellence, said in a pre-recorded video. "It almost brings a tear to my eye when that happens. I’m a big cry baby."
As he received the award, Maclin recalled planning his Sunday on GRAMMY day during his childhood, hoping one day to be part of the festivities. He then described his current schedule, waking up at 3:45 a.m. every day to start his day and make a difference in the classroom. "It’s not a class," he explained. "It’s a choir family."
The year’s Technical GRAMMY honoree was the late Leo Beranek, an acoustics expert, author and professor who lived 102 years and consulted in the evaluation of concert halls across the globe.
Next up were the three Trustee Awards: legendary jazz pianist Erroll Garner, who wrote the standard "Misty" and secured a vital legal victory for artists’ rights; groundbreaking Cuban American classical composer and conductor Tania León; and 82-year-old English producer Glyn Johns, whose naturalistic approach to the recording process worked wonders with the Beatles, the Stones and Led Zeppelin, among many others.
"Having been notified of this award last November, my main objective has been to remain alive," quipped Jones. "During the past 65 years, I got to work with some of the most innovative artists of their time, without whom I wouldn’t be standing here."
It was time to honor the Lifetime Achievement recipients, and the first one was given to singer/songwriter Frankie Beverly, known for his work with iconic funk group Maze. Beverly passed away in September 2024 at age 77, but his son — drummer Anthony Beverly — accepted the award in his name.
"My father was a force of nature," he said. "He referred to his fans as 'his people,' and wrote songs about love, community and freedom."
Read more: 2025 GRAMMYs: See The Full Winners & Nominees List
The fighting spirit of the ‘70s punk movement in England was celebrated with a Lifetime Achievement Award for the Clash, whose albums London Calling (1979) and the triple LP Sandinista! (1980) rewrote the rulebook of rock. Public Enemy leader Chuck D accepted the trophy on their behalf and read a message from the band: "Chuck, as you heard our voices, we also heard yours."
An 85-year-old pioneer who combined his passion for music with a religious calling, singer and television host Dr. Bobby Jones summed up his four decade career spreading the beauty of gospel.
"I’m going to continue doing this as long as God gives me the strength to do it," he enthused. "It’s all in the hands of the Lord."
Framed by his two daughters — and backup vocalists — GRAMMY-winning guitarist and multi-instrumentalist Taj Mahal spoke of his stubborn determination to honor his ancestors and blend the blues and jazz that he grew up listening to with a vivid mosaic of sounds from the Caribbean, India and Hawaii. "We’re all in this together," said the maestro born in New York 82 years ago. "The audience is always part of the performance. The blues were living so deep inside me, I had to do it," he added, in reference to the challenges of building up a lasting musical legacy.
A short video featuring excerpts from such anthems as "Purple Rain" and "Little Red Corvette" introduced one of the most moving moments of the ceremony, as the late Prince received a posthumous award for his monumental contribution to popular music – and his uncanny ability to challenge conventions and redefine the meaning of artistry.
Jimmy Jam, former member of the funk-rock band the Time, was one of the many musicians onstage who shared their experiences working with Prince. "He had the best work ethic of anyone I have ever known," he said. "He showed me that if I worked my ass off, I would get better."
The importance of women in the development of hip-hop was brought to the forefront when pioneering Queens rapper Roxanne Shanté received her Lifetime Achievement Award — the only solo female rapper to do so — with a poignant recollection of the dreams she harbored when she was first making a name for herself.
"I was bright eyed, bushy tailed, and knew that I wanted three things," she admitted. "I wanted to have a record in the Billboard charts, I wanted to get paid for it, and I wanted a GRAMMY." She paused, then added with a sparkle in her eyes: "I have achieved them all."
King of the falsetto and Four Seasons frontman Frankie Valli was equally exuberant about his award. "I don’t know what took so long, but that’s the way it goes," the 90-year-old hitmaker said, eliciting a wave of laughter from the audience. "Music has been my whole life – there’s nothing else I know," he added, before offering some valuable music industry advice: "If you don’t do it yourself, usually it doesn’t get done."
The presentation ended on a self-reflecting note, as Iman Jordan won the newly renamed Harry Belafonte Song for Social Change Award for his stirring 2024 single "Deliver." Jordan quoted Nina Simone’s belief that art should always reflect the current times, before thanking his mother for encouraging him to use his words as a catalyst of change.
"In this world, it’s only we," he said. "And we need to come together."