Beyoncé’s Best Country Album win at the 67th Grammys sparked both praise and debate. This moment also reignited Jay-Z’s past criticism of the Recording Academy.
Beyoncé won Best Country Album for “Cowboy Carter” at the 67th Grammy Awards on February 2. Taylor Swift announced her as the winner, prompting a standing ovation from the crowd at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. However, her win also sparked curiosity and discussion online.
As Swift read the winning album’s name, Beyoncé froze in shock, her eyes widening as she remained seated. Her husband, Jay-Z, and daughter, Blue Ivy Carter, encouraged her before she made her way to the stage, hugging them both in an emotional moment.
Beyoncé’s victory came in a stacked field, beating nominees Kacey Musgraves with “Deeper Well,” Chris Stapleton with “Higher,” Lainey Wilson with “Whirlwind,” and Post Malone with “F-1 Trillion.” The audience erupted in applause as she embraced her family before accepting the award.
Taking the stage, the 43-year-old singer delivered a heartfelt speech, still in shock. “Wow. I really was not expecting this. Wow. I wanna thank God – oh my God – that I’m able to still do what I still love after so many years. Oh my God. I’d like to thank all of the incredible country artists that accepted this album. We worked so hard on it,” she said.
Beyoncé acknowledged that genres can sometimes limit artists and encouraged others to break boundaries and “stay persistent” in pursuing their passions. She credited her family, collaborators, and fans for their support, emphasizing that the album wouldn’t have been possible without them.
With ten nominations across multiple categories, Beyoncé was already a dominant presence at the Grammys. She competed in major categories such as Record of the Year, Album of the Year, Song of the Year, Best Pop Solo Performance, Best Pop Duo/Group Performance, Best Melodic Rap Performance, Best Country Solo Performance, Best Country Duo/Group Performance, Best Country Song, and Best Country Album.
While her Best Country Album win marked a career milestone it ignited a debate online. “That had to be rigged!” one AmoMama reader exclaimed. Another bluntly stated, “She should not have won!” A third critic felt it was a blow to the genre itself, “What an embarrassment to country music..”
The backlash continued as fans of other nominees, particularly Kacey and Lainey, voiced their disappointment. Some critics argued that simply adopting country aesthetics does not make an artist genuinely part of the genre.