Beyoncé has finally won the prestigious Album of the Year Grammy Award for her chart-topping country album, Cowboy Carter.
The US superstar had been nominated four times previously but had never secured the prize, despite critical acclaim for I Am… Sasha Fierce (2008), Beyoncé (2013), Lemonade (2016), and Renaissance (2022).
Collecting the award on Sunday, she said: "I just feel very full and very honoured. It's been many, many years, and I want to thank the Grammys, every songwriter, every collaborator, every producer, all of the hard work."
She continued: "I want to dedicate this to Ms. Linda Martell," referencing the trailblazing Black country artist who faced racial barriers in the industry. "I hope we just keep pushing forward, opening doors. God bless y’all. Thank you so much."
Notably, it makes Beyoncé the first black woman to win Album of the Year since 1999, when Lauryn Hill's The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill took the title.
Earlier in the night, fellow Album of the Year nominee Taylor Swift presented a stunned Beyoncé with the Best Country Album award.
Delivering her acceptance speech, the singer said: "I really was not expecting this. I want to thank God that I'm able to still do what I love after so many years. I’d like to thank all of the incredible country artists that accepted this album. We worked so hard on it."
She added: "Sometimes, genre is used as a barrier to limit artists, but I want to encourage people to pursue their passion and stay persistent."
Ahead of releasing the album last year, the 43-year-old shared that it was "born out of an experience that I had years ago where I did not feel welcomed… and it was very clear that I wasn’t."
"But, because of that experience, I did a deeper dive into the history of country music and studied our rich musical archive," she explained.
The win comes after Cowboy Carter made history, with Beyoncé becoming the first Black woman to top Billboard's country music chart with Texas Hold ’Em.
The singer thanked her "beautiful family" as her daughter Blue Ivy and husband Jay-Z looked on from the audience, along with her fans and the artists who collaborated on the album, including Miley Cyrus and Post Malone.
Ahead of the ceremony, Beyoncé teased a Cowboy Carter tour, sharing an Instagram post featuring a glowing billboard that read, "The Carter Tour".
Meanwhile, Cork singer-songwriter Cian Ducrot won a Grammy Award for songwriting. The Irish musician was one of the co-writers of SZA's hit track Saturn, which won the Grammy for best R&B song.
Reacting to his win on Instagram, Ducrot said he "can't believe it".
The Irish singer-songwriter star has enjoyed a meteoric rise, with his debut album Victory reaching No. 1 in Ireland and the UK, earning over 801 billion streams, and delivering hits like All For You and I'll Be Waiting.
Following two sold-out headline shows for 36,000 fans in Dublin and Cork last year, Ducrot toured North America with Calum Scott and continues to release new music, including his most recent hit, Can't Even Hate You.
US rapper Kendrick Lamar scooped up two of the other top awards at the Grammys – Record of the Year and Song of the Year – for his "diss" track Not Like Us which is reportedly directed at Canadian rapper Drake.
The song also picked up a slew of early prizes including Best Music Video, Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song.
Lamar dedicated the Record of the Year award to his hometown Los Angeles after the city was devastated by wildfires.
The Compton-born artist added: "This is my neck of the woods that held me down since a young pup, since I was in the studio scrapping to write the best raps and all that…
"I can't give enough thanks to these places that I rolled around since high school. Most importantly the people and the families out in the Palisades and Altadena. This is a true testament that we can continue to restore the city."
Fontaines D.C. missed out to The Rolling Stones who won Best Rock Album for Hackney Diamonds, their first album of original music in 18 years. They also missed out on the Best Alternative Music Performance gong which was won by St. Vincent.
This year’s award ceremony is raising funds for wildfire relief following wind-driven blazes that swept through parts of the Californian city last month, destroying neighbourhoods and killing at least 28 people.
Meanwhile, Lady Gaga offered her support to the transgender community as she collected her award after the new Trump administration issued executive orders rolling back transgender rights.
Accepting the Best Pop Duo/Group Performance prize for her collaboration with Bruno Mars on Die With A Smile, Gaga said: "It is a privilege to be a songwriter and a producer, a musician, such an honour to sing for all of you.
"And I just want to say tonight that trans people are not invisible. Trans people deserve love. The queer community deserves to be lifted up. Music is love. Thank you."
Chappell Roan called for the music industry to provide a "liveable wage and healthcare for artists" as she collected her first Grammy award.
After the 26-year-old US star secured the coveted Best New Artist prize, she revealed she had told herself she would demand that labels and the industry would protect artists more if she ever won a Grammy.
She recalled feeling "betrayed" and "dehumanised" when she struggled to find work and afford health care during the pandemic after getting dropped by her first label as a young artist when she had given "everything" to them.
Earlier in the night, she delivered a joyful performance of her disco anthem Pink Pony Club which started with Roan sitting on a giant pink pony before joining a group of dancers dressed as rodeo clowns for some western-inspired choreography.
Colombian singer Shakira dedicated her Best Latin Pop Album award for her 12th record Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran to all of her "immigrant brothers and sisters" in the US after US President Trump toughened immigration policies.
She added: "You’re loved, you’re worth it, and I will always fight with you. And to all of those women who work really hard every day to provide for their families, you are the true heroes".
Pop star Sabrina Carpenter also secured her first two Grammy wins, picking up Best Pop Vocal Album award for her sixth studio album Short n’ Sweet and Best Pop Solo Performance award for her summer hit Espresso.
The US singer was cheered on by fellow nominees Swift and Billie Eilish as she made her way to the stage shortly after performing a theatrical medley of Espresso and Please Please Please from the winning album.
Rising star Doechii took home Best Rap Album for her third mixtape Alligator Bites Never Heal, becoming the third woman to do so after Lauryn Hill and Cardi B, with the later rapper presenting the award on Sunday.
Charli XCX was among the early winners at the Grammys premiere ceremony with the singer picking up Best Dance/Electronic Album and Best Recording Package for her culture-shaping sixth record Brat and Best Dance Pop Recording for its lead single Von Dutch – her first Grammy wins.
The Beatles also picked up Best Rock Performance for their new song Now And Then, which was written and sung by John Lennon and later finished by Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr using overdubs and guitar tracks by George Harrison.
The 2025 award show was hosted by comedian Trevor Noah for the fifth year in a row.
Watch highlights from the 67th Grammy Awards on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player on Monday at 9pm.
