Beyoncé Knowles-Carter, already the most-decorated and nominated artist in Grammy history, has set a new milestone by adding another award to her collection and making history once again.
This year’s Grammy Awards are currently taking place at the Crypto Arena in Los Angeles.
Beyoncé kicked off the night with a win for Best Country Duo/Group Performance for “II Most Wanted” with Miley Cyrus.
With a total of 11 nominations this year, Beyoncé became the leading nominee, including a nod for the top prize—Album of the Year—for her critically acclaimed eighth studio album, Cowboy Carter. For the first time, she was also nominated in the Country & American Roots field.
Seven different songs from Cowboy Carter were nominated across four different genres.
By winning for “II Most Wanted,” Beyoncé made history as the first Black woman to win a Grammy for a country music song since the Pointer Sisters in 1975. No Black female solo artist had ever won in this category before. Four years ago, Mickey Guyton became the first Black woman to be recognized in a country music category when she received a nomination for her song “Black Like Me.”
Tina Turner’s debut album Tina Turns the Country On! was nominated for a Grammy in the Best Female R&B Vocal Performance category in 1975.
This year also marked the first time a Black woman was nominated for the top prize of Album of the Year for a country album.
Beyoncé’s country music win is a historic achievement, and it holds special significance for her. Last fall, she made headlines when she was snubbed with zero nominations for the 2024 Country Music Association Awards, despite her groundbreaking album. She was the leading nominee at the People’s Choice Country Awards with 12 nods, but didn’t win any awards. However, she won her first country awards at the 2024 Billboard Music Awards, being named Top Country Female Artist in December.
