Spiritbox, Gojira, Metallica Nominated for Metal GRAMMYs, If Anyone Really Cares

I know we go through this old song and dance ever year, but it’s gotta be done so here it is: the 2025 GRAMMY nomination list was made official and once again metal’s barely represented. Though at least this time some interesting songs were chosen for a potential award.

Unlike the previous year where a fucking Iron Maiden cover got a nomination, this year’s list of metal songs selected for the “Best Metal Performance” award could be considered an exciting mix of the old and new guard. And while I’m sure Metallica will win because the folks behind the GRAMMYs don’t know shit about shit, it’s good to at least be able to say that some of these bands were nominated.

The GRAMMYs will be aired on CBS and on Paramount+ live on Sunday, February 2 from Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.

Remember that in order to be eligible for the 2025 GRAMMYs, applicable songs and albums need to have been released in the U.S. between September 16, 2023 to August 30, 2024. Which explains why Metallica’s even on this list. But enough about all that, here’s the actual nomination list:

BEST METAL PERFORMANCE

1. “My fault (Ah! Ça ira!)”
   Gojira, Marina Viotti & Victor Le Masne
2. “Crown of Horns”
   Judas Priest
3. “Suffocate”
   Knocked Loose Featuring Poppy
4. “Screaming Suicide”
   Metallica
5. “Cellar Door”
   Spiritbox

See what I mean by this list being interesting? Knocked Loose with Poppy? Spiritbox? That song Gojira played at the Olympics? Not bad. Hell, even the Judas Priest song rules. But I can’t help but feel that there are so many more deserving bands to get this kind of recognition than bands like Priest or Metallica, who’ve already received their flowers for decades now. Let’s get some younger, talented bands the spotlight for fucking once.

As for the rest of the nominations in our metal/rock sphere, those lists are as follows:

BEST ROCK ALBUM

1. “Happiness Bastards”
   The Black Crowes
2. “Romance”
   DC Fountains
3. “Saviors”
   Green Day
4. “THE TANGK”
   Idles
5. “Dark Matter”
   Pearl Jam
6. “Hackney Diamonds”
   The Rolling Stones
7. “No Name”
   Jack White

BEST ROCK SONG

1. “Beautiful People (Stay High)”
   Dan Auerbach, Patrick Carney, Beck Hansen & Daniel Nakamura, songwriters (The Black Keys)
2. “Broken Man”
   Annie Clark, songwriter (St. Vincent)
3. “Dark Matter”
   Jeff Ament, Matt Cameron, Stone Gossard, Mike McCready, Eddie Vedder & Andrew Watt, songwriters (Pearl Jam)
4. “Dilemma”
   Billie Joe Armstrong, Mike Dirnt & Tré Cool, songwriters (Green Day)
5. “Gift Horse”
   Jon Beavis, Mark Bowen, Adam Devonshire, Lee Kiernan & Joe Talbot, songwriters (Idles)

BEST ROCK PERFORMANCE

1. “Now and Then”
   The Beatles
2. “Beautiful People (Stay High)”
   The Black Keys
3. “The American Dream Is Killing Me”
   Green Day
4. “Gift Horse”
   Idles
5. “Dark Matter”
   Pearl Jam
6. “Broken Man”
   St. Vincent