Beyoncé is only the fourth Black woman to win album of the year at the Grammys
Beyoncé took home the top prize for the album of the year, ‘Cowboy Carter,’ at the 67th Grammy Awards.
The superstar, who is both the most awarded and nominated artist in Grammys history, was nominated for the category four times before she was finally awarded the coveted trophy at Sunday’s ceremony.
She is only the fourth Black woman to win album of the year at the Grammys, following in the footsteps of Lauryn Hill with “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill” 26 years ago, Natalie Cole and Whitney Houston.
Beyoncé was presented with the award by Taylor Swift and members of the Los Angeles Fire Department. This was one of several times the show reflected the recent wildfires that burned thousands of homes.
“It’s been many, many years,” Beyoncé said in her speech. “I want to dedicate this to Ms Martell,” she said, referencing Linda Martell, the performer who became the first Black woman to play the Grand Ole Opry.
Kendrick Lamar won song and record of the year for his diss track “Not Like Us,” taking home two of the night’s most prestigious awards.
“We’re gonna dedicate this one to the city,” Lamar said before shouting out Los Angeles area neighbourhoods.
This year’s awards saw Beyonce become the most nominated artist in Grammy history. She was up for a total of 11 awards, bringing her career total to 99 nominations.
The evening featured performances from Charli XCX, RAYE, Shakira, Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars, while Taylor Swift was one of the presenters.
The 67th Grammy Awards had a very different tone to previous years, as Los Angeles – where the ceremony was hosted – continues to struggle with the aftermath of raging wildfires that destroyed more than 14,000 structures and displaced tens of thousands of people.
The Recording Academy, which presents the awards, reformatted its awards show so that it focused on the wildfires and made efforts to raise awareness and money for those affected.
Trevor Noah, the Grammys host, dedicated his opening speech to those affected by the fires, promising a show that not only celebrates them, but one that also celebrates “the city that brought us so much of that music.”
The Grammys also allotted ad time to be used by local businesses affected by the fires.
The show kicked off with a powerful opening performance of Randy Newman’s “I Love L.A.” by Dawes — whose members were directly affected by the Eaton fire — backed by John Legend, Brad Paisley, Sheryl Crow, Brittany Howard and St. Vincent.
On a stage set up to look like the mountains of Los Angeles, the LA-born-and-raised Billie Eilish and her brother Finneas performed her hit “Birds of a Feather.”
“We love you LA,” she told the crowd at the end of the set.
As the show neared its end, Noah announced that viewers had contributed $7 million to relief efforts Sunday night so far.
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