The Winners & Losers of 2025
It's Been a Minute
NPR
4.7 • 9.2K Ratings
🗓️ 15 December 2025
⏱️ 31 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Brittany is joined by Sam Sanders, host of KCRW's The Sam Sanders Show, and Tre'vell Anderson, host of The Seated podcast. All three nominated a person or moment for each of the four categories. NPR's Culture Committee then voted on a winner. Today, we reveal the winners and losers of 2025 and run through the moments we want to remember or forget.
This year's categories & nominees are:
Word of the Year:
"Slop"
"Clock it"
"Labubu"
Villain of the Year:
Sydney Sweeney
Glinda the Good Witch
Billionaires
The Candle in the Dark:
PinkPantheress
One of Them Days
Liniker
Not-on-My-Bingo Card:
KPop Demon Hunters
Yolanda Adams
Katy Perry
Who will win?
(0:00) How will you look back on 2025?
(2:30) The Word of the Year: Slop, Clock It, or Labubu?
(7:51) Villain of the Year: Sydney Sweeney, Billionaires, Wicked Glinda?
(18:07) What brought you joy this year?
(23:23) Not-on-my-Bingo Card: Kpop Demon Hunters, Yolanda Adams, Katy Perry
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | This message comes from Bayer. |
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| 0:15.8 | Science Delivers.com. |
| 0:18.0 | For each of you, how would you look back on 2025? |
| 0:22.3 | I will look back on 2025 with a shudder going down my spine. |
| 0:28.6 | It was just a lot going on, Brittany. |
| 0:32.2 | A lot going on. |
| 0:33.5 | My theme for the year has just been dancing in decline. |
| 0:37.4 | Politics feels off the entertainment industry here in Los Angeles, where I am, My theme for the year has just been dancing in decline. |
| 0:38.9 | Politics feels off. |
| 0:43.0 | The entertainment industry here in Los Angeles, where I am, feels totally off. |
| 0:45.3 | It feels off all the way from New York as well. |
| 0:46.4 | Yeah. |
| 0:50.2 | And so everything feels off, and yet we're all still dancing. |
| 0:54.1 | Hello, hello. I'm Brittany Luce, and you're listening to It's Been a Minute from NPR, a show |
| 0:58.8 | about what's going on in culture and why it doesn't happen by accident. |
| 1:16.3 | If you are listening to the sound of my voice, then consider this. |
| 1:21.7 | Your official welcome to the third annual I-Bammies. |
| 1:25.8 | The It's Been a Minute 2025 Culture Award Show. |
| 1:27.1 | You know what they say? Three makes it a tradition. Okay. Every year I ask two |
... |
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