Did the Grammys Simply Shade Beyoncé After Her Album of the 12 months Win?

Just some months after Beyoncé made historical past together with her nation file, the Grammys simply made a main change to their nation class. Coincidence…? The web actually would not suppose so.

To be clear, this sudden change is the solely new class added by the Recording Academy for the 68th Annual Grammy Awards in 2026. The present nation class (beforehand Greatest Nation Album) has been renamed as “Greatest Up to date Nation Album,” whereas the brand new class being added is “Greatest Conventional Nation Album,” per studies.

When chatting with Billboard, Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr., stated, “The neighborhood of individuals which can be making nation music in all completely different subgenres got here to us with a proposal and stated we wish to have extra selection in how our music is honored.”

He added that nation music makers stated the Academy wants “more room” for nation music to be “celebrated and honored.” Whereas he additionally made clear that this proposal had been submitted quite a few occasions years earlier than, it was solely accepted this 12 months, the 12 months when a Black lady made historical past, changing into the primary Black lady to win Greatest Nation Album.

This truth is actually not misplaced on the Beyhive or music followers at massive.

One consumer wrote on X, previously often known as Twitter, “Greatest Conventional Nation Album. How delicate.” One other shared comparable sentiments, writing, “Greatest Conventional Nation Album…they could not wait a pair extra years so it wasn’t so apparent what they’re responding too?”

As we reported, Beyoncé’s win was a serious second for not simply her however the tradition, because the “Renaissance” period for Bey stands as a meditation on reclaiming what’s rightfully ours. Whereas “Renaissance” reclaimed dance and home music, “Cowboy Carter” reminded us that the roots of nation music are Black as effectively, and are simply as a lot ours as anybody else’s.

Naturally, this notion obtained loads of backlash from Nashville and the white nation institution, however that didn’t cease Bey from doing her factor and making historical past on the Grammys stage by taking dwelling multiples Grammys, together with the award of the evening: Album of the 12 months.

One fan wrote, “Beyoncé is so highly effective and he or she pissed off the yts a lot that they added 2 new nation Grammy classes known as “Greatest Up to date Nation Album and Greatest Conventional Nation Album.” That’s a foul b-tch.”

One other shared in a put up, “They’ll change the class all they need however Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter will at all times have a Grammy Award for Greatest Nation Album.”

The double normal is actually a obtrusive one, as different followers have identified. “Attempting to gatekeep a Black style from Black artists is insane.

“Her album was simply as nation as something ‘historically nation’,” one consumer wrote. “Y’all wasn’t doing this when AUSTRALIAN “nation” artist Keith City was successful grammys.”

So, the query stands. Is it merely a coincidence that the Grammys are increasing their nation classes? Or does it have all the pieces to do with us lastly claiming our area on this predominately white style?