CMAs Who? Beyoncé’s Triumphant Grammy Wins Happened at the Right Place at the Right Time
Queen Bey’s historic victories during Black History Month couldn’t have been any better.
On Sunday night, when it was announced that Taylor Swift would be handing out the Grammy for Best Country Album, I presumed it was a trap. Here goes the Recording Academy setting us (read: Black people) up for another embarrassing moment. In the academy’s pursuit to create a “Grammy moment,” would it just be Swift honoring another white artist in this category for the umpteenth time?
I was sitting in the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles as thousands of attendees watched with bated breath to see if “it” was going to happen — if Beyoncé could truly pull off the unthinkable and become the first Black artist to ever win the Grammy for Best Country Album.
The possibility was there — sorta. Earlier, during the Grammy’s pre-ceremony, Bey won Best Country Duo Performance with Miley Cyrus for the unforgettable song “II Most Wanted” on Cowboy Carter. But some industry insiders I spoke with during the event simply thought it was a kind “gesture” from the academy given that it had the co-sign of Cyrus, the daughter of country music royalty. Whether Beyoncé would be able to secure an outright win in country music all on her own was the big question of the night.
So when Taylor Swift opened up that envelope and said “Cowboy Carter” with a charming grin, the room roared like someone had scored a Super Bowl touchdown. I was one of the countless others who yelled with joy as Mrs. Knowles-Carter did what many had doubted she’d ever do. She was totally in shock like the rest of us. A Black woman hadn’t won in a country music category in 50 years since the Pointer Sisters won for Best Country Vocal Performance By a Duo or Group for “Fairytale.” Beyoncé had just won not one, but two Grammys in the country music category.
“I think sometimes genre is a code word to keep us in our place as artists,” Beyoncé said while accepting her Grammy. “And I just want to encourage people to do what they’re passionate about.”
This win was a long time coming for a Black musician who finally received the highest quality of flowers from an industry that’s tried to confine her for decades. For a self-proclaimed artist who’s “been country” to be treated as an outsider from gatekeepers of a genre that’s lived within her since birth, Beyoncé’s victory was a countercultural shift that not only set the record straight on the origins of country music – but cemented it.
Translation: A Black woman brilliantly traced the roots of her ancestry to make music that spoke to her legacy – and that of her people. Cowboy Carter was an artfully heroic effort that deserved its multiple wins on Grammy night.
Many have tried to say that Beyoncé was “delayed, but not denied” — but I think that misreads the true power of the win.
Yes, Beyoncé, like all Black people, has been denied.
She was denied by the country music branch of the Recording Academy in 2016 when it didn’t nominate the very country “Daddy Issues” from her album Lemonade in any of the respective genre categories. At the same time, viewers of the Country Music Awards (CMAs) were up in arms when she performed the country track alongside The Chicks (formerly known as the Dixie Chicks).
“The criticisms I faced when I first entered this genre forced me to propel past the limitations that were put on me,” Beyoncé posted on social media last year. “act ii is a result of challenging myself, and taking my time to bend and blend genres together to create this body of work.”
Even when Cowboy Carter was topping the charts and making a historical impact for Black country artists — she was denied once again by the CMAs when it recently snubbed her in every category. She was once again being symbolically told to stay in her lane. Countless interviews during this time with white country artists didn’t help. It felt as if everyone in the industry was trying to move the goalpost as to why Beyoncé was treated differently for performing country music. Everyone was giving every answer except acknowledging the role of racism — but we all knew the truth. In a world where former white rappers like Post Malone and Jelly Roll could land multiple CMA nods each — why wasn’t an iconic Black artist not given the same embrace for “crossing over” as they did?
Answer: racism. Let’s not kid ourselves.
But despite previous denials, Beyoncé’s victory on Sunday night was a reminder that when life gives you lemons, you can make lemonade.
Not only did she win two Grammys in the country category, but she was able to finally win the coveted Album of the Year after losing four previous times. She became the first Black woman to win Album of the Year in the 21st century — and only the fourth ever (following Natalie Cole, Whitney Houston and Lauryn Hill).
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I think Beyoncé finally winning big at the Grammys during Black History Month was perfect timing. Had she won at the CMAs, it would have felt unwelcoming and contentious. But to win like that before her peers – in a room where the entire Recording Academy and its over 13,000 members declared you the valedictorian is priceless. For America to witness such a victory during “music’s biggest night” during a time when so many people are trying to erase Black achievements was powerful and inspiring.
Yes, award shows aren’t everything — and of course, Beyoncé’s work remains impactful without them. But sometimes it just simply feels good to see one of us win for something we damn well deserved for a long time.
Beyoncé’s victory on Sunday wasn’t just a personal achievement but a cultural one. We won, we felt seen, and the work continues.
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I'm in my mid-50s, and Cowboy Carter is the most interesting album I've listened to in decades, and I'm thrilled that Beyonce won Album of the Year at the Grammy Awards for it. From the first time that I listened to it on its release date...well, I'm way middle-aged, and it's been decades since I've put an album on and listened to it on repeat from beginning to end as many times as I have with this one. It must be listened to from start to finish. Cherry picking songs does not work. It's a story. When I listen to it, it makes me think of the rock opera "Tommy" by The Who from way back in the day.
The creativity of this album is unique and excellent. The lyrics and music blow my mind and take my heart away, and that's saying something because the album takes an hour and 20 minutes to get through. It's absolutely perfect.
Who are the INSANELY anti-white people who write this stuff? Really, Beyoncé hasn’t had enough Grammies? Lana Del Rey has none. Bob Dylan I think has three? This chick has like 37. She’s extremely mid. Enough already!