The month of February is a reminder for many music lovers that their favorite artists, albums, and songs of the year will be featured in the annual Grammy music awards. The Grammy’s are the music industry’s most prestigious awards given to music artists, writers, and producers presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in the music industry. The Recording Academy members vote on nominees from new additions to the music industry, like artists and albums, and the selected nominees are voted on for the award in their category.
This year’s awards show recognized new albums from artists like Billie Eilish and Kendrick Lamar, new talent from Chappell Roan to Doechii, and musical performances by singers like Sabrina Carpenter and Benson Boone. The awards were hosted by comedian Trevor Noah in Los Angeles, accompanied by some of music’s biggest stars, some of whom had hopes of taking home a gramophone trophy for their achievements.
Each year, the Grammys come with their share of criticism from fans and members of the music industry and this year was no exception. Most critics and fans were particularly surprised by the winner of the Best Country Album of the year, Cowboy Carter by Beyonce. This album was created by Beyonce to spotlight the overlooked contributions of Black pioneers throughout history, musically and culturally. While the album itself was extremely successful for Beyonce, hitting the number one spot on the Billboard 200, the lack of traditional and authentic country tone sparked many criticisms from the country music community.
Beyonce’s opponents in this category featured traditional and renowned country artists like Lainey Wilson and Chris Stapelton, both of whom were recognized with several awards at the Country Music Awards — Wilson for Best Female Vocalist and Music Video of the Year and Stapelton for Best Male Vocalist, Best Song, and Best Single of the Year. The leading motivation for the backlash seems to be the idea that the other nominated artists have been contributing to the country music genre for years, while Beyonce’s switch into country music could be due to the genre’s rising popularity in recent years. This comparison between the winners of the CMAs and the Grammys sparked controversy among both fans and country artists, who questioned the authenticity of the award shows and how they are voted on.
Dylan Scott, Louisiana singer-songwriter in country music, shared his concerns and feelings about Beyonce’s controversial country award on “X”, formerly Twitter. He heatedly wrote, “If “Award” shows let the fans vote, they’d actually MEAN something. The fans are the ONLY reason any of us get to do this, not some bigwigs/or a board of people inside the industry. LET THE FANS SPEAK!”
The country music industry has been seemingly split over Beyonce’s win, with many artists praising Beyonce on her victory in this category as a monumental moment for the genre and as a way of continuing to introduce new fans to country music. Beyonce herself is from Houston, Texas where country music is the predominant genre.
Country music star Reba McEntire shared her feelings on the artist in a TMZ video stating, “I think she’s wonderful and we’re glad to have her in Country.”
However, fans believe the win has not stopped Beyonce from announcing her Cowboy Carter and the Rodeo Chitlin’ Circuit Tour for 2025 to celebrate her commitment to the album. The tour will begin in the U.S. from April through May, cross the Atlantic to London and Paris, and then return to Beyonce’s hometown of Houston in late May before concluding in Atlanta mid-July.
