How Beyoncé Is Honoring Black Music History With 'Cowboy Carter,' "Texas Hold Em," 'Renaissance' & More | GRAMMY.com

The most powerful thing for a Black woman to be is free; to embrace freedom of expression, freedom of agency and freedom of autonomy. In all aspects and areas of our lives, Black women strive to be free. 

In the Black American consciousness, freedom takes on a political nature. But the ways in which we reach our freedom, individually and collectively, are complex and nuanced. Take Beyoncé for example: To the average African American, she is free; her billionaire status frees her from participation in a capitalist state plagued by classism, sexism, and racism.

Yet an individual actor (regardless of star status or income bracket) cannot free themselves from the system at large. And one of the few spaces where people who live on the margins can find a freedom similar to that of a 32-time GRAMMY winning icon is on the dancefloor.

Dance has always been a source of liberation for Black people, where "...shakes of the head, bending of the spinal column, throwing of the whole body backward may be deciphered as in an open book the huge effort of a community to exorcise itself, to liberate itself, to explain itself," philosopher Frantz Fanon wrote in The Wretched of the Earth. In a scene from Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé, the singer shares a similar sentiment: "This tour…I feel liberated. I have transitioned into a new animal."

This is not Beyoncé’s first attempt at liberation, but it may be her most vocal. Her journey first began in 2013 with the release of Beyoncé, followed by 2016’s Lemonade, and continued on 2022’s Renaissance. Throughout these three albums, she has made declarative statements about her role in 21st century pop culture feminism, reveled in the exploration of Black Southern womanhood identity, and blended these intersecting identities to form a new being. 

It’s poetic how Beyoncé uses music to define herself. In lieu of speaking directly to the press, she has used the vehicle of pop culture to communicate her needs, desires, as well as her understanding of the world. The strategy has proven successful: Through her groundbreaking and popular works, Beyoncé has dominated much media for the past decade. She knows that whoever controls the media, controls the mind. 

Her last two albums have consciously explored genres created by Black artists, whose contributions had disappeared from the narrative. In the media frenzy that inevitably follows Bey's releases, the icon put this history — as well as contemporary artists — back on the global consciousness. 

When Renaissance dropped, the artistry and voices of Big Freedia, Grace Jones, Honey Dijon, Moi Renee, and TS Madison were heard across the world. However, their presence was more than a simple collaboration or feature."This a reminder," Beyoncé says on "Cozy," the album’s second track. 

The album — an auditory homage to the house music her late uncle Johnny loved — introduced audiences to the above artists, all of whom have made their own impacts on dance music. But it also educated listeners about the Black trans and queer underground dance scenes that birthed dance music and culture. In "chocolate cities," such as Baltimore, Chicago, Detroit, dance music was liberation music. Renaissance is and continues to be a call for liberation.

Read more: Obsessed With Beyoncé's 'Renaissance'? Keep The Dance Party Going With Albums From Frankie Knuckles, Big Freedia & More

But liberation becomes confusing when it is Southern. Although the South has a long history of Black liberation — extending as far back as maroon communities to the freedom rides movement to protests against police training facilities in Atlanta — it still is associated with enslavement in the African American mind. 

Country music, a genre with roots in the musical styling and traditions of Black people in Appalachia and the South, becomes whitewashed over time. This erasure, amplified through gender and racial discrimination policies, paints the South and country music as a hostile environment for Black Americans. 

As a result, the banjo, "an instrument of innovation and collaboration," an instrument that is of African origin often used in minstrel shows and artists in blackface, becomes associated with the degradation of Black people. It is no coincidence that the banjo takes prominence on "Texas Hold Em"; when Rhiannon Giddens plays the banjo on the track she recontextualizes a fraught relationship between African Americans and country music.

So what happens when the most powerful entertainer in the world reminds people that she is not only Southern, but country in nature? The world begins to lose its mind. 

Read More: Beyoncé's New Album Cowboy Carter Is Here: Check Out The Featured Artists, Cover Songs, And Tracklist

Prior to the release of "16 Carriages" and "Texas Hold Em," Beyoncé had attended two significant events in western wear: The 66th GRAMMY Awards and Super Bowl LVIII. Donning a Stetson hat and a bolo tie (the official state tie of Texas), everything signaled a return to home. A return to the South. 

As a little girl, Beyoncé spent summers in Alabama with her paternal grandparents; her grandfather would play and sing country music to her. With such foundational experiences, it makes sense why Beyoncé would use country music to describe the theft of her girlhood on "16 Carriages."

Throughout her discography, Beyoncé has alluded to her country origins — from costuming in her early days as the frontwoman of Destiny’s Child to songs like "Creole" and "Formation." And while she may not have held country in a full-on embrace, its spirit has never left her. 

Yet, she needed to experience liberation of the Renaissance World Tour to bring this version of herself forward. On tour, she found liberation in the booming voice of ballroom legend and commentator Kevin JZ Prodigy, and through the joy of her daughter Blue Ivy Carter. Beyoncé found liberation not only through her dancers, narrator and her daughter, but in the ways in which the stage provided an opportunity for them all to be free. 

She needed to be liberated in order to be the most actualized version of herself. A self, unlike the little girl in Alabama, who knows how unwelcoming the country music industry can be.

One singular action cannot bring forth liberation, and Beyoncé cannot take down the country music industry by herself. However, she can work in unison with Black country musicians like Rhiannon Giddens and Robert Randolph on "16 Carriages" and "Texas Hold Em" to make a change in the industry.

Her presence is giving visibility to the artists who have been working in country music long before Bey entered the playing field. Shortly after the release of "16 Carriages" and "Texas Hold Em," Black female country artists such as Tanner Adell, Reyna Roberts, K. Michelle, Rhiannon Giddens, and Rissi Palmer received a significant increase in streams. Palmer is one of the few Black women in the genre to chart on Billboard, prior to Beyoncé breaking the mold as the first Black woman to top the Billboard country chart.   

Although she is one powerful person, Beyoncé understands each movement in music, culture, and politics is the byproduct of those who have come before her like Linda Martell, the first Black woman country star. 

There is much to be speculated about the lasting impacts act ii, scheduled for release on March 29, will have on the country music industry, Its arrival certainly heralds an important impact on the artist herself. 

Beyoncé is free, in her career, sound and attitude toward life. And the unintended (or possibly intended) consequence of her freedom and self actualization is that Black people in country music are allowed to be free too. 

How Beyoncé Has Empowered The Black Community Across Her Music And Art | Black Sounds Beautiful

Editor's Note: This article was originally published on May 15, 2017, and was updated on Feb. 4, 2025 to reflect history-making moments through the 2025 GRAMMYs, and on March 4, 2025 with a new graphic.

The 2025 GRAMMYs marked another big night for female artists, from Doechii's dynamic performance and Chappell Roan's powerful speech to Beyoncé's career-defining wins. But it was far from the first time that women have made waves on the GRAMMY stage.

In the GRAMMY Awards' 67-year history, women have set a wide array of GRAMMY records, along with achieving many remarkable firsts. This year alone, Beyoncé did both, setting the record for the most GRAMMY nominations ever at 99, and becoming the first Black woman to win the GRAMMY for Best Country Album for COWBOY CARTER (which also won the superstar her first Album Of The Year honor).

Beyoncé is in good company when it comes to female GRAMMY record holders, which includes the likes of Ella Fitzgerald, Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish, and Lauryn Hill. From the first women to ever win a GRAMMY to the top GRAMMY-winning woman, as well as the first female GRAMMY performers and the first female GRAMMY host, here are 13 examples of how women blazed trails in music — and left their indelible marks in GRAMMY history.

Ella Fitzgerald: The First Woman To Win Multiple GRAMMYs

The 1st Annual GRAMMY Awards took place in 1958, and several women were among the first crop of recipients. The first female multiple GRAMMY winner was jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald, who took home two gramophones: Best Vocal Performance, Female and Best Jazz Performance, Individual. The roster of first-time female GRAMMY winners also included Keely Smith, Salli Terri, Barbara Cook, Pert Kelton, Helen Raymond, and Renata Tebaldi.

The First Women To Win GRAMMYs In The General Field

Wins by women in the General Field Categories — Record, Song and Album Of The Year and Best New Artist — date all the way back to the 4th Annual GRAMMY Awards in 1962. The first female winner for Album Of The Year was Judy Garland, for her 1961 album, Judy At Carnegie Hall.

Three years later, Astrud Gilberto became the first woman to win Record Of The Year, winning alongside Stan Getz for "The Girl From Ipanema" in 1964. Then in 1968, country singer/songwriter Bobbie Gentry became the first female Best New Artist winner. And in 1971, Carole King was the first woman to claim the Song Of The Year honor for "You've Got A Friend" in 1971. 

Taylor Swift: The Artist With The Most Album Of The Year Wins

Taylor Swift is the artist with the most Album Of The Year wins in GRAMMY history, with four awards under her belt. The singer/songwriter scored her first win in the Category at the 2010 GRAMMYs for 2008's Fearless, which also won Best Country Album; Swift later won in 2016 for 2014's 1989 (also winning Best Pop Vocal Album) and in 2021 for 2020's critically acclaimed Folklore, the latter of which made her the first woman to win Album Of The Year three times.

In 2024, she broke the Category's record for all artists, winning for her tenth album Midnights (which also scored Best Pop Vocal Album that year). Overall, Swift has been nominated for Album Of The Year a total of seven times, with the other nods for 2012's Red, 2020's Evermore, and 2024's The Tortured Poets Department.

Read More: A Timeline Of Taylor Swift's GRAMMYs History, From Skipping Senior Prom To Setting A Record With 'Midnights'

Carole King: The First Woman To Win Multiple General Field GRAMMYs

The first woman to win multiple GRAMMYs in the General Field in the same night was Carole King, when she swept Record ("It's Too Late"), Album (Tapestry) and Song Of The Year ("You've Got A Friend") in 1971. The first women to win multiple GRAMMYs in the same General Field Categories include Roberta Flack, who took Record Of The Year in 1973 and 1974, for "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" and "Killing Me Softly With His Song," respectively. 

While Taylor Swift holds the record for most Album Of The Year wins, there are many female artists with multiple victories in the Category. Lauryn Hill, Norah Jones, and Alison Krauss have each won Album Of The Year twice (but only once in each case for their own recordings). At the 2017 GRAMMYs, Adele became the first artist in GRAMMY history to win Record, Song and Album Of The Year in the same night twice, five years after doing so in 2012.

Billie Eilish: The First Woman To Sweep The General Field

At the 2020 GRAMMYs, Billie Eilish made history as the first woman to win in all four General Field Categories — Album Of The Year, Record Of The Year, Song Of The Year, and Best New Artist — in the same night, thanks to her 2019 debut album, WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO? and its breakout hit "bad guy." (She also took home a golden gramophone for Best Pop Vocal Album.) The record-setting moment made a then-18-year-old Eilish the youngest General Field sweeper, and only the second to do so, nearly 40 years after Christopher Cross did so in 1981. 

At the 2025 GRAMMYs, both Sabrina Carpenter and Chappell Roan were nominated in all four General Field Categories, giving them a chance to make history alongside Eilish. While neither of them completed the sweep, both singers earned their first GRAMMYs; Carpenter won Best Pop Vocal Album for 2024's Short n' Sweet album and Best Pop Solo Performance for her viral smash "Espresso," while Roan took home Best New Artist.

Beyoncé: The Artist With The Most GRAMMY Wins & Nominations

Before the 2025 GRAMMYs, Beyoncé already held the record for the most GRAMMY wins of any artist in history. She achieved the feat at the 2023 GRAMMYs, when she took home the GRAMMY for Best Dance/Electronic Music Album for her 2022 album, RENAISSANCE to bring her total GRAMMY count to 32. Not only did she add to her lead at the 2025 GRAMMYs, but she made history twice over, thanks to both her nominations and her wins.

Scoring 11 nods at the 2025 GRAMMYs thanks to her eighth studio album, 2024's COWBOY CARTER, Beyoncé's nomination total went up to 99, making her the artist with the most GRAMMY nominations of all time. 

At the 2025 ceremony, the "TEXAS HOLD 'EM" singer won her career-first Album Of The Year award for COWBOY CARTER, making her the first Black woman to win the award since 1999, when Lauryn Hill won for 1998's The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. In the same night, Beyoncé also became the first Black artist to win Best Country Album for COWBOY CARTER. With three wins in total (she also won Best Country Duo/Group Performance for "II MOST WANTED" with Miley Cyrus), Beyoncé brought her record-holding number of GRAMMY wins to 35.

Read More: A Timeline Of Beyoncé's GRAMMY Moments, From Her First Win With Destiny's Child To Making History With 'Cowboy Carter'

The First Women To Perform On The GRAMMYs

The first televised GRAMMY event, a taped "NBC Sunday Showcase," in honor of the 2nd GRAMMY Awards, aired Nov. 29, 1959. It was Fitzgerald's performance on this broadcast that earned her the distinction of being the first woman to take the GRAMMY stage. 

When the GRAMMYs transitioned to a live television broadcast format for the 13th GRAMMY Awards in 1971, several female artists performed as part of the milestone event, including Karen Carpenter of the Carpenters, Aretha Franklin, Wanda Jackson, Anne Murray, and Dionne Warwick.

Bonnie Raitt: The Most GRAMMY Performances

Beloved singer/songwriter Bonnie Raitt is the woman who has performed the most at the GRAMMYs. From her first solo performance of "Thing Called Love" at the 32nd GRAMMY Awards in 1990 through her latest performance in honor of B.B. King with Chris Stapleton and Gary Clark, Jr. at the 58th GRAMMY Awards in 2016, Raitt has graced the stage nine times. In a tie for a close second are Aretha Franklin and Whitney Houston, who each notched eight career GRAMMY performances in their lifetimes.

Whoopi Goldberg: The First Female GRAMMY Host

Whoopi Goldberg served as the GRAMMYs' first female host at the 34th GRAMMY Awards in 1992. An EGOT (Emmy, GRAMMY, Oscar, and Tony) winner, the comedian already had an impressive array of credentials when she helmed the GRAMMY stage. Not one to shy away from pushing the envelope, she delivered arguably one of the raunchiest jokes in GRAMMY history when referencing the show's accounting firm: "I must tell you, Deloitte & Touche are two things I do nightly."

The First Female Special Merit Awards Recipients

The inaugural Recording Academy Special Merit Award was given in 1963 to Bing Crosby, but it wasn't long until women made their mark. Ella Fitzgerald was the first woman to receive the Lifetime Achievement Award in 1967. Liza Minnelli became the first female artist to receive a GRAMMY Legend Award in 1990.

In 1992, Christine M. Farnon became the first woman to receive a Trustees Award. She served as The Recording Academy's National Executive Director for more than 20 years. 

The First Recordings By Women To Be Inducted Into The GRAMMY Hall Of Fame

The GRAMMY Hall Of Fame — established in 1973 by the Recording Academy's Board of Trustees to honor outstanding recordings that were made before the inception of the GRAMMY Awards — inducted its first female recipients in 1976. Billie Holiday's "God Bless The Child," which was originally done in 1941, marked the first solo female recording. Gershwin's Porgy & Bess (Opera Version), featuring Camilla Williams, and the original Broadway cast version of "Oklahoma!," featuring Joan Roberts, were inducted into the Hall that same year.

Lauryn Hill, Cardi B, MC Lyte: The Women Who Changed Rap At The GRAMMYs

While rap music is a largely male-dominated genre, women have continued to evolve the sound since the beginnings of hip-hop. It's no surprise, then, that female rappers have also made GRAMMY history throughout the decades.

With the release of her debut album, Lyte As A Rock, in 1988, MC Lyte became the first female rapper to release a solo album. She then followed the feat by becoming the first woman rapper to receive a GRAMMY nomination when her 1993 chart-topping song "Ruffneck" received a nomination for Best Rap Solo Performance at the 36th GRAMMY Awards in 1994.

Just a few years later, Lauryn Hill continued the history-making streak at the 1997 GRAMMYs; she became the first female rap artist to win Best Rap Album thanks to The Score, her second album with The Fugees. Hill also made GRAMMY history on her own at the 1999 GRAMMYs, when she won Album Of The Year for her monumental 1998 album, The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill, becoming the first rap artist to win that major Category.

Cardi B ushered in another GRAMMY first two decades later: At the 2019 GRAMMYs, she became the first solo female rapper to win the GRAMMY for Best Rap Album for her 2018 debut album, Invasion of Privacy. The 2025 GRAMMYs found history repeating itself, as Cardi B presented Doechii the Best Rap Album award for 2024's Alligator Bites Never Heal. The win made Doechii the third female rapper in history to win the Category.

Amy Allen: The First Woman To Win Songwriter Of The Year, Non-Classical

Making history with one of the most recent additions to the GRAMMY canon, Songwriter Of The Year, Non-Classical — which was first awarded in 2023 — Amy Allen became the first woman to be awarded with the honor at the 2025 GRAMMYs. Her win was thanks to her work on Sabrina Carpenter's GRAMMY-winning album, Short N' Sweet, and songs by Tate McRae, Olivia Rodrigo, Justin Timberlake, and Koe Wetzel.

With several new historic feats at the 2025 GRAMMYs, female artists are continuing to dominate on the GRAMMY stage and beyond — and show no signs of slowing down.

This article features contributions from Bianca Gracie and Taylor Weatherby.

If the past 12 months were any indication, it has been a celebratory and transformative time for women in music. Women swept at the 2025 GRAMMYs, with some Categories (Best Pop Solo Performance, Best Pop Vocal Album) exclusively recognizing female nominees. Amy Allen became the first woman to win Songwriter Of The Year, Non-Classical. Meanwhile, Beyoncé extended her record as the most decorated GRAMMY artist. Women artists won Album Of The Year and Best New Artist for the third time in five years. 

Beyond chart achievements and awards, women stepped up to advocate for their right to take up space in the industry — and called for safer, more inclusive spaces. Chappell Roan, for example, took the GRAMMY stage for her Best New Artist win to challenge executives: "I told myself if I ever won a GRAMMY, and I got to stand up here in front of the most powerful people in music, I would demand that labels and the industry profiting millions of dollars off of artists would offer a livable wage and health care, especially to developing artists."

Her acceptance speech caused a rippling effect, prompting Universal Music Group and the Music Health Alliance to launch a music industry health fund. Shortly after, first-time GRAMMY winners Sabrina Carpenter and Charli xcx joined Roan's campaign with a $25,000 donation to support rising musicians.

Read more: 13 Times Women Made GRAMMY History: Beyoncé, Taylor Swift & More

While the Recording Academy has made meaningful progress in increasing women's representation within its Membership, there is still more work to be done industry-wide. In honor of Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day, GRAMMY.com celebrates the women in music who have broken barriers and paved the way for a more inclusive industry. When there’s more women, there’s more music. Together as advocates and allies, we encourage the music industry to unite in uplifting, supporting, and creating more opportunities for women. 

Press play on female empowerment anthems that can sum up the past year of taking charge in music history, from the joyous declarations of unapologetic femininity on Megan Thee Stallion's "HISS" and Ariana Grande's "yes, and?," to the odes to sisterhood on Tori Kelly's "Spruce" and Camila Cabello's "DREAM-GIRLS."

Editor's Note: This article was originally published on Feb. 8, 2018 and was updated on Feb. 12, 2025 to reflect current stats and wins; Taylor Weatherby also contributed.

Black artists have been making history at the GRAMMYs since the awards were first presented on May 4, 1959, when Ella Fitzgerald and Count Basie each took home two awards. African-American creators have continued to set records and celebrate monumental firsts through the 2025 GRAMMYs, when Beyoncé became the first Black artist to win the golden gramophone for Best Country Album.

Of course, that's not Beyoncé's only GRAMMY record. And she's joined by a host of other Black superstars that have had a historic moment on the GRAMMY stage, from Michael Jackson's huge night in 1983 to Lauryn Hill's big win in 1998.

To help celebrate Black History Month, take a look at 15 Black artists who have set GRAMMY records.

The 5th Dimension

Los Angeles soul group the 5th Dimension had two big GRAMMY nights in 1968 and 1970, scooping up six awards between the two. And with those six wins, they became the first group or duo to win twice for Record Of The Year: "Up, Up And Away" in 1968, and "Aquarius/Let The Sunshine In (The Flesh Failures)" in 1970.

Babyface

In 1993, Babyface shared his first Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical win with L.A. Reid, and the pair tied for the win with Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois. But just three years later, he won on his own — and proceeded to win the award solo for three years straight.

With that, Babyface became a four-time winner in the Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical Category, making him the only producer to do so to date.

Thom Bell

The 1974 GRAMMYs marked the first year that the Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical Category was awarded. Thom Bell was the inaugural winner, making him the first producer to win Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical.

Beyoncé

Perhaps Beyoncé's biggest story of the 2025 GRAMMYs was her first win for Album Of The Year, but she actually made history with another one of her three wins. COWBOY CARTER was also crowned Best Country Album, making Beyoncé the first Black artist to win in the Category.

The "TEXAS HOLD 'EM" singer's three wins at the 2025 GRAMMYs brought her total to 35, which extends her lead as the artist with the most GRAMMYs. She actually broke the record at the 2023 GRAMMYs, when she won four golden gramophones to bring her total to 32.

Beyoncé broke another record prior to the 2025 GRAMMYs, as her 11 nominations brought her total to 99 — making her the artist with the most GRAMMY nominations, too.

Interestingly, Beyoncé and her husband, Jay-Z, are the only couple where both individuals have received 20 or more GRAMMYs. As of press time, Jay-Z has won 25.

Long before setting her latest records, Beyoncé had another historic GRAMMY night in 2010. She became the first woman to win six GRAMMYs in one night thanks to I Am… Sasha Fierce; her awards included Song Of The Year for "Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)."

Ray Charles

During his remarkable lifetime, Ray Charles was a 12-time GRAMMY winner. And even after his passing in 2004 at the age of 73, he not only managed to posthumously add more to that count, but he also made GRAMMY history in doing so.

Charles' beloved final album, 2004's posthumously released Genius Loves Company, won five golden gramophones at the 2005 GRAMMYs, including Album Of The Year. As of press time, it holds the record as the most posthumous GRAMMYs in one night.

Elizabeth Cotten

Blues and folk pioneer Elizabeth Cotten won her first GRAMMY at 90 years old, which also made her the oldest female artist to win a GRAMMY. She was 90 years and 52 days old when she won Best Ethnic Or Traditional Folk Recording for Elizabeth Cotten Live! at the 1985 GRAMMYs (which beats Betty White's record by 26 days, as the late comedian's 2011 win for Best Spoken Word Album (Includes Poetry, Audio Books & Storytelling) came when she was 90 years and 26 days old).

Ella Fitzgerald

At the very first GRAMMYs in 1959, Ella Fitzgerald was nominated for Album Of The Year for Ella Fitzgerald Sings The Irving Berlin Song Book. Not only was she the only woman in the Category, but the nomination made her the first woman to ever receive an Album Of The Year nomination.

Eight years later, Fitzgerald also became the first woman to receive a GRAMMY Lifetime Achievement Award.

Roberta Flack

At the 1973 GRAMMYs, Roberta Flack won Record Of The Year for "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face." She won the Category the following year as well for "Killing Me Softly With His Song," making her the first artist to win back-to-back awards for Record Of The Year.

Aretha Franklin

From 1968-2011, Aretha Franklin accrued an impressive 18 GRAMMY wins and 44 nominations. Among her wins is a unique record: most consecutive awards in any Category.

Franklin won Best R&B Vocal Performance, Female for eight consecutive years, from 1968 to 1975; the streak kicked off with her classic hit "Respect."

Lauryn Hill

To this day, Lauryn Hill's The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill is revered as one of hip-hop's most iconic albums — and the 1999 GRAMMYs was proof of its significance.

At the ceremony, Hill had five wins, becoming the first woman to win five GRAMMYs in one night. One of those golden gramophones was for Album Of The Year, which made Hill the first rapper to win Album Of The Year. (One year prior, she also became the first woman to win in the Best Rap Album Category, when her group, the Fugees, won for The Score.)

Michael Jackson

At the 1984 GRAMMYs, the King of Pop became the first artist to win eight GRAMMYs in one night, thanks to his blockbuster album Thriller. The album helped Michael Jackson take home Album Of The Year and Record Of The Year for "Beat It," as well as Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical alongside Quincy Jones. His other Thriller wins were in the Pop, Rock and R&B Fields, and he even took home a golden gramophone for Best Recording For Children for his reading of "E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial."

With 12 nominations in total that year, Jackson also became the first artist to amass that many nods in one night.

Quincy Jones

While Quincy Jones wasn't the first winner of Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical, he became the first to win it two and three times. His first win came in 1982; his second (which he won alongside Michael Jackson) was in 1984; and his third win was in 1991.

Hazel Monét

The 2024 GRAMMYs marked a milestone night for Victoria Monét, who won three GRAMMYs including Best New Artist. But it was also a history-making occasion for her daughter, Hazel, who earned a GRAMMY nomination for featuring on her mom's song "Hollywood," which was up for Best Traditional R&B Performance. Receiving the nomination at just 2 years old, Hazel is the youngest GRAMMY nominee ever.

Pinetop Perkins

Twenty-eight years after his first nomination, Pinetop Perkins won his first GRAMMY at the 2008 GRAMMYs — and became the oldest GRAMMY winner in the process. He won Best Traditional Blues Album, for Last Of The Great Mississippi Delta Bluesmen: Live In Dallas, at 95 years and 218 days old.

But even more remarkably, three years later, he topped his own record. Winning again in the Best Traditional Blues Album Category (this time for Joined At The Hip), this time, he was 97 years and 221 days old — making him the oldest living artist to win a GRAMMY at that time. (At the 2025 GRAMMYs, Jimmy Carter posthumously won at 100, making him the oldest winner.)

Stevie Wonder

Though Taylor Swift holds the record for the most Album Of The Year wins, Stevie Wonder is the only artist in GRAMMY history to win Album Of The Year with three consecutive studio albums. He achieved this extraordinary three-peat with Innervisions in 1974, Fulfillingness' First Finale in 1975, and Songs In The Key Of Life in 1977.

Innervisions also helped Wonder become the first artist to win Album Of The Year with an entirely self-produced album.

Watch highlights from the 2025 GRAMMYs on live.GRAMMY.com.

The 2025 GRAMMYs telecast was reimagined to raise funds to support those impacted by the wildfires in the greater Los Angeles area. The Recording Academy and MusiCares launched a dedicated campaign to support affected music professionals, and we need your help. Donate now.

The 2025 GRAMMYs celebrated an abundance of new winners and iconic moments for superstars — and according to Luminate, many of them saw big gains in streaming, sales and chart movements.

Following her momentous first Album Of The Year win, Beyoncé also earned the night's biggest boost for an album. COWBOY CARTER, which also won Best Country Album and Best Country Duo/Group Performance for the Miley Cyrus collab "II MOST WANTED," earned 25,000 equivalent album units post-GRAMMYs — a 254 percent gain.

Doechii's Alligator Bites Never Heal also saw a big bump following her historic win for Best Rap Album, which made her the third woman to win in the Category. The album earned 31,000 equivalent album units (combining consumption via streams, downloads, sales, etc.), earning not just a 107 percent gain, but also its best week yet on the Billboard 200 at No. 14.

The night's biggest winner, Kendrick Lamar — whose viral hit "Not Like Us" nabbed the rapper five more golden gramophones, including his first for Record Of The Year and Song Of The Year — saw perhaps the most interesting boost. Despite the song not being featured on his latest album, GNX, the 2024 LP is up 9 percent. Four more of his six albums also saw a gain: Mr. Morale and The Big Steppers is up 13 percent; Good Kid, M.A.A.D City is up 11 percent; and DAMN. and To Pimp a Butterfly are both up 9 percent.

Billie Eilish saw a similar impact to Lamar's gains, as all of her albums saw a streaming boost following her stirring performance of "BIRDS OF A FEATHER" on the telecast. Her 2024 album, HIT ME HARD AND SOFT — which earned Eilish six more nominations this year — gained 47 percent, while 2022's Happier Than Ever gained 17 percent and 2019's WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO? gained 10 percent. Even her 2017 EP, don't smile at me, saw a 14 percent boost.

Chappell Roan had one of the biggest album boosts following her Best New Artist win and theatrical performance of "Pink Pony Club." Her debut album, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess, gained 56 percent. ("Pink Pony Club" also reached a new high on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, jumping to No. 18 after a 98 percent gain; more on other Hot 100 moves later.)

On the heels of her own two wins, Sabrina Carpenter enjoyed a 20 percent boost for Short N' Sweet as well as an 8 percent gain for its predecessor, 2022's emails i can't send. Short N' Sweet helped Carpenter win Best Pop Vocal Album and Best Pop Solo Performance for its viral smash "Espresso"; the singer earned six nominations in total, including Best New Artist.

In fact, all eight of the Best New Artist nominees saw streaming gains thanks to their appearances on the telecast. Benson Boone, RAYE, Shaboozey, and Teddy Swims — all of whom, along with Doechii, were featured in a medley performance of their individual hits — each earned a boost. RAYE saw the biggest boost with 65 percent; Boone's Fireworks & Rollerblades album is up 44 percent; Shaboozey's Where I've Been, Isn't Where I'm Going is up 13 percent; Swims' I've Tried Everything But Therapy (Part 1) is up 8 percent. Khruangbin, who were spotlighted in a performance just before the Best New Artist medley, also earned a big gain, as their most recent LP, 2024's A La Sala, rose 36 percent. 

Charli xcx topped off a BRAT GRAMMY night — which included her first three wins and a party-fueled performance of album singles "Von dutch" and "Guess" — with the album seeing a 28 percent gain.

Several winning songs and artists also jumped up on the Billboard Hot 100. The chart's Top 10 is almost entirely dominated by GRAMMY winners and performers, helmed by Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars' "Die With a Smile," which returns to the No. 1 spot for a fifth week. Though the pair opted to tribute those affected by the Los Angeles wildfires with a moving rendition of "California Dreamin'" for their joint performance on the telecast, they were awarded Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for "Die With A Smile" (and Lady Gaga delivered a powerful message in support of queer and trans communities in her speech).

Elsewhere on the Hot 100, Lamar's wins helped his latest SZA collab, GNX's "Luther," move back to No. 3 for the first time since its December debut; Eilish's "BIRDS OF A FEATHER" jumped from No. 7 to No. 4; and Shaboozey's "A Bar Song (Tipsy)" held on No. 5 after seeing a 118 percent boost in sales.

The Weeknd saw the biggest bound into the Top 10 thanks to his monumental GRAMMYs surprise. Ending a nearly four-year boycott, the Canadian superstar took the GRAMMYs stage for a performance of "Cry For Me" and "Timeless" (with collaborator Playboi Carti) from his new album, Hurry Up Tomorrow; the latter jumped from No. 18 to No. 7 on the chart.

Boone's "Beautiful Things" also saw a significant increase, moving from No. 15 to No. 9. His backflip-filled performance on the telecast also helped the song see a 29 percent streaming gain and a remarkable 515 percent boost in sales. 

Though Swims' "Lose Control" performance didn't quite have the same effect, he still holds at No. 8. Lamar's GNX single "tv off" closes out the Hot 100's Top 10 by rising from 11-10 on the post-GRAMMYs chart — but he surely will be seeing another big boost on the next tally, thanks to his instantly iconic halftime performance at Super Bowl LIX.