Yahoo Lifestyle Beyoncé Wins Grammy for Best Country Album, Accepting Award From Taylor Swift: ‘I Was Not Expecting This’
Beyoncé’s “Cowboy Carter” has won a Grammy for best country album, an award presented to her by Taylor Swift. She is the first Black female artist to win in this category.
“I was not expecting this,” Beyoncé told the room ahead of her acceptance speech. She continued, “I want to thank God that I’m able to still do what I love after so many years, oh, my God! I’d like to thank all of the incredible country artists that accepted this, this album we worked so hard on… I think sometimes genre is a cold word to keep us in our place as artists, and just want to encourage people to do what they’re passionate about. And to stay persistent.”
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Introducing the category, Swift reminisced on when she accepted the award “almost exactly 15 years ago.” She said, “It’s an honor that has gone to great artists who I admire so much, like the Chicks, Johnny Cash, Loretta Lynn, George Strait, Faith Hill, Vince Gill, Alison Krauss and Shania Twain.”
Beyoncé is the most nominated artist of the night with four of her 11 nominations this year coming in the country division: best country album, best country song (“Texas Hold ‘Em”), best country solo performance (“16 Carriages”) and best country duo-group performance (“II Most Wanted,” with Miley Cyrus). But she was also nominated in pop categories (with “Bodyguard” and “Levii’s Jeans”) as well as Americana (with “Ya Ya”) and melodic rap (“Spaghettii”).
Beyoncé also picked up the best country duo/group performance award for “II Most Wanted,” in tandem with Miley Cyrus. The award was given out during the Grammys’ pre-telecast Premiere Ceremony, in which the vast majority of the night’s honors are handed out prior to the performance-heavy prime-time telecast.
Beyoncé is just one of five powerhouse women who are nominated in all three of the Grammys‘ top general categories this year — record, song and album of the year. Joining her in being nominated for all three of those major prizes are Swift, Billie Eilish, Chappell Roan and Sabrina Carpenter.
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