Women Are Leading the 2025 Grammys—It’s Time to Make Room for Them in Music Production
Written By: CJ Hall
With the 2025 Grammy nominations recently unveiled, one exciting truth stands loud and clear: women are reclaiming their power and making waves in the music industry.
So many groundbreaking moments are going down for women at the music industry’s most coveted awards in 2025. Doechii becomes the first female rapper ever to land a nomination for Best Rap Album. Queen B reigns supreme with the title of most nominated artist in history with 99 nominations. The girls are boldly reassuring us that they’re having their way.
But despite there being long-time representation in categories like Best New Artist for women, one hard truth didn’t go unnoticed—women are outnumbered again in the Producer of the Year category.
Music is often celebrated for its role in shaping culture, especially in a world so honorably enriched by women. The lack of representation in the music production category at the Grammys makes one wonder: what needs to change in order to see some real progress and diversity in the industry?
A 2022 report by the University of Southern California shared that women surprisingly comprised the lowest percentage of nominees for Producer of the Year at the Grammys, with 1.9% of female nominees in the category over the past decade.
“For women songwriters and producers, the needle has not been moved for the last decade. In particular, women of color are virtually shut out of producing the most popular songs each year. We know there are talented women from all backgrounds who are not getting access, opportunity, or credit for their work in this arena.” says Dr. Stacey Smith of USC’s Annenberg Inclusive Initiative.
Another contributing factor could be the enmeshed pattern of producers working within tight networks, often led by men. While it’s natural to stay locked in with your same circles, this pattern could be overshadowing opportunities for diverse talent to thrive. Breaking this cycle requires a real conscious effort to make connections that have more inclusivity and embrace new voices.
Despite representation challenges, women have consistently excelled in music production, working both behind the scenes and at the forefront, earning recognition for their invaluable contributions. Icons like Missy Elliott have completely transformed hip-hop with her timeless sound and experimental arrangements, boldly proving that women can lead creative vision in the studio. Similarly, WondaGurl shattered industry barriers as a young producer, crafting chart-topping hits for artists like Travis Scott and Rihanna, while leaving a lasting mark on modern music. Innovators like Kesha Lee have made history as the first female engineer to win the Best Engineered Album Grammy for Beyoncé’s 'Black Parade.'
That said, encouraging women to pursue engineering programs and other opportunities in music production is vital in driving change and challenging the status quo, ensuring they have the resources and platforms to be recognized for their talents and not overlooked in the process.
The industry must supportively push women forward to thrive in these roles, whether through mentorship programs, engineering programs, or initiatives that promote greater diversity and inclusion. By providing the support and resources needed to nurture talent, we can ensure contributions are valued at every level of production.
Women are already excelling in so many areas of music—the potential in production could make room for limitless representation, and the industry would be stronger if it highlighted diversity and behind-the-scenes contributions more equitably.