It’s one of music’s biggest (and longest) awards shows and the 67th Grammy Awards didn’t disappoint. But who won what in the classical world?
With over 90 awards to hand out across a dizzying range of categories, the Grammys is something of an endurance test for those in attendance. That said, you can’t say the American Recording Academy isn’t thorough!
Last night at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, a who’s who of musical stars assembled to find out who the Academy voters have recognised for their musical talent, from gospel to folk music via children’s music, latin jazz and spoken word.
The night may have seemingly belonged to the likes of Chappell Roan, Beyoncé, Sabrina Carpenter and Kendrick Lamar, and there were even wins for The Beatles and The Rolling Stones, but for classical artists it was just as big a night.
Who won classical awards at the 2025 Grammys?
The biggest winner of the night was the Mexican composer Gabriela Ortiz, whose brilliant album Revolución Diamantina with the LA Phil, LA Master Chorale and Gustavo Dudamel (on Platoon) won three Grammys. The recording, which was our own ‘Recording of the Month’ in the September 2024 issue and is nominated for a Choral Award at the 2025 BBC Music Magazine Awards, was named ‘Best Classical Compendium’, ‘Best Contemporary Classical Composition’ and ‘Best Orchestral Performance’ (the latter two specifically for the title work, Revolución Diamantina).
Icelandic pianist Víkingur Ólafsson won his first ever Grammy, for ‘Best Classical Instrumental Solo’ recognising his recording of JS Bach’s Goldberg Variations (on DG), while soprano Karen Slack and pianist Michelle Cann won ‘Best Classical Solo Vocal Album’ for their showcase of unpublished songs by Florence Price, Beyond the Years (on Azica Records).
US choir The Crossing and their director David Nally’s album Ochre (on Navona Records) was named ‘Best Choral Performance’, while the Grammy for ‘Best Opera Recording’ went to San Francisco Symphony Orchestra and Chorus (et al)’s take on the late Kaija Saariaho’s Adriana Mater (on DG).
Composer Caroline Shaw and Sō Percussion were recognised for their recording of Shaw’s Rectangles & Circumstance (on Nonesuch), winning the Grammy for ‘Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance, while the award for ‘Best Instrumental Composition’ went to Pascal Le Boeuf’s Strands.
The Grammy for ‘Best Engineered Album, Classical’ went to engineers Mark Donahue and John Newton for their recording of Bruckner’s Seventh Symphony and Mason Bates’s Resurrexit, performed by Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra under Manfred Honeck (our ‘Recording of the Month’ in the October 2024 issue).
A fifth Grammy for Hans Zimmer
Movie composer Hans Zimmer won his fifth Grammy for the album of Dune: Part Two (‘Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media). The win follows some consternation among fans that Zimmer’s score was not shortlisted for an Academy Award nomination ahead of the recent Oscar nominees announcement – Zimmer won the Oscar for Dune: Part One. Zimmer’s album beat the score albums for Challengers, American Fiction and Shōgun.
The Grammy for ‘Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media’ went to the album for Bradley Cooper’s Maestro (released on DG). That album, for the emotionally charged biopic of composer-conductor Leonard Bernstein, largely featured works by Bernstein, but also recordings of Mahler, Walton and Beethoven. Maestro’s album beat those nominated for Deadpool & Wolverine, Saltburn, Twisters and The Color Purple. The win marks a fifth Grammy for conductor Yannick Nézet-Séguin, who conducted the recordings with the London Symphony Orchestra.
Finally, Jon Batiste won the Grammy for ‘Best Song Written for Visual Media’, recognising ‘It Never Went Away’ from his documentary feature American Symphony – which also won an award for ‘Best Music Film’.
You can see the full list of winners for the 67th Grammy Awards at grammy.com
