Pakistani-American singer Arooj Aftab has once again secured Grammy nominations for the upcoming awards ceremony in 2025.
This year, her song ‘Raat Ki Rani’ earned a nomination in the Best Global Music Performance category. The song features on her album ‘Night Reign’, which has itself received recognition in the Best Alternative Jazz Album category.
Aftab made history in 2022 as the first Pakistani woman to win a Grammy, taking home the inaugural award for Best Global Music Performance with her song ‘Mohabbat’. She was also nominated for Best New Artist that year, though the award went to singer-songwriter Olivia Rodrigo. Additionally, she performed her Grammy-nominated track *Usher Na* with Anoushka Shankar at the premier ceremony.
Aftab, 37, has lived in New York for nearly 15 years, steadily gaining global acclaim for her unique fusion of Sufi traditions with folk, jazz, and minimalism.
Beyoncé has emerged as the frontrunner for the 2025 Grammy Awards, securing 11 nominations, which brings her career total to 99 — the highest number in Grammy history.
Her country-inspired album ‘Cowboy Carter’ is nominated for both Album of the Year and Country Album of the Year, while her hit ‘Texas Hold ’Em’ has earned nods for Record, Song, and Country Song of the Year. This marks Beyoncé’s debut in the country and Americana categories, making it a groundbreaking year for her.
Previously, Beyoncé and her husband Jay-Z were tied with 88 career nominations each. Now, she stands alone at the top. Should she win Album of the Year, she would be the first Black woman to take home the award in the 21st century; the last was Lauryn Hill in 1999 with ‘The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill’.
Post Malone also received his first Grammy nominations in the country genre this year, thanks to his August release ‘F-1 Trillion’. The album is up for Country Album of the Year, and his collaboration with Morgan Wallen, ‘I Had Some Help’, is nominated for Country Song and Country Duo/Group Performance. These are Wallen’s first Grammy nominations as well.
