2025 GRAMMY Nominations: Full Data Analysis

Kristian Gorenc Z

Jan 20, 2025

The 2025 GRAMMY season is here, bringing with it the excitement and anticipation of music’s biggest night. With the nominations officially announced, the stage is set for the 67th GRAMMY Awards, which will take place live at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on February 2, 2025. The awards will be broadcast on CBS and available for streaming on Paramount+, offering fans worldwide an opportunity to celebrate the year’s musical achievements.

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Final round voting, which began on December 12, 2024, and ends on January 3, 2025, allows the Recording Academy’s voting members to decide the winners across all 94 categories. This peer-voted process underscores the integrity and prestige of the GRAMMYs, making it a unique honor in the music industry. 

Alongside exciting performances and moments, the 2025 GRAMMYs also reflect changes to eligibility criteria and category names, emphasizing inclusivity and the evolution of the music industry.

Since Viberate is all about music data, we decided to take a closer look at the data for the nominees and see who would win, based purely on data.

A Brief History of the GRAMMY Awards

The GRAMMY Awards, officially known as the Gramophone Awards, are a testament to artistic and technical excellence in music. First held in 1959, the GRAMMYs were created to honor significant contributions to the recording industry, serving as a counterpart to the Oscars in film. The first ceremony, held in Los Angeles and New York City, saw winners like Ella Fitzgerald and Frank Sinatra take home trophies, setting the standard for decades to come.

The iconic gilded gramophone trophy symbolizes the history of recorded music and is handcrafted with meticulous attention to detail. Over the years, the GRAMMYs have grown from fewer than 30 categories to over 80, reflecting the diversity of musical genres and the changing landscape of the industry. From the addition of categories like rap, hip-hop, and electronic music to memorable performances by legends like Michael Jackson and Beyoncé, the GRAMMYs have cemented their place as a cultural milestone.

2025 GRAMMY Nominees Analysis

This year’s nominations highlight a mix of emerging talents and industry veterans. Below, we delve into two key categories: Best New Artist and Song of the Year, analyzing performance metrics across digital platforms to provide a deeper understanding of their success.

Best New Artist

The Best New Artist category recognizes individuals whose work has significantly impacted the music landscape. Nominees include Benson Boone, Sabrina Carpenter, Doechii, Khruangbin, Raye, Chappell Roan, Shaboozey, and Teddy Swims. Here’s a detailed analysis of the nominees’ performance across Spotify, YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, SoundCloud, and radio airplay, using an advanced methodology:

To determine the best-performing artists across various platforms, we conducted an advanced analysis that considered not just total metrics but also growth and engagement. For Spotify, YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, SoundCloud, and Radio Airplay, we factored in key indicators such as total streams or followers, recent monthly growth (e.g., new followers or streams in the past month), and engagement metrics like likes or listener reach. By weighting these elements proportionally to their importance on each platform, we identified which artist demonstrates the strongest overall performance.

Key Findings

• Sabrina Carpenter emerged as the top performer, demonstrating dominance across all platforms. On Spotify and YouTube, her total streams and views are among the highest, coupled with strong monthly growth. Her TikTok presence is marked by consistent follower engagement, while Instagram metrics show high follower growth and interaction rates. Additionally, her SoundCloud plays and radio airplay spins solidify her as a standout.
• Teddy Swims ranks second, excelling on platforms like YouTube, SoundCloud, and radio airplay. His soulful style and engaging content have resonated widely, leading to a solid digital presence.
• Doechii secures the third spot with impressive growth on TikTok and Instagram. Her dynamic performances and viral content have helped her carve a niche in the competitive music landscape.
• Chappell Roan displayed balanced performance across several platforms, highlighting steady growth and engagement.

While artists like Benson Boone, Shaboozey, and Raye showcased solid metrics, they ranked lower due to inconsistencies across platforms. Khruangbin, despite their unique style, had relatively lower scores in growth and engagement, placing them at the bottom of the rankings.

Song of the Year

This prestigious category celebrates exceptional songwriting. Nominees include:

• "A Bar Song (Tipsy)" — Sean Cook, Jerrel Jones, Joe Kent, Chibueze Collins Obinna, Nevin Sastry & Mark Williams, songwriters (Shaboozey)
• "BIRDS OF A FEATHER" — Billie Eilish O'Connell & Finneas O'Connell, songwriters (Billie Eilish)
• "Die With A Smile" — Dernst Emile II, James Fauntleroy, Lady Gaga, Bruno Mars & Andrew Watt, songwriters (Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars)
• "Fortnight" — Jack Antonoff, Austin Post & Taylor Swift, songwriters (Taylor Swift Featuring Post Malone)
• "Good Luck, Babe!" — Kayleigh Rose Amstutz, Daniel Nigro & Justin Tranter, songwriters (Chappell Roan)
• "Not Like Us" — Kendrick Lamar, songwriter (Kendrick Lamar)
• "Please Please Please" — Amy Allen, Jack Antonoff & Sabrina Carpenter, songwriters (Sabrina Carpenter)
• "TEXAS HOLD 'EM" — Brian Bates, Atia Boggs, Beyoncé, Elizabeth Lowell Boland, Megan Bülow, Nate Ferraro & Raphael Saadiq, songwriters (Beyoncé)

Our analysis evaluates these nominees based on streaming data, engagement metrics, and popularity trends. To determine the "Best New Song" among the nominees, we conducted a detailed performance analysis using various metrics derived from streaming, engagement, and popularity data. The analysis was divided into three major sections: streaming performance, engagement metrics, and popularity trends, ensuring a comprehensive evaluation of each song's impact across platforms.

Streaming Performance

• "Not Like Us" by Kendrick Lamar leads in total Spotify streams and playlist reach, indicating widespread popularity and strong playlist inclusion.
• "Good Luck, Babe!" by Chappell Roan excels in average daily streams and playlist reach, showing consistent listener engagement.

Engagement Metrics

On TikTok, "Die With A Smile" by Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars dominates with the highest number of posts, views, and likes, showcasing its viral appeal.

YouTube metrics also favor "Die With A Smile" and "Not Like Us", each achieving significant engagement through views and likes.

Shazam data highlights "Die With A Smile" and "BIRDS OF A FEATHER" by Billie Eilish, indicating high listener curiosity and recognition.

Popularity Trends

• "Die With A Smile" achieved a perfect Spotify popularity score of 100, reflecting peak reception during its release. Its sustained momentum solidifies its position as a standout track.
• "Not Like Us" maintained a consistently high average popularity, further underscoring its broad appeal.

Insights and Takeaways

Based on the analysis:

• "Not Like Us" demonstrated the strongest Spotify performance, supported by robust SoundCloud metrics.
• "Die With A Smile" shined with unparalleled engagement on TikTok and YouTube, achieving a peak Spotify score of 100.
• "Good Luck, Babe!" balanced strong airplay spins and playlist reach with steady engagement metrics.
• "BIRDS OF A FEATHER" excelled in airplay and Shazam performance, indicating widespread recognition despite modest streaming numbers.
• "Fortnight (feat. Post Malone)" by Taylor Swift showed consistent streams and playlist activity, though it lagged in engagement metrics compared to top contenders.

Final Thoughts

These latest nominations underscore the vibrancy and diversity of today’s music industry. From Sabrina Carpenter’s cross-platform dominance to the viral appeal of "Die With A Smile," the data reveals fascinating trends shaping the current music landscape. By analyzing performance metrics, we gain a clearer picture of what makes these artists and songs stand out, offering a glimpse into the future of music.