The Beatles Achieve Groundbreaking Victory at 2025 Grammy Awards
The Beatles have made history once again, this time by winning the Best Rock Performance award at the 2025 Grammy Awards for their track Now and Then - marking the first-ever Grammy win for a song created with artificial intelligence assistance.
Released in November 2023, Now and Then became eligible within the latest Grammy voting window. The track originated from a 1970s-era demo by John Lennon, which Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, and their production team later expanded using AI technology. This innovative approach allowed them to isolate and refine Lennon's vocals, a method unavailable during the band's 1990s Anthology sessions that produced earlier posthumous releases like "Real Love" and "Free as a Bird."
McCartney first teased the project in June 2023 during an interview, calling it "the final Beatles record" and explaining how AI helped extract Lennon's voice from the original tape. However, he later clarified the extent of AI's role amid public speculation: "We want to be clear - nothing was artificially generated. Every element is authentic, with contributions from all of us. This cleanup process mirrors techniques we've used for decades."
Sean Ono Lennon, John Lennon's son, accepted the award on the band's behalf, humorously remarking, "Since no-one is coming up to take this award, I figured I'd come and sit in. I really didn't expect to be accepting this award on behalf of my father's group, The Beatles," Lennon said on stage.
"It's really incredible, if you think about it. The Beatles have done so much incredible work and they're still in the culture and people still listen to the music. As far as I'm concerned, it's the greatest band of all time."
"I think I was supposed to be here with Giles Martin who mixed this with Paul [McCartney] and he did an incredible job. I don't know. I just want to say play The Beatles music to your kids. I feel like the world can't afford to forget about people like The Beatles. We need this music in the world. We need peace and love and we need the magic of the '60s to stay alive."
This historic win underscores The Beatles' enduring legacy and the evolving intersection of music and technology, proving their artistry continues to inspire new generations six decades after their debut.