By Aubrey Prevette
Why is it even a question that Beyoncé, a well-known and talented musical artist, should not have won Country Album of the Year and Album of the Year at this year's Grammys? There are two reasons circling America right now regarding why Beyoncé should not have been given these awards. The first reason is that Beyoncé’s album simply was not well written, and the other nominees up for the two Grammys, such as Billie Eilish or Chris Stapleton, should have won. The second reason is people are stating that Beyoncé has only won because of the color of her skin. Since the beginning of the Grammys, it has been likely for people to use someone as an excuse for their favorite artist losing, or even the artist themselves have used an artist as a reason for them not receiving an award.
Many people are angry because Beyoncé won and are using her race as their central excuse. According to “Beyoncé’s Album of the Year win is a tip of the hat to those who snubbed her,” “Beyoncé is only the fourth Black woman in history to win in this category, and the first since Lauryn Hill won for ‘The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill’ in 1999.” People make the argument that Beyoncé and others win only because of their race when, in reality, it is very rare for an African American, especially a woman, to win a significant award such as this. Throughout her musical career, Beyoncé has been nominated for Album of the Year times before this year's Grammys and has lost to four white artists “whose albums many argued were less culturally significant than hers.”
Throughout America, people have been making a point that Beyoncé also did not deserve her win for Country Album of the Year because “her album was not country enough.” Regarding “Beyoncé’s ‘Cowboy Carter’ is a Grammy winner. But country music fans are fuming. Here’s why,” many people have run to social media outlets to spout their opinions, saying things such as “Beyoncé did not deserve Country Album of the Year—get real, that record was a**,” while another alleged that the win was undeserved. Fans also make the argument that her win undermines other well-respected country artists who could have won. The people of the Recording Academy, who, keep in mind, are composed of music professionals who know more about music and its value—whether it be an opinionated topic or not—voted on her album for both of these awards, and their position and Beyoncé as a person should be respected regarding her musical talent. Many people have used the argument of her race regarding her win for this award as well. Beyoncé was the first Black woman to win Country Album of the Year. She fully deserves the win. Beyoncé’s album “Cowboy Carter” showcases her flexibility as an artist and the ever-changing music industry.
This year's Grammys were full of controversial topics, including the topic of race. The obvious Beyoncé aspect of the race controversy, but the less talked-about event was The Weeknd returning to the Grammys; he had boycotted the event because of the lack of diversity on the Recording Academy team. The Recording Academy CEO made a speech about how their voting team has many more diverse groups now, such as people of color, women, and people in the LGBTQ community.
Overall, the Grammys have been seen as corrupt since the very beginning and, in all reality, will continue to be seen that way. Beyoncé is an extremely talented artist and fully deserved both of her Grammy awards, regardless of the debate surrounding her win. Black artists and other minorities will continue to win big awards in every industry, and we cannot wait to see that happen.