Beyonce made history at the 65th Annual Grammy Awards, breaking the all-time record for wins with her 32nd prize, surpassing the previous record holder, classical conductor Georg Solti, who had 31 awards.
The 41-year-old pop queen won the Grammy for Best Dance/Electronic Music Album for her latest release “Renaissance.”
“I’m trying not to be too emotional. And I’m trying to just receive this night,” Beyonce said in her acceptance speech, where she thanked her family and paid special tribute to the queer community.
The “Renaissance” album is a rich, layered ode to club music, which pays homage to the pioneers of funk, soul, rap, house and disco.
While Beyonce remains a powerhouse contender for the night’s major awards of album, record, and song of the year, the same goes for British balladeer Adele, whose introspective album “30” earned her seven nods.
The 2023 face-off has prompted obvious comparisons to the 2017 Grammys, where Adele swept the top prizes, shutting out Beyonce’s “Lemonade.”
Despite breaking records, when it comes to the big three awards, Beyonce remains something of an underdog in those categories, as she has never won Album of the Year or Record of the Year, and only won Song of the Year once for “Single Ladies” in 2008.
Meanwhile, folk rocker Brandi Carlile and rapper Kendrick Lamar each had three wins by midway through the ceremony.
Actor Viola Davis also became the latest showbiz heavyweight to earn a coveted EGOT by taking the Grammy for Best Audiobook, Narration, and Storytelling for her memoir “Finding Me.”
The star-studded gala, hosted by comedian Trevor Noah, featured performances from Harry Styles, Lizzo, Mary J. Blige, and an exuberant tribute to hip-hop music. Bad Bunny, the world’s biggest commercial artist, won the prize for Best Musica Urbana Album for “Un Verano Sin Ti.”
The industry was also waiting to see if Taylor Swift could win Song of the Year for her 10-minute version of “All Too Well,” which she had already won the Best Music Video prize for.
The race for Best New Artist is wide open this year, with the category reflecting the internet age’s impact on popular music, and several of the nominees, including Anitta, Maneskin, and Latto, finding viral fame on TikTok.
Wet Leg swept the alternative music categories, while Muni Long won the award for Best R&B Performance and Molly Tuttle won for Best Bluegrass Album.
