The biggest night in music, the Grammys, went down in full swing last night (Feb 2), and it was certainly one for the history books. We got fire red carpet looks, jaw-dropping performances, and of course, some surprises, like Beyoncé herself looking genuinely shocked when she won Best Country Album for Cowboy Carter.
Presenting the award for Best Country Album was none other than Miss Taylor Swift, who handed over Bey’s first much-deserved award of the night for her eighth studio album. And the queen’s reaction upon hearing her name? Pure gold. Obviously, the internet wasted zero time turning it into a viral moment.
Bey was so stunned by the win that her daughter, Blue Ivy, had to literally gesture for her mom to get up and go claim her Grammy.
So why was Beyoncé so shocked to win Best Country Album?
As the most awarded artist in Grammy history, you’d think Beyoncé was accustomed to winning trophies. Cowboy Carter also broke several chart and streaming records upon its release last year. So why was Bey so surprised to nab the Best Country Album award this year?
Her reaction might have left a lot of people confused, but there’s actually been plenty of debate surrounding Cowboy Carter and whether the album truly fits the genre its labeled under. Considering some of the backlash the album received, Beyoncé obviously didn’t expect to win in this category.
For starters, she was snubbed from the Country Music Association Awards
One big reason this win caught Beyoncé off guard? Cowboy Carter received zero nominations at the Country Music Association Awards in 2024. Despite topping Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart last year, the CMAs refused to recognize Beyoncé a country artist. Even Post Malone who also crossed over into the country genre received CMA Award nominations.
Radio stations refused to play her album
Everyone and your mom ate Cowboy Carter up last year, but you know who didn’t? Country music radio stations. The internet was in uproar when KYKC 100.1 FM in Oklahoma refused to play Texas Hold’em. One X user who requested to hear the song was told by the station: “We do not play Beyonce’ [sic] as we are a country music station.” So, ofc winning the Country Album Award would completely gag our queen.
A lot of people said she wasn’t a country singer
It’s worth mentioning that Beyoncé set out to honor her Houston, Texas roots—a place where country culture thrives—with this album. She also aimed to reclaim the genre’s black origins (just like she did with house music on Renaissance). And yet, some people had a problem.
Music critics weren’t the only ones criticizing the album upon Cowboy Carter‘s release. A lot of people refused to call it “country” because of its dance elements. But mostly, they had issue with the fact that Beyoncé was a black female popstar (the audacity, right? SIGH!). Sadly, a black artist joining the country music scene is considered controversial, even though it was actually black artists who helped shape country music in the past. No wonder Bey was stunned at winning in this category!
‘Cowboy Carter’ Wins Album of the Year
Despite all the controversy, it looks like people finally listened: Cowboy Carter didn’t just win Best Country Album—it also took home Album of the Year, making it Beyoncé’s first-ever Grammy win in this category. Justice finally served!
And the timing? Impeccable. Queen Bey just announced a tour for the album!
So…are you dusting off your cowboy hat for the tour? Let us know in the comments!
READ NEXT:
Kanye Faces Backlash Over Bianca’s Viral Grammys Look
