Beyonce wins Album of the Year for 'Cowboy Carter'

Beyonce won her first-ever Album of the Year Grammy on Sunday, finally taking home the coveted prize for her sweeping country revue, "Cowboy Carter."

The 43-year-old music icon bested stiff competition, including Taylor Swift and Billie Eilish, to claim the night's most prestigious trophy.

It was a moment of vindication for Beyonce, the Recording Academy's most nominated and decorated artist, who has been routinely snubbed for top Grammys for over a decade.

"It's been many, many years," she said, accepting the prize, which she dedicated to Linda Martell, a pioneering Black woman in the country who performed on the album.

"I hope we keep pushing forward, opening doors," Beyonce said.

It was the fifth time one of her albums had been nominated for the top prize. She previously lost the award to Swift, Beck, Adele, and Harry Styles.

Beyonce is the first Black woman in the 21st century to win the prize, and just one of four to do so: Lauryn Hill was the last to win in 1999, following in the footsteps of Natalie Cole and Whitney Houston.

"Cowboy Carter" is a rhinestone-studded, genre-bending, historically grounded honky tonk of an album that pays homage to Beyonce's southern heritage.

The 27-track second act in her "Renaissance" trilogy, "Cowboy Carter," magnified a broader conversation on the long history of Black artists in country music and the persistent racist backlash they have continued to experience.

Beyonce entered the night with the most chances at Grammys gold, garring 11 nominations in the major fields and pop, country, Americana, and melodic rap performances.

She ultimately took home three awards—Album of the Year, Best Country Album, and Best Country Duo/Group Performance with Miley Cyrus.

Chappell Roan takes industry to task

The coveted prize for Best New Artist went to Chappell Roan, capping a meteoric year for the Midwestern artist who went from struggling singer to music's It girl seemingly overnight.

But that wasn't her experience -- in her acceptance speech, she recounted how she was dropped from her label during the pandemic and struggled to find work.

"I told myself that if I ever won a Grammy and got to stand up here before the most powerful people in music, I would demand that labels in the industry profiting millions of dollars off of artists would offer a livable wage and health care, especially to developing artists," she said.

"It was devastating to feel so committed to my art and feel so betrayed by the system and dehumanized," she said.

"Labels, we got you, but do you got us?"

Last year's winner, Victoria Monet, presented that trophy after a rollicking medley from some of Roan's fellow nominees, including Doechii, Benson Boone, Teddy Swims, Shaboozey, and Raye.

Sabrina Carpenter won the prize for best pop vocal album, her second award of the night. This followed a slapstick, Old Hollywood-inspired performance of her nominated hits "Espresso" and "Please, Please, Please."

Doechii, meanwhile, gave a moving speech to accept the prize for best rap album, holding back tears as Cardi B, who had also won the award, handed it to her.

"So many Black women out there that are watching me right now -- I want to tell you, you can do it," she said.

"Don't allow anybody to project any stereotypes on you that tell you that you can't be here, that you're too dark or not smart enough, or that you're too dramatic or loud. You are exactly who you need to be."

Hip-hop poet laureate Lamar scored three Grammys, as did club diva Charli XCX, and they are both among the night's top prize contenders.

Wildfire relief

Sunday's gala was also an homage to the city of Los Angeles, a global capital of entertainment that devastating and deadly wildfires have recently ravaged.

Like much of the pre-Grammy event and a significant benefit concert, the night also served as a fundraiser for the music industry members impacted by the blaze. A QR code for donations was displayed throughout CBS's gala broadcast.

A supergroup, including Sheryl Crow and John Legend, delivered a performance of Randy Newman's track "I Love LA" to open the show.

Before accepting her prize, Roan had the crowd on its feet with a rousing, rodeo-circus performance of her smash hit and love letter to Los Angeles, "Pink Pony Club."

Top Grammy nominee Billie Eilish sang her hit "Birds of a Feather" on stage in an LA Dodgers baseball cap. The song featured imagery of the city's mountains and valleys on a clear, sunny day.

"I love you, LA," she said after her performance.