In recent years, female artists have made great strides to bridge the gender gap in the male-dominated music industry. They have started to overwhelmingly dominate what the Grammys deem “The Big Four” awards: Record of the Year, Album of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best New Artist.
At the most recent 2025 Grammys, two of those categories went to women: Beyonce for Cowboy Carter (Album of the Year) and Chappel Roan (Best New Artist). In 2024, all “Big Four” awards went to women: Taylor Swift for Midnights (Album of the Year), Miley Cyrus for “Flowers” (Record of the Year), Billie Eilish for “What Was I Made For?” (Song of the Year), and Victoria Monet (Best New Artist). A similar pattern of “Big Four” female domination occurred in 2023 and 2021. In 2020, Billie Eilish became the first female artist to completely sweep the “Big Four”, the second artist ever to do this.
Despite these recent successes for female artists, their heavy media coverage has hidden the ever-present, still-existing disparity between men and women in the music industry. Even though women have been sweeping the “Big Four,” they only made up 28% of the total 2025 Grammy nominations, whereas male artists made up 69% of nominations. In terms of awards, male artists won 61% and female artists only won 37% of nominations. Similar numbers occurred in the years prior.
These number gaps aren’t necessarily due to heavy bias from the Grammys (although systemic gender discrimination is a factor). They stem from the fact that there just aren’t as many female artists in the industry. Women have a significantly harder time breaking into the industry than men. Whether they are singers, songwriters, musicians, or producers, there is the existing gender stereotype that men possess the qualities necessary for a good producer or songwriter. These stereotypes mean that women have less access to the mentorships, resources, and recognition needed to become successful. These systemic barriers also ensure that the few women who do manage to become successful face harassment and mistreatment from their peers. Additionally, the stigma that female artists only write about their romantic relationships puts a caricature-like layer of dismissal to their success.
So in order to spread awareness about the importance of successful female musicians, let’s take a look at how some of the most popular women in the industry have been breaking record after record in recent years, and remember that despite these wins, there is still more improvement to be had in the music industry when it comes to equality.
Billie Eilish
“I tried to scream but my head was underwater” – “everything i wanted.”
Eilish debuted in 2015 with her hit single “Ocean Eyes.” Since then, she and her brother/producer, Finneas, have risen to the top of the charts with their innovative and unique blend of alternative, pop, and electronic elements.
“Think I forgot how to be happy” – “What Was I Made For?”
Her debut album When We Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go won five Grammys at the 2020 awards, the year she swept the “Big Four,” as well as snagged a win for Best Pop Vocal Album. She was not only the first female artist to do so but the second artist ever, since the first time in 1981. She also happened to be the youngest artist to accomplish this feat at only 18 years old.
“Oh, I hope some day I’ll make it out of here even if it takes all night or a hundred years” – “lovely.”
Eilish was also made the youngest Triple Crown award winner in 2022 for her and Finneas’s hit: “No Time To Die” for the James Bond movie. The Triple Crown award for a musician means that they won a Golden Globe, Grammy, and Oscar for a song they wrote for a movie. Not only was Eilish the youngest artist to achieve this, she became a two-time Triple Crown winner in 2024 for “What Was I Made For,” which was written for the live action Barbie movie.
“Quiet when I’m comin’ home and I’m on my own, and I can lie and say I like it like that” – “when the party’s over.”
Chappell Roan
“If you really wanna leave I’ll never make you stay” – “Kaleidoscope.”
Chappell Roan debuted in 2017 with an EP but didn’t gain commercial success until 2023 with the release of her first album: “The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess.” Her relationship songs are about women; Chappell has openly identified as lesbian. This adds a subtle layer of nuance and diversity to her pop songs.
“It’s all in my head but I want non-fiction” – “HOT TO GO!”
While Chappell was not the first openly LGBTQ artist to win a Grammy or even the Best New Artist category, she was the first openly lesbian artist to do so in 2025: a specific win for female artists everywhere.
“With your head in your hands you’re nothing more than his wife” – “Good Luck, Babe!”
Chappell has also made history at the Lollapalooza music festival by becoming the record holder for the singular largest day-crowd concert. She enchanted fans with her iconic persona and high energy performance. In particular, her drag-queen makeup was inspired by the way she was treated in high school for her sexuality. She noted that the mean kids used to say gay people looked like “clowns,” so she made it a point to incorporate drag makeup into herself as an artist. Additionally, this was the inspiration for the clowns she included in her performance of “Pink Pony Club” at the Grammys.
“Where boys and girls can all be queens every single day” – “Pink Pony Club”
Olivia Rodrigo
“And I just can’t imagine how you could be so okay now that I’m gone” – “driver’s license.”
Rodrigo’s initial fame didn’t come from her music. She was known from a young age as a child Disney actor, who just happened to sing sometimes for her roles. Her song “All I Want,” written for the Disney+ High School Musical series, catapulted her abilities into the spotlight. She left the TV series and released her immediate hit “driver’s license” in 2021. Soon after followed her first album “Sour,” which received critical acclaim. Her second commercially successful album “Guts” was released in 2023.
“Don’t you think I loved you too much to be used and discarded” – “enough for you”
Rodrigo has broken multiple records on Spotify. “Sour” holds the record for the most-streamed album on the platform and broke the record for the most streams in a week for an album by a female artist. Rodrigo also holds records in terms of the Billboards Chart. She became the record holder for the most Top 10 songs on the Billboard Hot 100 at one time, surpassing Taylor Swift. She was also the youngest solo artist to debut at #1 on the Billboards Chart. Additionally, “Sour” was the longest reigning #1 album by a female artist in 2021.
“Every good thing has turned into something I dread” – “making the bed.”
Sabrina Carpenter
“And thanks to you I, I can’t love right” – “emails I can’t send.”
Similarly to Olivia Rodrigo, Sabrina Carpenter’s initial fame came from her days as a young Disney actress who just happened to also sing for her roles. She released her debut single in 2014 but didn’t gain critical acclaim until the release of her album Emails I Can’t Send in 2022. The album gained her multiple commercially successful singles and skyrocketed her career as a singer.
“Tell me who I am, guess I don’t have a choice” – “because I liked a boy.”
Carpenter has interestingly broken records on the U.K. Charts. The Official Singles Chart is the U.K. equivalent to the Billboard Hot 100, and Carpenter has become the first female artist to hold both the #1 and #2 spots on the chart for three consecutive weeks. Her most recent Grammy winning album Short’N Sweet was the best selling album in the U.K. as well. The album became famous for its short but expressive tracks, furthered by Carpenter’s famous and still ongoing tour.
“I might change your contact to ‘don’t leave me alone’” – “Nonsense.”
Taylor Swift
“If you never bleed you’re never gonna grow” – “the 1.”
This wouldn’t be a comprehensive list of successful female artists without Taylor Swift. She is one of the most successful singers of all time, ever since her debut at age 15 in 2006. She has a total of 18 albums, 52 Grammy nominations, and 14 Grammy wins. She is famously known for her unconventional transition between genres: her first three albums were considered Country, and every subsequent album was Pop. She has done a total of six successful stadium tours, although the Eras Tour was her first since the 1989 World Tour.
“Everything you lose is a step you take” – “You’re On Your Own Kid.”
Swift has been a sharp advocate and leader for the protection of artist rights: she has famously been in the process of re-recording and releasing all of her albums that were under the Big Machine record label after they refused to sell her the rights to her first six albums. Swift’s condemnation of this particular label has sparked other artists, like Kesha and Lil Kim, to engage in legal battles over the rights to their music.
“I think I’ve seen this film before, and I didn’t like the ending” – “exile.”
In 2024, Swift officially became the record holder for most Album of the Year Grammy wins. She has won the award four times: “Fearless” (2010), “1989” (2016), “Folklore” (2021), and “Midnights” (2024). She had been previously tied with Frank Sinatra, Stevie Wonder, and Paul Simon, who each have won the award three times. Swift also holds the record for most number one albums by a female artist, with 13. She surpassed Barbara Streisand who has 11, and has the third most number one albums of any artist.
“All the pieces of me shattered as the crowd was chanting ‘more’” – “I Can Do It With A Broken Heart.”
Swift’s groundbreaking Eras Tour was the highest grossing concert tour of all time at an estimate of $2 billion. It also has the record of most tickets sold in a day, and the filmed version of the concert is the highest grossing concert movie ever. The tour’s opening night had the most attendees for a female artist ever.
“Every conquest I had made would make me more of a boss to you” – “The Man.”
In conclusion, female artists are making great strides in the music industry. From breaking records to advocating for their rights, or simply being successful, they have begun to make a music world where men and women are equal. There is still much work to be done in order to achieve that, but the achievements that have been made will stand the test of time.
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Griffiths, G. (2024, October 11). Sabrina Carpenter becomes woman with most weeks at Number 1 ever in a single year. Official Charts. Retrieved May 20, 2025, from https://www.officialcharts.com/chart-news/sabrina-carpenter-taste-week-7-record-breaker/
Puckkett-Pope, L. (n.d.). Acceptance Speech. Elle. https://www.elle.com/culture/celebrities/a60153891/billie-eilish-finneas-acceptance-speech-best-song-2024-oscars
Wang, A. X. (2020, January). How Overwhelmingly Male the Industry Is. Rolling Stones. https://www.rollingstone.com/pro/news/heres-how-overwhelmingly-male-the-music-industry-still-is-940255/
