Beyonce Dominates 2024 Grammy Nominations with “Cowboy Carter”

Superstar Beyonce topped the list of Grammy Award contenders, securing 11 nominations, including Album of the Year for her surprising foray into country music with “Cowboy Carter.” This brings her career total to an unparalleled 99 nominations, surpassing her previous tie with husband Jay-Z, who holds 88.

Close behind Beyonce, artists Billie Eilish, Charli XCX, Kendrick Lamar, and Post Malone each received seven nominations. Taylor Swift, alongside newcomers Chappell Roan and Sabrina Carpenter, earned six nominations. Despite her remarkable 32 Grammy wins, Beyonce has never taken home the coveted Album of the Year prize. Her husband, Jay-Z, previously criticized the Grammy voters for not giving adequate recognition to Black artists in top categories. Swift, who has claimed the Album of the Year title four times, is once again in the running with “The Tortured Poets Department.”

The album category is dominated by female artists this year. Competing with Beyonce’s “Cowboy Carter” are Carpenter’s “Short n’ Sweet,” Charli XCX’s “Brat,” Eilish’s “Hit Me Hard and Soft,” Roan’s “The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess,” and Swift’s latest release. Male nominees include Andre 3000 for “New Blue Sun” and Jacob Collier’s “Djesse Vol. 4.” The Recording Academy, which consists of approximately 13,000 music professionals, has made efforts to diversify its membership, now including 38% people of color, marking a 65% increase since 2019.

“Cowboy Carter” has been celebrated for its exploration of the historical contributions of Black Americans to country music, even becoming the first album by a Black woman to top the Billboard Top Country Albums chart. However, it was notably overlooked by the Country Music Awards earlier this year. Beyond Album of the Year, Beyonce’s nominations span genres such as pop, rap, and Americana, showcasing the versatility of “Cowboy Carter.”

Industry experts believe this could be Beyonce’s year to finally win the top honor. Jason Lipshutz, executive editor at Billboard, suggested her outreach to country music fans could either bolster her chances or create uncertainty among voters.

In the Best New Artist category, Sabrina Carpenter will face competition from Chappell Roan, Benson Boone, Shaboozey, and Teddy Swims. The Beatles and The Rolling Stones also made the nominations list. “Now and Then,” a Beatles song featuring John Lennon’s voice revived through AI, was nominated for Song of the Year. The Rolling Stones earned a nomination for Rock Album of the Year with “Hackney Diamonds,” their first original album in nearly two decades.

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