Beyoncé makes history, receives 11 nominations for 2025 Grammy Awards

On By Littum

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Beyoncé Knowles-Carter has once again made Grammy history. Not only is the megastar the leading nominee for the 2025 awards, she is now the most nominated artist in history. She also earned nominations in the country and American roots categories for the first time.

Beyoncé was nominated for 11 Grammys Friday morning, including the top prize — album of the year — for her acclaimed eighth studio album, “Cowboy Carter.” She is also up for awards in the country and American roots field for the first time. In all, seven different songs from “Cowboy Carter” are nominated across four different genres.

These nominations include Best Country Album, Best Country Duo/Group Performance for “II Most Wanted” with Miley Cyrus, Best Country Song for “Texas Hold ‘Em,” Best Country Solo Performance for “16 Carriages” and Best Americana Performance for “Ya” Yes.”

She also earned a first-time nod in the Best Pop Duo/Group Performance category for her song with Post Malone, “Levii’s Jeans.”

Already the most decorated Grammy artist in history with a total of 32 wins, Beyoncé is now the most nominated artist of all time with a total of 99 nominations throughout her career. Previously, she was tied with her husband, Jay-Z, with 88.

Full list of Beyoncé’s 2025 Grammy nominations

  1. Record of the Year: “Texas Hold ‘Em”
  2. Album of the Year: “Cowboy Carter”
  3. Song of the Year: “Texas Hold ‘Em”
  4. Best Pop Solo Performance: “Bodyguard”
  5. Best Pop Duo/Group Performance: “Levii’s Jeans” featuring Post Malone
  6. Best Rap Melodic Performance: “Spaghettii” featuring Linda Martell and Shaboozey
  7. Best Country Solo Performance: “16 Carriages”
  8. Best Country Duo/Group Performance: “II Most Wanted” with Miley Cyrus
  9. Best Country Song: “Texas Hold ‘Em”
  10. Best Country Album: “Cowboy Carter”
  11. Best Americana Performance: “Ya Ya”

The Significance of Beyoncé’s Nominations

For the Beyhive, this year’s awards ceremony is probably one of the most anticipated in history, as many wonder if the Recording Academy will finally award the Beyoncé album of the year.

So far, only three black women have won the album of the year award in Grammy history: Natalie Cole (1992), Whitney Houston (1994) and Lauryn Hill (1999). Beyoncé has been nominated four times for her albums “I Am…Sasha Fierce, “Beyoncé,” “Lemonade” and “Renaissance.”

This year also marks the first time a black woman has been nominated in the top category for a country album. Ray Charles was nominated for Album of the Year for “Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music” in 1962.

In the history of the awards show, no black woman has ever won a Grammy for a country song. In 2020, Mickey Guyton became the first black woman to be recognized in a country music category when her song “Black Like Me” was nominated.

Earlier this year, the superstar’s husband, hip-hop mogul Jay-Z, called out the Recording Academy for rejecting Beyoncé while accepting Dr. Dre Global Impact Award. Therefore, he sparked a larger conversation about exclusion within the music industry.

In the fall, Beyoncé made headlines when she was rejected with zero nominations at the 2024 Country Music Association Awards despite her breakthrough album. She was the leading nominee for the People’s Choice Country Awards with a total of 12 nods. However, she did not take home any prizes.

Beyoncé first announced her eighth studio album during a surprise Super Bowl commercial in February, when she released the singles “16 Carriages” and “Texas Hold ‘Em.” The songs instantly took the internet by storm and so did the album when it was released. She has since broken many records and made history, and it’s safe to say “Cowboy Carter” has been one great catalyst for the latest spotlight on black country artists and the genre’s roots.

Before releasing the project, Beyoncé was candid about her struggles in the industry, alluding to her 2016 performance at the CMA Awards with The Chicks.

“This album has been more than five years in the making. It was born out of an experience I had years ago where I didn’t feel welcome… and it was very clear that I wasn’t,” she wrote Instagram. “The criticism I faced when I first entered this genre forced me to push past the limitations placed on me. Act II is a result of challenging myself and taking the time to bend and mix genres together to create this work.”

The Grammys will take place on February 2 at the Crypto Arena in Los Angeles.

Follow Caché McClay, USA TODAY Network’s Beyoncé Knowles-Carter reporter, on Instagram, TikTok and X like @cachemclay.