Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” Sweeps Five Grammys
Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” won all five of its categories at the 67th Grammy Awards, including record of the year and song of the year.
Timeline
- August 30, 2024: The eligibility period for the 67th Grammy Awards ended.
- February 2, 2025: The 67th Grammy Awards were held and “Not Like Us” won five categories.
Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” won five awards at the 67th Grammy Awards on February 2, 2025. The Recording Academy’s official results say the track won every category in which it was nominated. The five were record of the year, song of the year, best rap performance, best rap song and best music video. [1][2]
Record of the year and song of the year sound similar but recognize different work. Record of the year concerns the recorded performance and production, so credited artists, producers and recording personnel can receive recognition. Song of the year is a songwriter’s award for the composition’s music and lyrics. Lamar was listed as the songwriter for “Not Like Us” in the song category. [1][2]
The two rap-field wins also cover separate dimensions. Best rap performance recognizes the delivered recording as a rap performance, while best rap song focuses on songwriting. “Not Like Us” defeated a different set of nominees in each category, and the Academy’s category descriptions identify the performance and songwriter distinctions. [1]
Best music video extended the sweep into a visual category. The official listing credits Kendrick Lamar and Dave Free as video directors and names the credited producers. That award is shared according to the category’s video credits rather than automatically following the song’s writing or audio-production credits. [1]
The sweep did not mean Lamar won the ceremony’s album prize. Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter won album of the year, while Doechii’s Alligator Bites Never Heal won best rap album. “Not Like Us” was a single competing across general, rap and video fields, so its total came from one recording entering several distinct forms of recognition. [1]
The awards honored recordings released during the Grammy eligibility window from September 16, 2023 through August 30, 2024. The ceremony took place in 2025, which is why official pages label the event as the 2025 Grammys even though the Academy also calls it the 67th annual ceremony. The date distinction helps avoid mixing it with later awards for recordings released afterward. [1][2]
The direct answer is five Grammy wins. They covered the recording as a whole, Lamar’s songwriting, his rap performance and the accompanying video. The Academy’s full winners list supplies the category-by-category record, while its song-of-the-year page explains why that trophy belongs specifically to songwriting rather than serving as a duplicate name for record of the year. [1][2]
Sources
- Recording Academy — 2025 Grammy winners and nominees
- Recording Academy — 2025 Song of the Year results