Beyoncé Wins First Album of the Year at 2025 Grammys with Cowboy Carter

Beyoncé has finally secured the coveted Album of the Year award at the 67th Grammy Awards, correcting what many saw as a long-standing injustice. The singer was honored for Cowboy Carter, her groundbreaking album that explores the Black roots of country music.

Having been passed over for the Grammys’ top prize four times before, Beyoncé’s moment of triumph was met with a standing ovation. She embraced her daughter Blue Ivy and husband Jay-Z before taking the stage in a gold paisley dress.

“I just feel very full and very honored,” she said. “It’s been many, many years.”

She dedicated the win to Linda Martell, a trailblazing Black country artist and the first Black woman to perform solo at the Grand Ole Opry. Martell’s influence is deeply woven into Cowboy Carter, with her voice appearing throughout the album.

Beyoncé’s victory comes 25 years after her first Grammy nomination with Destiny’s Child. Despite becoming the most-awarded artist in Grammys history—with a record 35 wins—she had never won Album of the Year until now.

The Texas-born artist’s genre shift proved historic. Cowboy Carter, the second in a trilogy exploring America’s musical heritage, has been praised for reshaping the narrative around country and Americana.

Beyoncé also becomes the first Black woman to win Album of the Year since Lauryn Hill’s The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill in 1999, marking a milestone moment in Grammy history.