Another year down, another year of memorable concerts. I thought I'd take a moment to recap the shows I've been to throughout 2025 and hand out some awards just because I feel like it. Also, a lot of my memories are still fresh since a majority of the shows I went to were attended in essentially eight back-to-back weeks throughout September and October.

I also couldn't really choose a favorite of the year because they were all so notable and meant a lot to me in different ways. However, there was one that stood out from all the rest, but just by a hair. Anyway, let's get to the superlatives.

All photos by me.

Best Small Venue Concert

Tour de Dance || Aminé

Venue: The Novo - Los Angeles, CA

Date: September 24

With a max capacity of just 2,400 at The Novo, Aminé performed his ass off and brought the house down. His bright and colorful set perfectly matched his on-stage presence. His charm and charisma never floundered, and he was very interactive with the fans, including an intimate tradition in which he brings one fan on stage to write a personal message to him on a pair of tour pants that he brings to each city.

Most Nostalgic

JONAS20: Welcome to Your Hometown Tour || Jonas Brothers

Venue: Intuit Dome - Inglewood, CA

Date: September 6

It's hard to believe, but the Jonas Brothers have been making music (and us swoon) for two decades already, yet they're all only in their 30s?! Even though they've been on tour nonstop for what feels like five years, they still somehow muster up the energy to bring it every night.

What I admire about this tour, specifically, is that they mix up the setlist for each city and try to kick off the night with a different song. Fittingly, Los Angeles got "L.A. Baby", the theme song from their Disney Channel TV show. The best brother, Kevin, also debuted his solo single “Changing” on this tour (finally!). They’ve also been bringing out special guests at nearly every stop. Typically, an act that appeals to their mostly millennial audience, such as Sum 41, Vanessa Carlton, or Jesse McCartney. We got John Legend (yay!) and 5 Seconds of Summer (meh).

Best Performance by a Female Actor - Comedy or Musical

BITE ME Tour || Reneé Rapp

Venue: Kia Forum - Inglewood, CA

Date: October 17

Yes, I stole this award category from the Golden Globes, so what? Reneé was on Broadway before becoming a full-fledged pop star, so it still works. If you've seen even a glimpse of her presence on social media or in interviews, then you'd know how hilariously insane she is (complimentary). Her crowd work, the stories she tells in between songs, and her pre-recorded bits were all gold. Pair that with her next-level vocals (how is she not more recognized for this talent?), and you have a winning recipe. BITE ME was one of my favorite albums that was released this year, so this show was one of the best to sing along to.

Best Use of an Arena

From Zero World Tour || Linkin Park

Venue: Intuit Dome - Inglewood, CA

Date: September 13

You rarely see musicians use arenas or stadiums to their fullest potential, but Linkin Park did it with their latest world tour. My favorite band of all time, and the one act at the top of my bucket list, exceeded my expectations. I'm not even being biased, but they've been around for decades, so it makes sense that they pay attention to every single detail.

The level of production that they brought to the Dome was mesmerizing. Kind of like what the Jonas Brothers did (lol), they tailored the beginning of their show to the respective city they're in. Their countdown clock was synchronized to a song by an artist who represents that hometown. So "HUMBLE." by Kendrick Lamar played until the clock hit zero, and then it was showtime. The band utilized every resource at Intuit Dome that they could: the LED lights at every seat, the Infinity screen, etc. The band members even swapped spots on the center stage so we'd get a different view of them throughout the night. It was perfect.

The "This Should've Been A Stadium Tour" Award

Radical Optimism Tour || Dua Lipa

Venue: Kia Forum - Inglewood, CA

Date: October 4

It still boggles my mind that Dua Lipa is a household name, yet she's still not performing in stadiums across the United States. She did four sold-out nights at the Forum when SoFi Stadium is quite literally across the street. I understand there are a bunch of logistics, production requirements, pre-planned dates, blah, blah, blah, etc., but her team should’ve made it happen! That’s my one selfish complaint.

This tour, compared to her last one in 2022, was many steps higher in every aspect. Though Future Nostalgia was the better album, she at least had more in her catalog to work with this time around, and it was a seamless, outstanding production. It was so ambitious and electric that it was fit to be on the main stage at Coachella, which is saying a lot, but it's just a fact. The encore bit she did was the best I've experienced in 2025, bar none.

Best Venue in the United States of America

ROWDYTOWN 13 || Big Gigantic

Venue: Red Rocks Amphitheatre - Morrison, CO

Date: September 27

There's a reason why Red Rocks won the Pollstar award for Best Small Outdoor Venue so many consecutive times (11) that they renamed the award the "Red Rocks Award" and took Red Rocks Amphitheatre out of the running permanently. "Gorgeous," "beautiful," and "stunning" are words that don't even begin to describe this place. Photos also don't do it justice even a little bit.

There's something about being out in nature, listening to experimental EDM hip-hop jazz fusion, while watching the Denver skyline light up as the sun sets, that was just magnificent. I’m going back.

Best Music Festival

Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival

Venue: Empire Polo Club - Indio, CA

Date: April 11-13

I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the only music festival I attended this year and give it an award by default. Trophy for you!

But what made this year so special? For starters, Lady Gaga's redemption headlining set was definitely the most talked-about all weekend, and for good reason. Missy Elliott and T-Pain made every millennial's hearts full, the LA Philharmonic had one of the most surprisingly fun sets of the weekend, Zedd brought it big time at the Outdoor Theatre, and XG shut down Sahara. Ecstatic to end my decade-long Coachella stint in April (yes, seriously).

Decibel Destroyer Award

Grand National Tour || Kendrick Lamar & SZA

Venue: SoFi Stadium - Inglewood, CA

Date: May 21

If there was one "most anticipated" concert of the year for me, it was this one. One of my favorite rappers and singers teaming up to co-headline a stadium tour and go back-to-back on stage? I'm there by any means necessary.

Their monster 52-track setlist would satisfy even the most casual fan, but they're receiving this award due to the sheer volume, not only of their music, but of the crowd. "m.A.A.d city" and "Alright" have always been crowd pleasers, but SZA's "F2F" is a great headbanger, and now that K-Dot's "wop, wop, wop, wop, wop" on "Not Like Us" and "MUSTAAAAAARD" on "TV off" have entered the lexicon, we were loud enough to start a small earthquake.

Tour of the Year

Cowboy Carter (and the Rodeo Chitlin' Circuit) Tour || Beyoncé

Venue: SoFi Stadium - Inglewood, CA

Date: May 4

She's done it again! The multi-hyphenate put her GRAMMY-winning Album of the Year to the test and crafted yet another classic world tour that perfectly blended her new sound with all of her other classic hits. Even though it feels like it was just yesterday that we were dancing under the disco ball of the Renaissance World Tour, I'm so glad that she's blessed us again with another go-round.

30 years in the industry, and she performs as if she's still fresh off her debut. All 2 hours and 45 minutes of her set did not go to waste, and I was out of my seat the entire time dancing and singing along with Bey herself. Everything from the visuals, intermissions, choreography, wardrobe, production design, flying car, Blue and Rumi's cameos, and even the merchandise was top-notch.

We're all so lucky to be living in an era where we can see her perform live. You don't even have to be a fan to know that she is always going to be on her A-game. Now I'm curious to see how Act III will compare to these two previous chapters, but we'll probbaly have to wait until 2027 for that.