BRIT Awards will be held on Saturday, March 1 at the O2 Arena
The legendary band — who previously won the Outstanding Contribution to Music accolade in 1983 and British Group and British Album of the Year for Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band — have been shortlisted for the 2025 Song of the Year with Mastercard prize for Now and Then, a track written by the late John Lennon in the late 1970s and finished by surviving bandmates Sir Paul McCartney and Sir Ringo Starr.
But Now and Then faces competition for the award from other songs including Charli XCX's Guess featuring Billie Eilish, Coldplay's Feelslikeimfallinginlove, Dua Lipa's Training Season, Jade's Angel of My Dreams and Sam Ryder's You're Christmas To Me.
The Beatles have had 18 number one singles in the UK's official single's charts - the most recent of which was last year's 'Now and Then'. That track featured cleaned-up John Lennon vocals from the 1970s, George's guitar playing from the 1990s and new recordings from Paul and Ringo.
The chart success of 'Now and Then' - released as the last ever Beatles song - meant that the band set a new record for the longest gap between an act's first and last number one. There were 60 years and six months between the April 1963 release of 'From Me to You' (the band's first number one in the official charts) and the November 2023 release of 'Now and Then'.
Fans have been reacting to John Lennon and George Harrison’s omission from The Beatles’ new Grammy nomination for ‘Now And Then’.
However, Lennon and Harrison, who died in 1980 and 2001 respectively, do not meet Grammy eligibility requirements as they did not contribute newly recorded elements to the track, and are not listed in the official nomination.
Ove the years, The Beatles have taken home 13 Grammy awards. If the total also includes special honours, awards and Grammy Hall Of Fame awards, that number shoots up to 29.
You can read some fans reaction on NME
The single was released back in November 2023. Paul McCartney first announced the track in June of that year, revealing: “When we came to make what will be the last Beatles record, it was a demo that John had that we worked on, and we’ve just finished it up; it’ll be released this year.”
‘Now and Then’ was initially a demo which Lennon had made shortly before his death. His widow, Yoko Ono, later gave the recording to the surviving members of The Beatles, who first attempted to record the track in 1995 as a trio when they made ‘Free As A Bird’ and ‘Real Love’ for the Anthology project.
Due to technology issues, the surviving Beatles were unable to get ‘Now and Then’ up to an acceptable standard. However, thanks to advancements, McCartney and Ringo Starr have now been able to bring all four members back together for one final effort.
The release, therefore, proved controversial owing to the fact that AI was used to help bring it to fruition. In an age where AI threatens both jobs and the integrity of the creative industry, the song’s subsequent Grammy nomination has proved equally divisive, with some arguing that it shows how new technology can be embraced in an artistic fashion and others claiming it sets a dangerous precedence.
Discussing the work, drummer Starr says of the new Beatles track: “It was the closest we’ll ever come to having him back in the room, so it was very emotional for all of us. It was like John was there, you know. It’s far out.” But will it be enough to secure them another Grammy when the ceremony swings around on Febraury 2nd, 2025.
The contemporary names the far out anthem is up against include ‘Texas Hold ‘Em’ by Beyoncé and the much talked about Chappell Roan with ‘Good Luck, Babe!’. Elsewhere, André 3000 received a nod for ‘Album of the Year’ and ‘Please Please Please’ will no doubt get the popular vote from the public in the ‘Song of the Year’ category.
