Beyoncé has finally scooped the award that’s evaded her entire career, winning Album of the Year for COWBOY CARTER at the 2025 Grammy Awards.
Despite being nominated for Album of the Year four times and holding the record as the most awarded and nominated artist in Grammy history, the superstar songstress had never secured the coveted golden gramophone.
However, that changed on Sunday night (February 2) at the Crypto.com Arena in downtown Los Angeles, as Beyoncé became the first Black woman in 26 years—and only the third ever—to win Album of the Year.
Husband JAY-Z was looking on proudly as daughter Blue Ivy led her mother onstage to collect her golden gramophone.
Beyoncé first thanked the Los Angeles firefighters battling recent wildfires before dedicating the award to Linda Martell, the first Black woman to play the Grand Ole Opry.
“I’d like to thank and acknowledge and praise all of the firefighters for keeping us safe,” she began. “I just feel very full and very honored. It’s been many, many years. I just want to thank the Grammys, every songwriter, every collaborator, every producer, all of the hard work. I want to dedicate this to Ms. Martel, and I hope we just keep pushing forward, opening doors. God bless y’all. Thank you so much. Thank you.”
Beyoncé also made history by becoming the first Black female artist to win Best Country Album with COWBOY CARTER. Both Bey and Hov were visibly stunned as the singer’s name was announced.
SHE DID IT , SHE ACTUALLY WON AOTY COME ON BEYHIVE MAKE SOME NOISE #GRAMMYs pic.twitter.com/zH83wr0Dhw
— Lindo🎀🇿🇦 (@rosasincendia) February 3, 2025
JAY-Z Calls Out Grammys A Year Before Beyoncé Wins Album Of The Year
Beyoncé’s Album of the Year triumph comes on the heels of JAY-Z’s criticism last year, when he called out the Grammys for her never having won the coveted category.
He aired his grievances with the Recording Academy while accepting the Dr. Dre Global Impact Award.
“I don’t want to embarrass this young lady, but she has more Grammys than everyone and never won album of the year,” Jay-Z said, referencing Beyoncé making history in 2023. “So even by your own metrics, that doesn’t work. Think about that. The most Grammys; never won Album of the Year. That doesn’t work.”