Beyoncé Finally Wins Album of the Year for Cowboy Carter at 2025 Grammys

After four previous snubs, Beyoncé has finally claimed the coveted Album of the Year award at the 67th Annual Grammy Awards for her groundbreaking country album, Cowboy Carter. The win marks a historic moment, making her the first Black woman to take home the honor for a country album and adding yet another accolade to her already record-breaking Grammy career.

Accepting the award, presented by a group of Los Angeles firefighters, Beyoncé expressed gratitude and reflection: "I’d like to thank and acknowledge all of the firefighters keeping us safe. I just feel very full and very honored. It’s been many, many years."

Despite being the most-awarded artist in Grammys history, Beyoncé had never clinched Album of the Year. She previously lost the category for Renaissance (2023), Lemonade (2017), Beyoncé (2015), and I Am… Sasha Fierce (2010), falling short to artists like Taylor Swift, Beck, Adele, and Harry Styles. She even referenced these snubs in her Cowboy Carter track “Sweet Honey Buckin’” with the lyric: “AOTY, I ain’t win / I ain’t stuntin' 'bout them / Take that s--- on the chin / Come back and f--- up the pen.”

In addition to Album of the Year, Beyoncé also won Best Country Album, presented to her by Taylor Swift. The win is especially significant considering her complicated history with the country music community. Back in 2016, her Lemonade track "Daddy Lessons" was rejected by the Recording Academy’s country committee. Yet with Cowboy Carter, she not only topped Billboard’s country chart with "Texas Hold ‘Em" but also broke barriers as the first Black woman nominated for a country album in the Album of the Year category.

Her husband, Jay-Z, also previously criticized the Recording Academy for not recognizing her with Album of the Year, despite her impressive Grammy haul. "She has more Grammys than everyone and never won Album of the Year. Even by your own metrics, that doesn’t work," he said at last year’s ceremony while accepting the Dr. Dre Global Impact Award.

While the Country Music Association Awards ignored Cowboy Carter, giving it zero nominations, the Grammys finally gave Beyoncé her overdue recognition, closing a chapter on years of snubs and making history in the process.

Complete List of Winners from the 2025 Grammy Awards

Album of the Year

• New Blue Sun – André 3000
• COWBOY CARTER – Beyoncé — WINNER
• Short n' Sweet – Sabrina Carpenter
• BRAT – Charli xcx
• Djesse Vol. 4 – Jacob Collier
• HIT ME HARD AND SOFT – Billie Eilish
• The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess – Chappell Roan
• THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT – Taylor Swift

Record of the Year

• "Now And Then" – The Beatles
• "TEXAS HOLD 'EM" – Beyoncé
• "Espresso" – Sabrina Carpenter
• "360" – Charli xcx
• "BIRDS OF A FEATHER" – Billie Eilish
• "Not Like Us" – Kendrick Lamar — WINNER
• "Good Luck, Babe!" – Chappell Roan
• "Fortnight" – Taylor Swift Featuring Post Malone

Song of the Year

• "A Bar Song (Tipsy)" – Sean Cook, Jerrel Jones, Joe Kent, Chibueze Collins Obinna, Nevin Sastry & Mark Williams, songwriters (Shaboozey)
• "BIRDS OF A FEATHER" – Billie Eilish O'Connell & Finneas O'Connell, songwriters (Billie Eilish)
• "Die With a Smile" – Dernst "D'Mile" Emile II, James Fauntleroy, Lady Gaga, Bruno Mars & Andrew Watt, songwriters (Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars)
• "Fortnight" – Jack Antonoff, Austin Post & Taylor Swift, songwriters (Taylor Swift Featuring Post Malone)
• "Good Luck, Babe!" – Kayleigh Rose Amstutz, Daniel Nigro & Justin Tranter, songwriters (Chappell Roan)
• "Not Like Us" – Kendrick Lamar, songwriter (Kendrick Lamar) — WINNER
• "Please Please Please" – Amy Allen, Jack Antonoff & Sabrina Carpenter, songwriters (Sabrina Carpenter)
• "TEXAS HOLD 'EM" – Brian Bates, Beyoncé, Elizabeth Lowell Boland, Megan Bülow, Nate Ferraro & Raphael Saadiq, songwriters (Beyoncé)

Best New Artist

• Benson Boone
• Sabrina Carpenter
• Doechii
• Khruangbin
• RAYE
• Chappell Roan — WINNER
• Shaboozey
• Teddy Swims

Producer of the Year, Non-Classical

• Alissia
• Dernst "D'Mile" Emile II
• Ian Fitchuk
• Mustard
• Daniel Nigro — WINNER

Songwriter of the Year, Non-Classical

• Jessi Alexander
• Amy Allen — WINNER
• Edgar Barrera
• Jessie Jo Dillon
• RAYE

Best Pop Solo Performance

• "BODYGUARD" – Beyoncé
• "Espresso" – Sabrina Carpenter — WINNER
• "Apple" – Charli xcx
• "BIRDS OF A FEATHER" – Billie Eilish
• "Good Luck, Babe! "– Chappell Roan

Best Pop Duo/Group Performance 

• "Us" – Gracie Abrams feat. Taylor Swift
• "LEVII’S JEAN" – Beyoncé feat. Post Malone
• "Guess" – Charli xcx & Billie Eilish
• "The Boy Is Mine" – Ariana Grande, Brandy and Monica
• "Die with a Smile" – Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars — WINNER

Best Pop Vocal Album

• Short n' Sweet – Sabrina Carpenter — WINNER
• HIT ME HARD AND SOFT – Billie Eilish
• eternal sunshine – Ariana Grande
• The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess – Chappell Roan
• THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT – Taylor Swift

Best Dance/Electronic Performance

• "She’s Gone, Dance On" – Disclosure
• "Loved" – Four Tet
• "Leavemealone" – Fred Again.. & Baby Keem
• "Neverender" – Justice & Tame Impala - WINNER
• "Witchy" – KAYTRANADA feat. Childish Gambino

Best Dance Pop Recording

• "Make You Mine" – Madison Beer
• "Von Dutch" – Charli xcx — WINNER
• "L’Amour De Ma Vie [Over Now Extended Edit]" – Billie Eilish
• "Yes, and?" – Ariana Grande
• "Got Me Started" – Troye Sivan

Best Dance/Electronic Album

• Brat – Charli xcx — WINNER
• Three – Four Tet
• Hyperdrama – Justice
• TIMELESS – KAYTRANADA
• Telos – Zedd

Best Rock Performance

• "Now & Then" – The Beatles — WINNER
• "Beautiful People (Stay High)" – The Black Keys
• "The American Dream Is Killing Me" – Green Day
• "Gift Horse" – IDLES
• "Dark Matter" – Pearl Jam
• "Broken Man" – St. Vincent

Best Metal Performance

• "Mea Culpa (Ah! Ça Ira!)" – Gojira, Marina Viotti & Victor Le — WINNER
• "Crown of Horns" – Judas Priest
• "Suffocate" – Knocked Loose feat. Poppy
• "Screaming Suicide" – Metallica
• "Cellar Door" – Spiritbox

Best Rock Song

• "Beautiful People (Stay High)" – Dan Auerbach, Patrick Carney, Beck Hansen & Daniel Nakamura, songwriters (The Black Keys)
• "Broken Man" – Annie Clark, songwriter (St. Vincent) — WINNER
• "Dark Matter" – Jeff Ament, Matt Cameron, Stone Gossard, Mike McCready, Eddie Vedder & Andrew Watt, songwriters (Pearl Jam)
• "Dilemma" – Billie Joe Armstrong, Tré Cool & Mike Dirnt, songwriters (Green Day)
• "Gift Horse" – Jon Beavis, Mark Bowen, Adam Devonshire, Lee Kiernan & Joe Talbot, songwriters (IDLES)

Best Rock Album

• Happiness Bastards – The Black Crowes
• Romance – Fontaines D.C.
• Saviors – Green Day
• TANGK – IDLES
• Dark Matter – Pearl Jam
• Hackney Diamonds – The Rolling Stones — WINNER
• No Name – Jack White

Best Alternative Music Performance

• "Neon Pill "– Cage the Elephant
• "Song of the Lake" – Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
• "Starburster" – Fontaines D.C.
• "Bye Bye" – Kim Gordon
• "Flea" – St. Vincent — WINNER

Best Alternative Music Album

• Wild God – Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
• Charm – Clairo
• The Collective – Kim Gordon
• What Now – Brittany Howard
• All Born Screaming – St. Vincent — WINNER

Best R&B Performance 

• "Guidance" – Jhené Aiko
• "Residuals" – Chris Brown
• "Here We Go (Uh Oh)" – Coco Jones
• "Made for Me (Live on BET)" – Muni Long — WINNER
• "Saturn" – SZA

Best Traditional R&B Performance

• "Wet" – Marsha Ambrosius
• "Can I Have This Groove" – Kenyon Dixon
• "No Lie" – Lalah Hatahway feat. Michael McDonald
• "Make Me Forget" – Muni Long
• "That’s You" – Lucky Daye – WINNER

Best R&B Song

• "After Hours" – Kehlani
• "Burning" – Tems
• "Here We Go (Uh Oh)" – Coco Jones
• "Ruined Me" – Muni Long
• "Saturn" – SZA — WINNER

Best Progressive R&B Album

• So Glad to Know You – Avery*Sunshine — WINNER (TIE)
• En Route – Durand Bernarr
• Bando Stone and the New World – Childish Gambino
• Crash – Kehlani
• Why Lawd? – NxWorries (Anderson .Paak & Knxwledge) — WINNER (TIE)

Best R&B Album

• 11:11 (Deluxe) – Chris Brown — WINNER
• Vantablack – Lalah Hathaway
• Revenge – Muni Long
• Algorithm – Lucky Daye
• Coming Home – Usher

Best Rap Performance

• "Enough (Miami)" – Cardi B
• "When the Sun Shines Again" – Common & Pete Rock feat. Posdnuos
• "Nissan Altima" – Doechii
• "Houdini" – Eminem
• "Not Like Us" - Kendrick Lamar — WINNER

Best Melodic Rap Performance

• "Kehlani" – Jordan Adetunji feat. Kehlani
• "Spaghetti" – Beyoncé feat. Linda Martell & Shaboozey
• "We Still Don't Trust You" – Future & Metro Boomin feat. The Weeknd
• "Big Mama" – Latto
• "3:AM" – Rapsody feaet. Erykah Badu — WINNER

Best Rap Song

• “Asteroids” – Rapsody, feat. Hit-Boy
• “Carnival” – ¥$, Kanye West, Ty Dolla $ign feat. Playboi Carti & Rich The Kid
• “Like That” – Future & Metro Boomin feat. Kendrick Lamar
• “Not Like Us” – Kendrick Lamar — WINNER
• Yeah Glo! – GloRilla

Best Rap Album

• Might Delete Later – J. Cole
• The Auditorium, Vol 1 – Common & Pete Rock
• Alligator Bites Never Heal – Doechii — WINNER
• The Death of Slim Shady (Coup De Grâce) – Eminem
• We Don’t Trust You – Future & Metro Boomin

Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album

• À Fleur De Peau – Cyrille Aimée
• Visions – Norah Jones - WINNER
• Good Together – Lake Street Dive
• Impossible Dream – Aaron Lazar
• Christmas Wish – Gregory Porter

Best Country Solo Performance

• “16 Carriages” – Beyoncé
• “I Am Not Okay” – Jelly Roll
• “The Architect” – Kacey Musgraves
• “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” – Shaboozey
• “It Takes a Woman” – Chris Stapleton - WINNER

Best Country Duo/Group Performance

• “Cowboys Cry Too” – Kelsea Ballerini with Noah Kahan
• “II Most Wanted” – Beyoncé feat. Miley Cyrus - WINNER
• “Break Mine” – Brothers Osborne
• “Bigger Houses” – Dan + Shay
• “I Had Some Help” – Post Malone feat. Morgan Wallen

Best Country Song

• “The Architect” – Kacey Musgraves — WINNER
• “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” – Shaboozey
• “I Am Not Okay” – Jelly Roll
• “I Had Some Help” – Post Malone feat. Morgan Wallen
• “Texas Hold ‘Em” – Beyoncé

Best Country Album

• COWBOY CARTER – Beyoncé — WINNER
• F-1 Trillion – Post Malone
• Deeper Well – Kacey Musgraves
• Higher – Chris Stapleton
• Whirlwind – Lainey Wilson

Best Americana Performance

• “Ya Ya” – Beyoncé
• “Subtitles” – Madison Cunningham
• “Don’t Do Me Good” – Madi Diaz feat. Kacey Musgraves
• “American Dreaming” – Sierra Ferrell — WINNER
• “Runaway Train” – Sarah Jarosz
• “Empty Trainload of Sky” – Gillian Welch & David Rawlings

Best Música Urbana Album

• Nadie sabe lo que va a pasar mañana – Bad Bunny
• Rayo – J Balvin
• FERXXOCALIPSIS – Feid
• Las Letras Ya No Importan – Residente — WINNER
• att. – Young Miko

Best Tropical Latin Album

• Muevense – Marc Anthony
• Bailar – Sheila E.
• Radio Güira – Juan Luis Guerra 4.40
• Alma, Corazón y Salsa (Live at Gran Teatro Nacional) – Tony Succar, Mimy Succar — WINNER
• Vacilón Santiaguero – Kiki Valera

Best Comedy Album

• Armageddon – Ricky Gervais
• The Dreamer – Dave Chappelle — WINNER
• The Prisoner – Jim Gaffigan
• Someday You’ll Die – Nikki Glaser
• Where Was I – Trevor Noah

Best Audio Book, Narration, and Storytelling Recording

• All You Need Is Love: The Beatles in Their Own Words – Various Artists; Guy Oldfield, producer
• …And Your Ass Will Follow – George Clinton
• Behind the Seams: My Life in Rhinestones – Dolly Parton
• Last Sundays in the Plains: A Centennial Celebration – Jimmy Carter — WINNER
• My Name Is Barbra – Barbra Streisand

Best Song Written for Visual Media

• “Ain’t No Love in Oklahoma [from Twisters: The Album] – Luke Combs
• “Better Place” [from Trolls Band Together] – *NSYNC & Justin Timberlake
• “Can’t Catch Me Now” [from The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes] – Olivia Rodrigo
• “It Never Went Away” [from American Symphony] – Jon Batiste — WINNER
• “Love Will Survive” [from The Tattooist of Aushwitz] – Barbra Streisand

Best Music Video

• “Tailor Swif” – A$AP Rocky
• “360” – Charli xcx
• “Houdini” – Eminem
• “Not Like Us” – Kendrick Lamar — WINNER
• “Fortnight” – Taylor Swift feat. Post Malone

Best Music Film

• American Symphony (Jon Batiste) — WINNER
• June (June Carter Cash)
• Kings from Queens (Run DMC)
• Stevie Van Zandt: Disciple (Steven Van Zandt)
• The Greatest Night in Pop

Source: Entertainment Weekly