Fontaines D.C. Member Jokes Band Needs to 'Turn 40' to Win a Grammy

Fontaines D.C. Member Jokes the Band Needs to 'Turn 40' to Win a Grammy After Losing to the Rolling Stones

The Rolling Stones won best rock album at the 2025 Grammy Awards for 'Hackney Diamonds' over Fontaines D.C.'s 'Romance'

Updated on March 19, 2025 05:55PM EDT

Carlos O'Connell attends the MUBI and The Match Factory drinks to celebrate the 77th Cannes Film Festival; Mick Jagger attends the 2025 Vanity Fair Oscar Party — Carlos O'Connell of Fontaines D.C. in May 2024; Mick Jagger in March 2025. Photo:
Victor Boyko/Getty; Dia Dipasupil/FilmMagic

What does Fontaines D.C. need to do to win a Grammy?

The Irish band's Romance was nominated for best rock album at the 2025 Grammy Awards but lost to the Rolling Stones' Hackney Diamonds, and now Fontaines D.C. guitarists Carlos O'Connell and Conor Curley are sharing their thoughts.

The topic came about during O'Connell and Curley's recent interview with La Bestia Radio, where they both named Romance as their favorite album they've made as a band since forming in 2014.

One of the interviewers then noted their loss to the Rolling Stones at the Grammys. "They're a great band though," said O'Connell.

"It's a bit mad," he added, "but at the same time it is the Rolling Stones."

Curley added, "I think the Grammys do, you know, they give the award for the catalog and not maybe the specific record."

O'Connell then joked, "I think we need to turn 40 to win the Grammy."

Grian Chatten, Tom Coll and Conor Deegan III of Fontaines DC perform live on stage during day two of Reading Festival 2024 — Fontaines D.C. in August 2024.
Simone Joyner/Getty

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Other projects nominated in this year's best rock album category alongside Romance and Hackney Diamonds included the Black Crowes' Happiness Bastards, Green Day's Saviors, Idles' Tangk, Pearl Jam's Dark Matter and Jack White's No Name.

Romance, released in August 2024, also earned a nomination in the best alternative music performance category for the song "Starburster."

The album reached No. 97 on the Billboard 200 chart and hit the top 20 on the publication's Top Rock & Alternative Albums chart. In the band's native Ireland, Romance peaked at No. 2.

Carlos O'Connell of Fontaines D.C. performs on the Main Stage during day three of Leeds Festival 2024 — Carlos O'Connell of Fontaines D.C. in Leeds in August 2024.
Matthew Baker/Getty

Fontaines D.C. was previously nominated for best rock album at the 2021 Grammy Awards for their second album, A Hero's Death.

At the 2025 Grammys, producer Andrew Watt accepted the award for best rock album on the Rolling Stones' behalf. "Talked to Mick [Jagger] yesterday, and he just wanted to say a big thank you to the academy from the entire band," he said.

Watt continued, "For a little boy that grew up playing guitar, it was one of the most amazing experiences to be around those musicians."