Beyonce deserved Album Of The Year
Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
Record Grammy winner Beyoncé celebrates her first Album of the Year win at this year’s Grammys.
On Feb. 2, 2025, Beyoncé Carter Knowles made history when her eighth album, Cowboy Carter (2024), won Album Of The Year (AOTY)— her first time winning this award in her entire iconic singing career. Beyoncé’s Grammy win polarized the internet as fans celebrated the long-deserved win, while others believed that other artists like Sabrina Carpenter, Chappell Roan, and Charlie XCX were “snubbed.” I understand the frustration of your favorite artists not winning a Grammy when they put their heart on their sleeve, but Beyoncé’s win was long overdue.
Throughout her 26-year-long career, Beyoncé has had 99 nominations and 35 wins, giving her the most Grammy nominations in history. Shockingly, until the recent award show, none of those wins have been for Album Of The Year. For the last four years, Beyoncé has lost AOTY to the likes of Harry Styles, Taylor Swift, Adele, and Beck. Every year that Beyoncé was nominated, she never won, leaving millions of disappointed and hurt fans to rush to social media with lengthy complaints of how unfair the institution is towards a successful Black woman like Beyoncé.
Beyoncé made history as the first Black woman to win Best Country Album, which also sparked controversy amongst country music lovers who found her album to be lackluster and believed it did not fit the standard of what country music looks or sounds like. People fail to understand that Cowboy Carter (2024) is a brilliantly crafted exhibition of Black history, displaying a side of Black history that is not widely recognized or discussed.
Cowboy Carter (2024) honors Black country artists from the past and present, leaving space for more young Black artists to integrate themselves into the genre's future. She collaborated with up-and-coming Black country artists like Tanner Adell, Brittney Spencer, Tiera Kennedy, and Reyna Roberts for her song “Blackbird” and with Shaboozey for “Spaghetti” and “Sweet Honey Buckin’.” This album uplifted Black country artists in a genre that has historically disregarded their efforts.
Beyoncé, without question, absolutely deserved her Grammy. She is one of our time's most recognized and celebrated Black female artists, and her impact on the music industry has not gone unnoticed. People often feel the need to undermine her accomplishments because of her popularity and loyal connection with her fans, which I find insulting to the amount of work she puts into her music and performances. This includes the featured artists, dancers, and musicians who spend months, sometimes years, working with Beyoncé to curate the most beautifully articulate pieces of our time.
The amount of time, dedication, research, and practice put into works like Cowboy Carter (2024) and Renaissance (2022) is insane. For the last five years, Beyonce has released two no-skip albums that have touched the hearts of fans everywhere. All while going on tour and releasing Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé (2023). Beyoncé is the artist of our generation, and her journey to AOTY was not easy. It was riddled with racism and mediocracy, winning over pure talent and excellence. After years of Beyoncé’s work being disregarded, we finally got to witness a legend receive her flowers in real time.