On February 5th, Queen of Queens, Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter, became the most decorated Grammy artist of all time when she won her 32nd gramophone.
The superstar arrived fashionably late to the evening ceremony after being stuck in traffic, missing the red carpet and the reception of her second award of the night. Host Trevor Noah poked fun at the Queen when personally delivering the trophy, saying “I was shocked to find out that traffic could stop you. I thought you traveled through space and time.” Don’t we all, Trevor.
After winning Best Dance Recording for the lead single of Renaissance, “Break My Soul,” Beyoncé became tied with the late, prolific conductor Georg Solti, for most Grammy wins of all time at 31 awards.
As James Corden opened the envelope for Best Dance/Electronica Album and spoke the words “we are witnessing history tonight,” the entire crowd rose to their feet and erupted into applause as Beyoncé gracefully made her way to the stage. She delivered an emotional, gracious speech thanking God, her family, and the Queer community for inventing the genre of house music heard throughout Renaissance.
After witnessing the Queen’s latest feat, let’s take a walk down memory lane and run through all of the Grammy wins and iconic pop culture moments that led her to her current reigning status.
—2023—
Obviously, this year was extremely special for its record-breaking moment, but also for the long-awaited era of Beyoncé’s seventh solo album! On July 29th, 2022, she released Renaissance, a joyful and groovy love letter to the genres of house and ballroom music pioneered by the Queer community. The album is dedicated to her Uncle Jonny, a beloved gay relative who introduced her to the genre and later passed away from HIV-related causes. In her final acceptance speech of the night, she thanked him with tears in her eyes, saying he is “here in spirit.”
32. Renaissance
Best Dance/Electronica Album
31. “Break my soul”
Best Dance Recording
30. “Cuff It”
Best R&B Song
29. “Plastic off the sofa”
Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance
— 2021—
More records broken! This year Beyoncé made history as the most Grammy-awarded singer of all time, placing her high in the running for working up to the most Grammy wins of all time. It was a major night for the Houston girls as Megan Thee Stallion and Beyoncé won big for Meg’s song “Savage Remix (feat. Beyoncé),” walking away with two awards. Lastly, Miss Blue Ivy Carter won her first Grammy as a collaborator with her mom on “Brown Skin Girl” from The Lion King: The Gift album that accompanied the live-action film in which Beyoncé voiced Nala.
28. “black parade”
Best R&B Performance
27. “Savage”
Best Rap Performance
26. “Savage”
Best Rap Song
25. “Brown SKin Girl”
Best Music Video, Short Form
—2020—
If you have not seen the cultural reset that was Beychella, I’m gonna need you to hop on over to Netflix and watch Homecoming right now. A documentary/concert film of her iconic 2018 Coachella performances, in which she made history as the first black woman to ever headline the event, won Beyoncé best long-form music video. Not only does the film show the entire concert with incredible cinematography, but we also get to see the behind-the-scenes and work ethic that went into making such a memorable moment in music history.
24. Homecoming
Best Music Video, Long Form
—2019—
In 2018, Beyoncé and husband Jay-Z began their second joint world tour titled On The Run II. A few shows into the first European leg they surprise-announced a new album called Everything Is Love. From this award-winning album, we received one of the greatest music videos of the age, “Apeshit,” in which the Carters rented out the entire Louvre and filled it with black dancers performing choreography and wearing outfits that celebrate their culture in one of the whitest colonial institutions in the world.
23. Everything is love
Best Urban Contemporary Album
—2017—
Does anyone know if there’s a support group for people who still aren’t over the Lemonade era? In her most vulnerable and honest work to date, Beyoncé took us through the stages of grief and forgiveness of her relationship struggles, touched on important political issues, and delivered the album of a lifetime. She also blessed us with an utterly breathtaking performance while pregnant with twins!
22. Lemonade
Best Urban Contemporary Album
21. “formation”
Best Music Video, Short Form
—2015—
Let’s hear some commotion for (my favorite) the self-titled era! The release of this album, Beyoncé, fundamentally changed the way the music industry drops albums and the expectation for accompanying visual albums/music videos. Completely out of the blue (no pun intended), Beyoncé dropped an album complete with a music video for every song, in the early hours of December 13th, 2013. With no leading singles or any prior promotion, the album was an astounding success and produced one of the steamiest Grammy performances ever.
20. “Drunk in love”
Best R&B Performance
19. “Drunk in Love”
Best R&B Song
18. Beyoncé
Best Surround Sound Album
—2013—
In her fourth studio album, 4, Beyoncé produced her first body of work after cutting off professional ties to her manager and father Mathew Knowles. An international success whose tracks spanned the genres of R&B, soul, hip-hop, and funk, she broke away from her pop production in I Am… Sasha Fierce, prior to this album. Even though this performance of “Love On Top” is from the VMA’s, I could not resist including one of the most iconic pregnancy reveals of all time to this Grammy-winning song.
17. “Love on top”
Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance
—2010—
In arguably Beyoncé’s most commercially successful era, she won six Grammys in one night, at the time making her the most Grammy-awarded female artist in one night (Adele later tied this feat in 2012). I Am… Sasha Fierce was originally produced as a two-sided record, the first side named ‘I Am’ and the other ‘Sasha Fierce’, representing Beyoncé’s on- and off-stage personalities. Record one, ‘I Am,” contains slower more intimate ballads like “If I Were A Boy” and “Halo,” while record two contains high-energy pop anthem hits like “Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)” and “Sweet Dreams.”
16. “Single Ladies (put a ring on it)”
Song of the Year
15. “Halo”
Best Female Pop Vocal Performance
14. “Single Ladies (put a ring on it)”
Best Female R&B Vocal Performance
13. “At last”
Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance
12. “Single Ladies (put a ring on it)”
Best R&B Song
11. I am… Sasha fierce
Best Contemporary R&B Album
—2007—
Beyoncé’s sophomore solo album B’Day was largely inspired by her acting and singing role in the movie Dreamgirls, where she starred alongside incredible musical talent like Jennifer Hudson. The sonics of the album vary from R&B, to hip hop, and ’70s + ’80s funk. Fun fact: the entire album was recorded and completed in just two weeks! Including some of my all-time favorite Beyoncé classics, this incredibly fun body of work has absolutely no skips and is sure to get something shaking on the dance floor.
10. B’Day
Best Contemporary R&B Album
—2006—
In a tribute to extraordinary American singer, Luther Vandross, Stevie Wonder and Beyoncé covered his classic “So Amazing.” This cover was included on the album, So Amazing: An All-Star Tribute to Luther Vandross, along with other R&B and soul artists covers dedicated to the late singer who passed away earlier that year. Two icons singing to another icon, amazing.
9. “so amazing”
Best R&B Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal
—2004—
Solo Era! In her very first album without Destiny’s Child, Beyoncé blew critics out of the water with Dangerously in Love. With staple hits like “Crazy in Love,” “Naughty Girl,” “Baby Boy,” and “Me, Myself, and I,” this album sparked the start of the incredible and enduring solo career of the Queen.
8. “Dangerously in love 2”
Best Female R&B Vocal Performance
7. “The closer i get to you”
Best R&B Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal
6. “Crazy in Love”
Best R&B Song
5. Dangerously in love
Best Contemporary R&B Album
4. “Crazy In Love”
Best Rap/Sung Collaboration
—2002 & 2001—
Of course, where would we be without our roots? Destiny’s Child’s career spanned from 1990 to 2004 and is remembered as one of the most successful girl groups of all time. Delivering us countless R&B bops, red carpet fashion, and pop culture moments, my love for these Bootylicious queens cannot be contained. While members of the group changed over their long run, the final three members consisted of Michelle Williams, Kelly Rowland, and Beyoncé. The three won their last Grammy as a group for “Survivor” in 2002.
3. “Survivor”
Best R&B Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal
2. “Say my name”
Best R&B Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal
1. “say my name”
Best R&B Song
Continuing her Legacy
Following the excitement of the Grammy’s, Beyoncé is preparing for another world tour! She announced on February 1st that Renaissance will be her next act to hit the big stage. The tour begins on May 10th in Stockholm and ends on September 27th in New Orleans. It will be her second all-stadium tour after 2016’s Formation World Tour. Ticket sales have already begun for several presales — good luck BeyHive!