Beyonce at the 65th Annual GRAMMY Awards held at Crypto.com Arena on February 5, 2023 in Los ... [+]
Beyoncé made history at the 65th annual Grammy Awards. The singer, songwriter, and actor walked away with four awards for Renaissance, the deliciously-inclusive, genre-blending dance album she released last summer. She’s earned more of the Recording Academy’s highly-coveted golden trophies than any other musician. The late music conductor Georg Solti previously held the record with 31 wins. This isn’t the first time Beyoncé snatched a Grammy record. Two years ago, she became the woman with the most wins.
Alien Superstar, the third track on Renaissance, includes these lyrics: “I'm one of one. I'm number one. I'm the only one.” The Recording Academy has corroborated these claims. Technically, Beyoncé really is one of one as it pertains to the most Grammy wins. There isn’t a tie or any declaration-weakening caveats. She’s the only one.
In a short, but emotional acceptance speech for one of the awards she received at this year’s ceremony in Los Angeles, Beyoncé thanked her late Uncle Jonny, a gay man whom she referred to as “Godmother” in the Renaissance credits. His life and love of dance inspired many tracks on the album and its overall vibe. She also saluted in the Grammy acceptance speech a community of which her uncle was part, one of the most loyal sectors of the BeyHive (as her fans call ourselves). “I would like to thank the queer community for your love, for inventing the genre. God bless you.”
Of the 88 nominations Queen Bey has earned over the past 22 years, here’s a list of her 32 career wins:
- 2023 — Best Dance/Electric Recording; Best Dance/Electronic Music Album; Best Traditional R&B Performance; and Best R&B Song
- 2021 — Best R&B Performance: Black Parade; Best Rap Performance: Savage (with Megan Thee Stallion); Best Rap Song: Savage (with Megan Thee Stallion); and Best Music Video: Brown Skin Girl
- 2020 — Best Music Film: Homecoming
- 2019 — Best Urban Contemporary Album: Everything Is Love
- 2017 — Best Urban Contemporary Album: Lemonade; and Best Music Video: Formation
- 2015 — Best R&B Performance: Drunk In Love (with Jay Z); Best R&B Song: Drunk In Love (with Jay Z); and Best Surround Sound Album
- 2013 — Best Traditional R&B Performance: Love On Top
- 2010 — Song Of The Year: Single Ladies; Best Female Pop Vocal Performance: Halo; Best Female R&B Vocal Performance: Single Ladies; Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance: At Last; Best R&B Song: Single Ladies; and Best Contemporary R&B Album: I Am... Sasha Fierce
- 2007 — Best Contemporary R&B Album: B’Day
- 2006 — Best R&B Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals: So Amazing (with Stevie Wonder)
- 2004 — Best Female R&B Vocal Performance: Dangerously In Love 2; Best R&B Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals: The Closer I Get To You (with Luther Vandross); Best R&B Song: Crazy In Love; Best Contemporary R&B Album: Dangerously In Love; and Best Rap/Sung Collaboration: Crazy In Love
- 2002 — Best R&B Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal: Survivor (with Destiny’s Child)
- 2001 — Best R&B Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal: Say My Name (with Destiny’s Child); and Best R&B Song: Say My Name (with Destiny’s Child)
Comedian Trevor Noah hosted this year’s awards show; he was great. He declared Beyoncé the G.O.A.T., an acronym for Greatest of All Time. With this year’s Grammy record-grabbing success, Beyoncé enters another elite club: extraordinarily talented and accomplished Black artists, entertainers, athletes, and influencers who’ve been deemed the G.O.A.T.
Her husband Jay Z has earned membership in this super-exclusive club, alongside Aretha Franklin, Patti LaBelle, Michael Jackson, Prince, Richard Pryor, Whitney Houston, Oprah Winfrey, Michael Jordan, Denzel Washington, Serena Williams, Tiger Woods, LeBron James, and Michelle Obama. And of course it includes a pair of musical geniuses with whom Beyoncé has collaborated: Luther Vandross and Stevie Wonder.
It’s important to note that Black Americans don’t haphazardly confer the G.O.A.T. status, hence the low number of people who’ve earned membership. Induction is reserved for only the most exceptional. It’s subjective yet exceedingly defensible. Beyoncé undeniably belongs in this stratospheric league. Having earned more Grammy awards than every other musician in history is but one indicator. The incontestable quality, originality, and global reach of her music is another. In Alien Superstar, Beyoncé says, “I’m the bar.” She is.
