Skyline students were polled on which artists they thought should win the biggest awards presented at the 67th GRAMMYs on February 2. All polls were conducted via a Google Form sent to approximately 100 students, garnering a total of 19 responses. In some ways, the choices of the Recording Academy closely reflected the opinions of these teenage music enthusiasts. In others, students were shocked at how different the outcome was from their choice.
The first major award presented was Best New Artist, the award the Recording Academy and Skyline aligned on most closely. The majority of voters (31.6%) chose Chappell Roan. Sophomore Auzeen Tashnizi explained, “Chappell Roan’s music has connected with so many people, specifically the LGBTQ community, and she brings so much fresh new music and material to pop music.”
The Recording Academy also chose Chappell Roan. Many students said they were “very happy” with the result, while others said they thought it made sense and that she deserved the award. “I’m proud of our queer midwest princess,” one anonymous student stated.
For Record of the Year, students were
still rooting for Roan and her song “Good Luck, Babe!” One Junior explained, “‘Good Luck, Babe!’ reflects such a universal experience of young love in the queer community (specifically the sapphic community) that encapsulates something untouched by other mainstream artists. In addition to the catchiness and insane vocals, Chappell’s performance feels very liberating.”
Despite this, many felt the GRAMMY winner, “Not Like Us” by Kendrick Lamar, was also a good choice. “It’s a good, catchy song,” Freshman Boden Reid said. “I think it was one of the best candidates in the category.”
“Not Like Us” also won Song of the Year. Many students felt there were “better songs” or that the Recording Academy should’ve diversified the winners for these two awards. However, others thought Lamar deserved it. Junior Liam Greene expressed that he thought the song was “one of the best diss tracks of all time,” hence why he voted for it in this category.
Regardless, the choice conflicted with Skyline’s own: “Die With A Smile” by Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars. “It’s very popular, and it’s just a good song overall,” Freshman Isaac Blackmon said.
Conflicting opinions affected Skyline’s Album of the Year choice most directly. Almost half of student voters didn’t decide on an album at all. This category also had the highest percentage of students not listening to every nomination (even partially) at 66.7%. It was nearly a five way split, but one vote swayed the winner. Thus, Skyline’s pick for the 2025 Album of the Year award was HIT ME HARD AND SOFT by Billie Eilish. One anonymous Freshman said, “It’s a banger for banger album […] that has both quality and variety.” Senior Maggie Coble added, “The lyrics and effort Billie put into this album and tour were immaculate.”
Ultimately, Beyoncé’s COWBOY CARTER was the GRAMMY winner. Many students asserted their disagreement with this choice, which hadn’t earned a single vote in the Skyline poll. Junior Zoe Cahoon said, “I’ve never been a huge Beyoncé fan. She’s talented in so many ways, but this album didn’t really deserve Album of the Year.”
A controversial choice like this aligns with the controversial view towards the GRAMMYs in general. Tashnizi, for one, isn’t a fan of the awards show. “I watch anyways to know who wins and to know the drama, but I think it’s such a distasteful, corrupt organization,” she said. Others, like Sophomore Lilian Dmitrieva, are simply disappointed by the music they nominate. She explained, “It would be nice to have more nominees whose name aren’t fully out there.” Despite this, the GRAMMYs are fun for many, as they connect the industry together. “So many people gathered together for a recognition of talent is inspiring,” Cahoon said. “I love music and finding that so many other people relate with the artists and songs I do makes me feel so connected to the rest of the music loving world.”
