BY BETSEY LEWIS in collaboration with CAROLINE BLANKE
On Friday, November 8th, the 2025 Grammy Nominations were announced, and the KJHK Executive Staff members have some THOUGHTS. The following results include our predications and opinions about some of the 2025 Grammy Noms.
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ALBUM OF THE YEAR:
New Blue Sun by André 3000
Although we ultimately found a clear winner here, one Exec Staffer felt that this list was not representative of the truly best albums of 2024 and points to issues within the broader academy:
“Chromakopia should be album of the year ngl, but ever since they gave best album to Macklemore that one year, I’ve lost hope in humanity.”
SONG OF THE YEAR:
“Please Please Please” by Sabrina Carpenter (et. al)
As KJHK is a radio station dedicated to “the sound alternative,” we don’t always engage with more mainstream music. That being said, Sabrina Carpenter’s Short n Sweet LP caught many an alternative staffer by surprise in how much they enjoyed its sickly sweet poppiness. Because of this, “Please Please Please” was voted “Song of the Year” by Executive Staffers.
RECORD OF THE YEAR:
“Good Luck, Babe!” by Chappell Roan
(We love you Chappell)
BEST NEW ARTIST:
Chappell Roan
(We love you Chappell pt. 2)
Discussion about who is this year’s “Best New Artist” can bring up snubs of Grammy’s past. One staffer writes of their favorite artist:
“Mitski has never been nominated for a Grammy and I’m mad about it!”
BEST POP VOCAL ALBUM:
The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess – Chappell Roan
(We love you Chappell pt. 3)
BEST DANCE/ELECTRONIC ALBUM:
Brat by Charli XCX
To the surprise of no one, Brat is the winner in this category. Especially over the summer, Charli XCX’s party-centric, yet surprisingly vulnerable album quickly gained traction around the station. (Isn’t it crazy how Google Forms didn’t make Brat‘s color green though… I’m kind of mad about it).
BEST ROCK ALBUM:
Probably the most divisive category for our station, the title for the “Best Rock Album” remains unclaimed…
BEST ALTERNATIVE MUSIC ALBUM:
Charm by Clairo
BIG Clairo fans ‘round here! Can’t you tell?
BEST PROGRESSIVE R&B ALBUM:
Bando Stone and the New World by Childish Gambino
Childish Gambino has been a fan favorite of KJHKers for years, and this album (like the rest of his discography) landed particularly with our Exec Staffers this year.
BEST R&B ALBUM:
Coming Home by Usher
Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! … usher usher.
BEST RAP ALBUM:
Although Doechii’s Alligator Bites Never Heal and The Auditorium, Vol. 1 by Common & Pete Rock were tied for Exec Staff’s pick for Best Rap Album, one Executive Staffer spoke one why the tie should be broken:
“Common and Pete Rock’s The Auditorium, Vol. 1 manages to completely innovate the rap sound while still being so reminiscent of classic Hip Hop music. The duo have been making hit after hit for nearly three decades now. Even though they’re not going to be the most popular choice, I believe their record is by far the most special.”
BEST AMERICANA ALBUM:
Tigers Blood by Waxahatchee
Another close category here, but we have a winner! Tigers Blood by Waxahatchee (widely recognized around the station as one of Programming Director, Gracie Hughes’s favorite albums of all time) beat out some other really fantastic Americana LPs. ‘Twas a great year for the Americana genre.
BEST FOLK ALBUM:
Bright Future by Adrianne Lenker
An overwhelming KJHK favorite, Adrianne Lenker’s Bright Future was many staffers’ favorite album of the year, even beyond the folk category.
BEST COMPILATION SOUNDTRACK FOR VISUAL MEDIA:
Saltburn
Not only are we audiophiles but cinephiles, as well! A majority of staffers preferred Saltburn’s soundtrack over others nominated for the “Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media” category. This is not to say it was our absolute favorite, but some of us really enjoyed the resurgence of Sophie Ellis-Baxter’s 2002 banger, “Murder on the Dancefloor,” in mainstream listening (thanks TikTok!).
and last but not least… BEST ALTERNATIVE JAZZ ALBUM:
New Blue Sun by André 3000
ANDRÉ 3000 IS BACK! And with some absolutely killer flutes. In my opinion, this is by far one of the coolest albums up for nomination this year.
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In gathering the opinions for this article, we asked staffers to write any additional concerns, opinions, and/or feelings they may have regarding The Grammys. Especially for a station dedicated to bringing smaller, alternative, and more obscure artists to the fore, The Grammys can often feel like a punch in the gut.
One staffer wrote about how they are “very concerned with how often the Grammys seems to prioritize white artists in both nominations and wins over people of color.” Additionally, the number of queer and/or anti-mainstream artists that are nominated/win their nominations continues to be small.
This is likely why one staff member just said “(starts barking aggressively)” when asked about how they feel about The Grammys.
While it’s fun to speculate and vote for who we hope may win in a certain category, ultimately, it may be a disheartening result come February, seeing as The Academy has and continues to deem the songs, artists, and records “the best,” when really they’re the most popular (aka most conforming) among mainstream listenership.