Beyoncé Proves She Transcends Genre with Best Country Album Win at the Grammys 2025

Over the past five years, country music has made its return to the pop charts, and at the Grammys 2025 on Sunday night, its growing star power was on display. During the telecast, Taylor Swift was on hand to give out the best country album to Beyoncé who beat out Post Malone, Kacey Musgraves, Lainey Wilson, Chris Stapleton for her album Cowboy Carter.

In her acceptance speech, the singer said she was surprised about her win in the country genre. “I think sometimes genre is a code word to keep us in our place as artists,” she said. “I just want people to do want they are passionate about.“

Beyoncé also took home the the best country duo/group performance trophy for “II MOST WANTED,” her collaboration with Miley Cyrus. Earlier in the evening, Stapleton took home the Grammy for best country solo vocal for “It Takes a Woman,” beating Beyoncé and Best New Artist nominee Shaboozey, while Musgraves won best country song for “The Architect.”

Post lost out on all three of his country genre nomination, including the two nominations for collaboration, “I Had Some Help,” his collaboration with Morgan Wallen. Both artists weren’t present for the ceremony. Though the country genre’s recent pop moment was led by Wallen’s monster success, he had never been nominated for a Grammy prior to this year’s ceremony. scored nominations for and best country duo/group performance. For years, he missed the cut for music’s biggest night, following the 2021 controversy over his use of a racial slur. (He later apologized.) But in 2023, he had a major career comeback with the hit “Last Night,” which topped the Billboard Hot 100 for 16 weeks. His return was complete last fall when he won entertainer of the year at the CMAs, just three years after the organization dropped him from eligibility.

Though they’ve competed in different Grammy categories throughout their careers, Beyoncé and Post Malone both marketed their most recent albums as country and submitted their singles to the genre radio stations. Though Post received four nominations at last year’s Country Music Association Awards, Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter was shut out from that ceremony.

In an interview with GQ, the pop star said that following the rules of a genre have never been her biggest concern. “Whether it is R&B, dance, country, rap, zydeco, blues, opera, gospel, they have all influenced me in some way,” she said. “I believe genres are traps that box us in and separate us.”