Beyoncé Knowles-Carter has once again etched her name in the history books to become the first Black woman to win Best Country Album at the 2025 Grammy Awards.
The global icon, who led this year’s nominations with 11 nods, took home two awards, bringing her career total to an unprecedented 34 Grammys.
Her groundbreaking win for ‘Cowboy Carter’ was presented by Taylor Swift in a momentous occasion for both Beyoncé and the country music genre.
The album, released in March 2024, was a landmark project that spotlighted Black artists in country music, an effort that made this victory even more meaningful.
Taking the stage in visible disbelief, Beyoncé expressed her gratitude, saying, “Wow, I really was not expecting this. Wow, I wanna thank God. Oh my God! — that I’m able to still do what I love after so many years. Oh my God!”
She continued, “I’d like to thank all of the incredible country artists that accepted this album. We worked so hard on it. I think sometimes genre is a code word to keep us in our place as artists, and I just want to encourage people to do what they’re passionate about, and to stay persistent.”
Acknowledging those who played a role in her success, she added, “Wow, I’d like to thank my beautiful family, all of the artists that were collaborators… thank you! This wouldn’t have been this album without you. I’d like to thank God again and my fans, and I still am in shock. So thank you so much for this honour.”
Beyoncé has previously shared her experience of feeling unwelcome in the country music space, making her win all the more significant.
Her album ‘Cowboy Carter’ earned nominations for Album of the Year and Best Country Album, while her song ‘Texas Hold ‘Em’ received nods for Song of the Year, Record of the Year, and Best Country Song. Additionally, ‘16 Carriages’ and ‘Ya Ya’ were recognised in the Best Country Solo Performance and Best Americana Performance categories, respectively.
With this latest win, Beyoncé has further cemented her legacy, extending her record as the most-awarded artist in Grammy history, a distinction she first claimed in 2023 with ‘Renaissance’.