Grammys Dragged After Beyoncé’s Big Country Win

The Grammys are catching heat—and fans aren’t holding back.

Just months after Beyoncé made history with Cowboy Carter, taking home the Grammy for Best Country Album. The Recording Academy has decided to shake up the rules. Starting in 2026, that same award will be split into two: Best Contemporary Country Album and the newly added Best Traditional Country Album.

And the internet is calling it what it is—a calculated move.

Let’s be real. Beyoncé’s win wasn’t just a win for her—it was a cultural moment. She dropped a country album with real storytelling, roots, and range. But now, the Academy seems to be making space to separate artists like her from the traditionalist crowd. You know the ones who think country only belongs to a certain sound or a certain look.

The backlash has been swift. Fans and critics alike are calling the new category “a gatekeeping tactic” designed to silence or sideline Black artists and those who don’t fit country’s usual mold. Some are even comparing this to what happened when Lemonade got boxed into the Urban category.

And let’s not forget—the CMAs didn’t give Bey a single nod last year, even with Cowboy Carter shaking the culture.

So what’s really good with the Recording Academy?

Time will tell how this plays out in 2026, but for now, the message is loud and clear: we see the pattern, and we’re not here for it.

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