LOS ANGELES: Beyoncé and Miley Cyrus won the Grammy Award for Best Country Duo/Group Performance on Sunday for their song II Most Wanted from Beyoncé’s album Cowboy Carter. The award was presented during a non-televised ceremony ahead of the live primetime show on CBS.
The red-carpet event in downtown Los Angeles celebrated top musicians while also raising funds for victims of the recent wildfires, which affected many in the entertainment industry. Comedian Trevor Noah returned as host.
Beyoncé is competing for Album of the Year with Cowboy Carter, marking her fifth nomination in the category. Despite holding a record 32 Grammy wins, she has never won the top album prize. Other nominees include Taylor Swift’s The Tortured Poets Department and Billie Eilish’s Hit Me Hard and Soft.
The Best New Artist category features Chappell Roan, Sabrina Carpenter, Benson Boone, and Teddy Swims, with Swims calling this year’s lineup “one of the best rookie classes ever.”
Wildfire Fundraising Efforts
Organizers combined the ceremony with fundraising for wildfire relief after the fires, finally contained on Friday, left thousands displaced, including many musicians. Sheryl Crow praised the decision, saying it gave the event a deeper purpose beyond celebrating achievements.
Beyoncé’s Grammy History and Country Music Recognition
A key question of the night is whether Beyoncé will finally win Album of the Year. Last year, her husband, Jay-Z, criticized Grammy voters for not fully recognizing Black artists, including Beyoncé.
Cowboy Carter made history as the first album by a Black woman to top Billboard’s Country Albums chart, highlighting the often-overlooked contributions of Black artists to country music. However, it was not nominated at the Country Music Awards.
Taylor Swift, a four-time Album of the Year winner, is also nominated. She has six nominations overall and will present an award during the show.
Going into the night, Beyoncé led all artists with 11 nominations, followed by Billie Eilish, Charli XCX, Kendrick Lamar, and Post Malone with seven each. Other major categories include Song of the Year, where Beyoncé’s Texas Hold ‘Em competes against Eilish’s Birds of a Feather, Carpenter’s Please Please Please, and Roan’s Good Luck, Babe!.
For Record of the Year, nominees include Carpenter’s Espresso and Swift’s Fortnight featuring Post Malone.
