After years of being shut out of the category, Beyoncé may finally earn her first country nomination. According to sources at The Hollywood Reporter, Beyoncé’s latest album “Cowboy Carter,” will be in the running for the Best Country Album award.
Last week, The Recording Academy reportedly began the first step in the Grammy nomination process with annual screening meetings, where members review the eligibility of submissions and place them into categories.
This year, members of The Recording Academy reportedly accepted Beyoncé’s country category submission for the first time. In 2016, the star submitted her country-inspired song “Daddy Lessons” from her “Lemonade” album to the category. Despite the star performing the song at the 50th Country Music Awards that same year, the Grammy’s country committee rejected the submission. Ironically, this year, the Country Music Association snubbed “Cowboy Carter,” as it received zero nominations.
Beyoncé’s presence in the country genre has repeatedly sparked controversy. As previously reported by theGrio, the star’s 2016 CMA performance outraged country fans so much that some later accused the Country Music Association of limiting its promotion of her scheduled performance with the Dixie Chicks. While the industry may continue to question Queen Bey’s legitimacy in the genre, the impact of “Cowboy Carter” speaks for itself. This year, Beyoncé made history as the first Black woman to not only top Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart but also to lead Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart.
“This album has been over five years in the making. It was born out of an experience that I had years ago where I did not feel welcomed…and it was very clear that I wasn’t. But, because of that experience, I did a deeper dive into the history of Country music and studied our rich musical archive,” Beyoncé said ahead of the album’s release, seemingly alluding to her reception at the 2016 CMAs. “The criticisms I faced when I first entered this genre forced me to propel past the limitations that were put on me. [Cowboy Carter] is a result of challenging myself, and taking my time to bend and blend genres together to create this body of work.”
If “Cowboy Carter” earns a nomination in the country category, the star, who already holds the title of the most decorated artist in Grammy history, could reach another milestone, becoming one of a handful of artists to obtain nominations in multiple Grammy genres.
With 32 Grammy awards and 88 nominations, Beyoncé has continuously broken records within the Record Academy, becoming the first artist to receive nominations in rock, rap, R&B and pop in the same year. Though she’s garnered multiple awards across categories, she’s never won “Album of the Year,” a category “Cowboy Carter” is also reportedly in the running for.
The 2025 Grammy Awards are scheduled to take place on February 2.