The R&B singer and pop sensation won her record-breaking 32nd Grammy on Sunday for best dance/electronic music album, capping a career that saw her nominated for 88 Grammys. Solti, the previous leader and a conductor of Hungarian descent, received his final award the year he passed away, in 1998. Beyoncé won her fourth award of the night for her ode to Black and gay dance music, “Renaissance,” which featured production by Bonobo, Diplo, Odesza, and Rüfüs du Sol. She also won the best R&B song for “Cuff It” and two prizes at the preshow event. The dance album category has been given out at the Grammys since 2005, and Beyoncé made history by being the first Black woman to win in that category. Her hit single “Break My Soul” had previously been named the best dance/electronic recording, while another track from the same album, “Plastic Off the Sofa,” was named the best traditional R&B performance. Once the prize was revealed for best dance/electronic record, host James Corden said, “This is an honor, because we are watching history tonight!” — Beyoncé, who had not yet arrived at the ceremony when she received her first broadcast award of the night, took the stage to a standing ovation. She tried to control her emotions, saying, “I’m simply trying to receive this night.” (An Instagram post praising Beyoncé’s accomplishments thus far had already been published. It was captioned, “We won 3 y’all,” and featured a photo of the singer holding three awards. On most days, “Plastic Off the Sofa” is my go-to on Renaissance. Despite this, making a decision is arduous. Haaa.”) Beyoncé continued by expressing her gratitude to her “Uncle Jonny,” whose struggle with H.I.V. was a motivating factor in her decision to pursue dance music, which has long had ties to the L.G.B.T.Q. community. The artist has thanked the LGBTQ+ community, saying, “I’d like to thank the gay community for your love and for developing the genre.”
Beyoncé had a total of nine nominations on Sunday, the majority of which were for “Renaissance” and its songs. She still has a shot at the three biggest awards of the night—song, record, and album of the year—which she has never won despite having three chances to do so. Of the 32 awards she has received, only one—”Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It)”—is in a major, all-genre category from the Grammys. The show’s complicated relationship with contemporary Black music is highlighted by Beyoncé’s status as both a perennial, now-unmatched Grammy favorite and a high-profile loser under the ceremony’s brightest lights, including album losses to both Adele and Taylor Swift, each of whom has won the category multiple times. Critics have said that Black music is too often disregarded in the top categories, despite the Recording Academy’s recent emphasis on highlighting hip-hop and R&B on the telecast and expanding its voter pool. Beyoncé came into the night as the most honored female artist in Grammy history and tied for second place in overall awards with producer Quincy Jones (both had 28 wins). Bluegrass violinist/vocalist Alison Krauss, who was up for two Grammys on Sunday but went home empty-handed both times, and jazz pianist Chick Corea, who has 27, both have 27 nominations. Here’s Beyoncé’s entire speech: Find more stories like this one about Hollywood stars at:
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