Will this be the year Beyoncé wins her first Grammy for album of the year?
Beyoncé’s work has not gone unnoticed by the Recording Academy — she is the most decorated Grammy musician of all time, with 32 wins. But she has yet to win album of the year.
Beyoncé is up for the award again in 2025. Following a record-breaking run, her 2024 album “Cowboy Carter” is nominated for 11 awards, including album of the year. Also nominated are Sabrina Carpenter, Charli xcx, Billie Eilish, André 3000, Jacob Collier, Chappell Roan and Taylor Swift.
Beyoncé’s losses in the prestigious category over the past 15 years have provoked anger, debate and controversy over the years among fans and cultural commentators.
Rarely has she addressed the Grammys head-on, but she did sing about them in the “Cowboy Carter” song “Sweet Honey Buckiin.” The lyrics seem to show Beyoncé hasn’t let her losses slow her down — in her words, she gets back in the pen and does it again.
“F–k it, do it again (That’s cool)/A-O-T-Y, I ain’t win (That’s cool)/I ain’t stuntin’ ‘bout them/Take that s–t on the chin/Come back and f— up the pen,” she sings.
Beyonce’s husband, Jay-Z, spoke about her losses more openly at the 2024 Grammys while onstage to receive the Dr. Dre Global Impact Award at the 2024 Grammys. The “99 Problems” rapper appeared to call out the Recording Academy for not giving his wife the recognition that he feels she deserves.
“I don’t want to embarrass this young lady, but she has more Grammys than everyone, and never won album of the year,” he said, seemingly referencing Beyoncé. “So even by your own metrics, that doesn’t work. Think about that. The most Grammys, never won album of the year. That doesn’t work.”
Only time will tell if Beyoncé finally receives the album of the year award. Scroll below to see every time she was nominated and what happened.
2010: ‘I Am… Sasha Fierce’
Who else was nominated? Taylor Swift for “Fearless,” Lady Gaga for “The Fame,” The Black Eyed Peas for “The E.N.D.,” and Dave Matthews Band for Big Whiskey And The Groogrux King.”
Who won? Taylor Swift for “Fearless.”
Beyoncé received her first album of the year Grammy nod for her third studio album, “I Am… Sasha Fierce” in 2010.
The album came equipped with two discs: One devoted to ballads and another that showcased her edgy alter ego, known as Sasha Fierce.
While she didn’t win album of the year, she did take home six awards that night: song of the year, best R&B song and best R&B female vocal for “Single Ladies,” best pop vocal performance for “Halo,” best contemporary R&B album for “I Am … Sasha Fierce” and best traditional R&B performance for “At Last.”
Beyonce and Swift will be going head-to-head once again in the album of the year category at the 2025 Grammys for the first time in 15 years.
2015: ‘Beyoncé’
Who else was nominated? Ed Sheeran for “X,” Sam Smith for “In The Lonely Hour,” Pharrell Williams for “Girl” and Beck for “Morning Phase.”
Who won? Beck for “Morning Phase.”
Beyoncé received another album of the year nomination at the Grammys in 2015, but this time, it was for her self-titled album, which had hits like “Drunk in Love,” “Partition” and “7/11.”
She won three awards that night: Best surround sound album, best R&B performance and best R&B song for “Drunk in Love.”
But Beyoncé lost album of the year to Beck’s “Morning Phase.”
Though she’s never commented on her loss, her husband, Jay-Z, did address the loss in an interview with Tidal ahead of the 2023 Grammys.
“Even with Bey, I felt like they missed the moment. Not just ‘Lemonade’ (also) when Beck won over her (for Album of the Year at the 2015 show). I was like, ‘Oh, y’all missed it,'” he said.
2017: ‘Lemonade’
Who else was nominated? Adele for “25,” Drake for “Views,” Justin Beiber for “Purpose,” and Sturgill Simpson for “A Sailor’s Guide To Earth.”
Who won? Adele for “25.”
Beyoncé’s “Lemonade” is hailed as one of her best studio albums to date. Seemingly discussing the ups and downs in her marriage, the album showed a more vulnerable side.
Beyoncé’s “Lemonade” won best urban contemporary album and best music video for “Formation.” But she lost in the album of the year category to Adele.
When Adele gave her acceptance speech, she said she “can’t possibly accept this award.” She called “Lemonade” a “monumental” album and said Beyoncé was “the artist of my life.”
Beyoncé teared up listening to Adele’s speech and appeared to mouth, “I love you.”
2023: Renaissance
Who else was nominated? ABBA for “Voyage,” Harry Styles for “Harry’s House,” Lizzo for “Special,” Kendrick Lamar for “Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers,” Coldplay for “Music Of The Spheres,” Brandi Carlile for “In These Silent Days,” Mary J. Blige for “Good Morning Gorgeous (Deluxe),” Bad Bunny for “Un Verano Sin Ti” and Adele for “30.”
Who won? Harry Styles for “Harry’s House.”
Beyoncé’s album “Renaissance” is the first of a three-act project that was recorded during the pandemic. The first installment centered on house music and the second, “Cowboy Carter,” is a country music album.
“Creating this album allowed me a place to dream and to find escape during a scary time for the world,” she said of “Renaissance,” in part, on Instagram.
At the Grammys, the album took home best dance/electronic album, best dance/electronic recording (“Break My Soul,” best traditional R&B performance (“Plastic off the Sofa”) and best R&B song (“Cuff It”) — but not album of the year.
In an interview with Tidal, Jay-Z said that Beyoncé deserved the album of the year award because “Renaissance” made a cultural impact.
“Look what it’s done to the culture,” he said. “Look how the energy of the world moved. They play her whole album in the club. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen that. The whole entire joint — like, everything?! Every remix is amazing. Everyone’s inspired. It has inspired the world. Every remix is better than the other one.”
He added, “When it just inspires creativity, that’s an album. That has to be album of the year. It has to be.”
2025: ‘Cowboy Carter’
Who else is nominated? André 3000 for “New Blue Sun,” Sabrina Carpenter for “Short n’ Sweet,’ Charli XCX for “Brat,” Jacob Collier for “Djesse Vol. 4,” Billie Eilish for “Hit Me Hard and Soft,” Chappell Roan for “The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess” and Taylor Swift for “The Tortured Poets Department.”
Who won? TBD
Beyoncé’s fifth album of the year nomination came for “Cowboy Carter,” the second act of her recent project (the third has not been announced).
Beyoncé said, in the lead-up to the album’s release, that it wasn’t a country album but a “Beyoncé'” album. She also said the album was inspired by an incident in which she did not “feel welcomed,” leading people to speculate she was referring to her performance at the 2016 Country Music Awards.
Lauded by fans and critics alike, “Cowboy Carter” was shut out of the Country Music Awards last year.
