Beyonce maybe have come away from this year’s Grammys as the most-awarded artist in the show’s history, but several key awards have alluded her over her 30-year career. Fans are upset that for yet another year, the hitmaker has been snubbed in all major categories at the ceremony. Let’s take a look at Bey’s history with the coveted Album of the Year award and the people who have spoken out since her loss last week.
When it comes to the top honors at the Grammys; Best New Artist, Song of the Year, Record of the Year, and Album of the Year; Beyonce tends to get overlooked. However, she’s wracked up 32 trophies through all the other categories and is tied with her husband for the most nominated act in the show’s history. This year she took home wins in Best R&B Song, Best Dance Recording, Traditional R&B, and Best Dance/Electronic album. Her 2022 album Renaissance lost Album of the Year, while its lead single “Break My Soul” lost Song and Record of the Year.
While she’s taken home Song of the Year before for “Single Ladies,” her actual albums can never seen to earn the top honor despite pleas from fans. Her first year nominated for the honor was with her album I Am…Sasha Fierce. The project lost that year to Taylor Swift’s Fearless. While some did not appreciate West running up on stage during the VMAs when Swift won over Beyonce, many were hoping someone did the same thing that evening after Bey gave a showstopping performance of her single “If I Were a Boy” only to not win.
Beyonce would revolutionize album releases in 2013 with her self-titled surprise drop. Coupled with her well-received Super Bowl performance, many thought BEYONCE would be the one to score the Houston native AOTY. Unfortunately, she lost that year to Beck. With 2016’s Lemonade, Beyonce took things a step further. The autobiographical project came with a much more cohesive visual component that told the story of Jay-Z’s infidelity and the couple’s fight back to redemption. While the project’s HBO released film won an award, she lost top honors that year to Adele’s 25. The British singer got on stage and admitted that she felt the award was going to go to Beyonce, claiming Lemonade as her personal Album of the Year. This year Adele did something similar, calling Beyonce “the artist of our lives,” while claiming her victory of Record of the Year.
While many hoped Beyonce would leave the Grammys alone all together, last year’s Renaissance seemed like an obvious change of the tide. Released in the summer with no visuals, the project was a celebration of black queer culture that became a mainstay on social media with TikTok challenges for just about every song. With the announcement that it was up for top honors this year, fans understood why she would give the award show one more chance.
Sure enough, the evening was monumental for her, with Beyonce advancing her place as the most-awarded Grammy recipient. However, the top honor went to Harry Styles’s sophomore album instead of Beyonce. Apparently, some Grammy voters claim that they did not vote for Beyonce because she already “had a lot of awards.” “I love Beyoncé’s album and have been a fan of Adele, but I feel that they have already won a lot of Grammys,” one voter reportedly stated.
Prior to the evenings show her husband Jay-Z made some comments about her constant snubs. He feels that the show is “missing the mark” and wishes they would “get it right” when it comes to Bey and her albums. “We grew up wanting to be on the Grammys, and it was our goal. We just want them to get it right. That’s what we want,” the rapper said. “When Beck won over her. I was like, ‘Oh, y’all missed it,’” Jay said about the year Lemonade lost.
Spike Lee also added his opinion on the matter. ““Her album [‘Renaissance’] is amazing,” he told The Guardian. “I know she’s won multiple Grammys, but four times nominated for album of the year and she’s lost every time? No disrespect to those artists like Adele or Harry Styles who won – it’s not their fault – but that’s some straight-up BS.” Lee said it adds to a history of exceptional black artists who are constantly overlooked by these award shows.
Spike Lee went on to question, “Do black artists say ‘F it’, or seek white validation and chase awards?” What do you think?