NEW YORK (AP) — It looks like it the 2025 Grammy Awards can be a different kind of awards ceremony. Beyonce leads the nods with 11, bringing her career total to a record 99 nominations. There is an incredible one diversity of genres represented in key categories, and women continue to find success. So… who didn’t make it? What were the nicest surprises of all? Let’s see.

The country is cool again… and it looks a little different.

Country music has moved into other prominent genres, and the Recording Academy has taken notice. Land hybridists – like Beyoncé, Post Malone and the first nominee Shaboozey – lead many nominations, both in the country and abroad.

But that means the traditionalists may not see any rewards: Favorites from the CMA Awards Cody Johnson’s ‘Leather’ and Luke Combs’ ‘Fathers & Sons’ did not receive any nominations. The latter should come as no surprise: Comb’s blockbuster cover of Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car” wasn’t nominated for record of the year at the 2024 Grammys either — though it did earn a nod in best country solo performance. .

This year also marks the first-ever nominations for Malone and Beyoncé in the country categories.

The Beatles are back

Who saw this coming? The latest new song from The Beatles, the AI-assisted one ‘Now and Then’ is nominated for record of the year. Released in 2023, the song used artificial intelligence to extract John Lennon’s voice from an old demo. It’s the same technology that was used to separate the Beatles’ voices from background noise during the making of director Peter Jackson’s 2021 documentary series, “The Beatles: Get Back.”

Last summer, the Recording Academy announced a series of changes to the Grammy Awardsincluding new protocols with technological advances in machine learning. It led to headlines: ‘Only human creators’ could win the music industry’s top honor in a decision targeting the use of artificial intelligence in popular music. These changes are clearly in effect at the 2025 Grammys.

Album of the year gets a facelift

Last year it was album of the year category dominated by pop women – and that continues with Taylor Swift, Chappell Roan, Sabrina Carpenter and Charli XCX’s rave-ready approach to the genre names received. The latter is a nice surprise (more about that below), but the two nominated men are creative outliers. OutKast frontman André 3000’s experimental jazz flute album “New Blue Sun” is a contender, as is Jacob Collier’s “Djesse Vol. 4”, although that could fill a space left empty by Jon Batiste.

BRAT summer is forever

Charli and music videos. Clearly, her culture-changing ‘BRAT’ album – and the summer of memes it inspired – still has real influence.

Exciting – and undoubtedly surprising – first nominees

There is no shortage of first nominees this year. Some were expected – like Roan, Timmerman and Shaboozey – and others were expected to be less so. Willow Smith has received her first nomination in the arrangements, instruments and vocals category for arranging her song “bigfeeling s.” Linda Martell, country’s first commercially successful black musician, is featured with Shaboozey on Beyoncé’s “SPAGHETTII,” which falls into the category of melodic rap performance. This earned the founding father her very first Grammy nomination at the age of 83.

And finally, Morgan Wallen – undoubtedly one of the country’s most popular musicians, and one full of controversy — has received his first two Grammy nominations for his feature in Malone’s “I Had Some Help.” Last year, his song ‘Last Night’ was nominated for best country song, but that’s an award for a songwriter, and Wallen didn’t get a nod.

In the past, the country singer has been missing from nominations. In 2021, a video of him surfaced use racist commentshe was disqualified or restricted from several award shows and received no Grammy nominations for his best-selling ‘Dangerous: The Double Album’.

Latin music is missing from the top categories… again

Like last year, Latin music is missing from the top categories at the 2025 Grammys, despite a surplus of eligible talent: Peso Pluma’s ‘Éxodo,’ Shakira’s ‘Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran,’ Residente, ‘Las Letras Ya No Importan ‘, Carín León’s “Boca Chueca, Vol. 1” and Bad Bunny’s “Nadie Sabe Lo Que Va a Pasar Mañana” among them.

No K-pop?

Same as above: K-pop also seems to be absent. There are no nominations for the BTS members who released solo material this year: RMs ‘Right place, wrong person’ J-Hope’s ‘Hope on the Street, Vol. 1,” and Jimin’s “Muse.” As a boy band, BTS has received five nominations during its career.

Only one nomination for leading artists

Despite being one of today’s great global superstars – regularly celebrated as one of the the most streamed artists on the planet — Bad Bunny’s “Nadie Sabe Lo Que Va a Pasar Mañana” received only one nomination, for the album música urbana.

And Usher, who had a successful year, including one star-studded Super Bowl halftime show — also received just one nomination, for an R&B album.

…And none for others

In pop style, Dua Lipa’s ‘Eternal Optimism’ is nowhere to be seen. In country, best new artist hopeful Megan Moroney no nominations received. In R&B, Normani’s highly anticipated debut album, ‘Dopamine’, failed to make waves with voters, and in rap, Nicki Minaj’s ‘Pink Friday 2’ and “Megan” by Megan Thee Stallion are absent.

The end of Jack Antonoff’s reign?

Last year Jack Antonoff came home producer of the year, non-classical for the third year in a row, making Babyface the only other producer to do so in a row. This year he did not receive an award in that category, a category in which he has held a place since 2019. Who will do the honors?

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The 2025 Grammy Awards will air live on CBS and Paramount+ on February 2 from the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.