Grammy records Beyonce could break with ‘Cowboy Carter’

Every Beyoncé album comes with the potential for myriad records she could break, a testament to the pop cultural force the singer-songwriter and producer exerts. Her last album, “Renaissance,” was particularly important to Grammy watchers, as its four trophies made her the most awarded artist in history with 32 total wins. While that is already a feat that’s hard to top, her newest release, the country/Americana-inspired “Cowboy Carter,” has the chance to break even more Grammy records.

Most nominations in a single year
As of 2024, the record for the most nominations in a single year is held by two individuals: Michael Jackson (1984) and Babyface (1997), both with 12. While artists like Kendrick Lamar and Jon Batiste have come close, that record has stood for decades. However, “Cowboy Carter” might be the perfect album to exceed that number. Let’s assume the album gets all three general field nominations (Album of the Year, Record of the Year, Song of the Year). And let’s also say it’s likely to get nominations across the country field (a maximum of four, if she submits to Best Country Album). Expect some of her soul/country-infused R&B to prompt at minimum a submission for Best Traditional R&B Performance and Best R&B Song (that’s two more noms).

Beyoncé might also submit something to Best Americana Performance, Best American Roots Song, and Best American Roots Performance (three more potential noms right there). All those are already enough to tie the record of 12 nominations, but the wildcard is a submission of “My House,” from her “Renaissance” tour movie, for Best Pop Dance Recording and/or Best Song Written For Visual Media (two more bids), not to mention the movie itself can get into Best Music Film. And, of course, she could easily submit anything to the pop field and get nominated for Best Pop Solo Performance and/or Best Pop Duo/Group Performance (another two bids).

So Beyoncé could theoretically get 17 nominations. Granted, she’s probably not getting all of those, but there’s a chance she can get enough to break the record with 13. Certainly a huge feat, but is it that huge for the most awarded artist in Grammy history?

First Black woman to win in the country field
Black talent is wildly underrepresented in the country music genre, and the same applies to the Grammys. While Black men have won in the field previously (Darius Rucker and Ray Charles), a Black woman has yet to win a country Grammy. We’ve had nominees, most recently Mickey Guyton, who has achieved four nominations in the field to date but has lost all of them. It’s likely that Beyoncé will finally achieve this, whether it is for “Texas Hold ‘Em” in the song categories or the album for Best Country Album. Additionally, “Texas Hold ‘Em” could become the first song written by a Black artist of any gender to win Best Country Song. Charley Pride’s “Kiss an Angel Good Mornin'” previously won, but Pride himself didn’t write it, so he didn’t get the award.

Fun fact: Beyoncé will also likely break her tie with Janet Jackson as the female artist with nominations across the most Grammy fields. Both have been nominated in nine different fields.

First Country Record/Song of the Year winner in over a decade
“Texas Hold ‘Em” is one of the year’s biggest hits so far, especially as a statement piece on Black artists and their position in country music. The song is accessible enough for pop, R&B, and country audiences. So if that cross-genre appeal helps it win Record of the Year and Song of the Year, Beyoncé will give country music its first victories in those categories since 2011 when “Need You Now” by Lady A won both. Additionally, it would be the first time a Black solo artist won both categories since Childish Gambino’s “This Is America,” and it would be the first country song by a Black artist to win in the general field ever.

General Field nominations
If and when “Texas Hold ‘Em” gets a Song of the Year nomination, Beyoncé will tie for the second most nominations in that category ever (six), alongside legends Paul McCartney and Lionel Richie. That number is only surpassed by Taylor Swift (who currently has seven noms). In Record of the Year, Beyoncé would extend her record as the most nominated person in the category’s history, with a whopping nine nominations. “Cowboy Carter” will also likely get into Album of the Year. Beyoncé has five Album of the Year nominations, four for her own albums (“I Am… Sasha Fierce,” “Beyoncé,” “Lemonade” and “Renaissance”) and one as a featured artist on Lady Gaga’s “The Fame Monster.” If she gets another nom, she’ll tie Swift for the most nominations in the category by a female artist — unless Swift is also nominated for “The Tortured Poets Department” of course.

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