Since their conception in 1959, the GRAMMYs have had a storied relationship with Black art. At the very first GRAMMY Award ceremony, Ella Fitzgerald took home two GRAMMYs. Despite this success, historically, Black women have faced an intense lack of recognition from their peers at the Recording Academy.
Many of the main categories have had so few Black women win that you could count them on one hand. After a masterful show at the 67th GRAMMY Awards on Feb. 2, I think it’s a good time to celebrate the success of Black women in our favorite categories.
Album of the year
As of this year, four Black women have won Album of the Year at the GRAMMYs. Beyoncé finally joined Lauryn Hill (1999), Natalie Cole (1992), and Whitney Houston (1994) in a very exclusive club when she took home the win for Cowboy Carter. Previously, Beyoncé has had many nominations in this category, as five of her eight released albums have been nominated for album of the year. In 2010, I am…Sasha Fierce lost to Fearless by Taylor Swift.
Unfortunately, this trend followed her record-breaking career as Beyoncé (2015), Lemonade (2017), and Renaissance (2023) lost the years they were slated to compete for album of the year.
This year, she was able to get over that last hurdle and finally, on the tail end of 99 career nominations, take home Album of the Year, becoming only the 12th Black person and only the 4th Black woman to win the coveted award in its almost 70-year history.
Best country album
In 2024, Beyoncé released a love letter to her home state and her childhood in the form of Cowboy Carter. From this, she once again made history as the first Black woman to win Best Country Album at the GRAMMYs.
She blended genres together and spoke of a country, a home, and a woman brought together by all of the factors that have gotten her to where she is today. Country greats like Linda Martell and Dolly Parton collaborated with Beyoncé to help her share her vision of the country with the world.
This album, as noted by Rolling Stone Magazine, commands that the Blackness of country music is acknowledged by those who say they appreciate the genre. While many are proud that she won the award, some can’t help but think back to the most recent Country Music Awards that completely shunned Beyoncé and many of her collaborators.
best rap album
Joining Beyoncé in making history this year was Doechii, as her mixtape Alligator Bites Never Heal gave her the win in the Best Rap Album category.
She became only the third woman to ever win the award since the introduction of the category in 1989, joining Lauryn Hill and Cardi B in this exclusive club. Her emotional speech captured this feeling as she had to correct herself and remind everyone that “…no, three women have won.”
Doechii had an all-star night. After she became a GRAMMY winner, she performed a GRAMMY takeover with one of the best performances of the night.
Performing a mashup of “Catfish” and “Denial is a River” off her now award-winning album. Following her win, she dropped “Nosebleeds” to celebrate her win and share her confidence with all of those who believed in her and even those who didn’t.
As we move through Black History Month and through award season, we should take more time to recognize and celebrate Black artists and the profound impact they’ve had on the art we cherish today.
As Black women continue to make history, their work offers us a powerful lens into their experiences — as our peers, mothers, daughters, and neighbors. By listening to their music, we not only appreciate their artistry but also deepen our understanding and love for them through the stories they share.
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