The nominations for Grammys 2025 took place on Nov. 8, 2024. Though popular artists like Taylor Swift and Billie Eilish were nominated for several categories, the nominations also featured some emerging artists.
Here are the highlights of three artists to look out for in the race to the Grammys and potentially listen into.
Madi Diaz (Nominated for Best Folk Album and Best Americana Performance)
Madi Diaz was an opener for Harry Styles’s first concerts and later turned into a permanent touring band member for him. Since then she has ventured to kickstart her own music career and has created over five albums. She has also done various collaborations with other artists, like Lizzy McAlpine, Kacey Musgraves and many others. As a folk singer-songwriter, most of her music revolves around love and relationships and the beauty of it all. Her most recent album, “Weird Faith,” captures her idea of growing up and falling for the beautiful things in life and has been nominated for Best Folk Album. Additionally, her collaboration with Kacey Musgraves was nominated for Best Americana Performance by the voters due to the impact it made on them.
Khruangbin (Nominated for Best New Artist)
This band focuses on creating diverse psychedelic music that connects them to their cultural Jamaican and Persian roots. The band members are DJ Johnson (drums, keyboard and vocals), Mark Speer (guitar and vocals) and Laura Lee Ochoa (Bassist and vocals). With over nine albums and five EPs, they have been making music since 2010 and have just recently blown up after their latest album release, “A LA SALA.” Though most of their tracks are instrumentals, they have still garnered a lot of attention for their work, regardless of whether they had lyrics in them or not.
Arooj Aftab (Nominated for Best Global Music Performance and Best Alternative Jazz Album)
Arooj Aftab is a Pakistani-American artist, producer and composer who has previously won a Grammy for Best Global Music Performance for her single “Mohabbat.” Not only was this her first nomination, but it also marked her as the first Pakistani woman to win in Grammy history. She has also been nominated for the same award for the 2025 Grammys for her song, “Raat ki Rani,” along with Best Alternative Jazz Album for her latest album, “Night Reign.” Her influences include jazz, minimalist pop and neo-sufi styles, which incorporate her cultural identity.
Music is representative of our cultural roots and emphasizes individual beliefs or values through it. For the 2025 Grammy nominations, the recording academy included various artists that upheld this side of artistry by celebrating the diverse kind of musicians present globally as they share their voices.
Stay tuned for the Grammy 2025 results that come out on Feb. 2, 2025!
