Beyoncé's Unexpected Grammy Win Shakes Country Music

When the camera focused on Beyoncé, the sheer surprise of her Grammy win for Best Country Album was unmistakable.

She sat frozen, eyes moving nervously, before walking to the stage to accept the award for her groundbreaking album, Cowboy Carter – the trophy presented by country superstar Taylor Swift, who herself transitioned from country darling to crossover icon.

Beyoncé's stunned reaction quickly became a viral meme worldwide.

The shockwaves from her victory last year rippled through the country music community, eliciting both celebration and confusion about the implications of her historic achievement for the genre.

Country Album Category Divided Into Two

One year later, the former single category for Best Country Album has been discontinued.

The Recording Academy, which administers the Grammy Awards, announced a division of the prize into two separate categories ahead of this Sunday’s ceremony: Best Traditional Country Album and Best Contemporary Country Album.

At the recent ceremony in Los Angeles, Jelly Roll won Best Contemporary Country Album, while Zach Top earned his first Grammy for Best Traditional Country Album.

The Academy explained that this change honors both the genre’s historic roots and its evolution, blending pop, rap, and hip-hop influences with traditional country sounds like steel guitar, fiddle, and banjo.

Genre Evolution and Diverse Influences

The blending of styles has been apparent for decades but has accelerated recently. Artists such as Morgan Wallen, Diplo, Shaboozey, and Post Malone have produced chart-topping hits that expanded country’s audience, though sometimes alienating traditional fans due to their different sound.

When the 2026 Grammy nominees were announced in November, the Contemporary Country Album category included established stars like Miranda Lambert and Eric Church, alongside newer artists such as Tyler Childers, pop-country singer Kelsea Ballerini, and rapper-turned-country artist Jelly Roll.

Meanwhile, the Traditional Country Album nominees featured living legend Willie Nelson, his son Lukas Nelson, prolific artist Charley Crockett – the only person of color nominated in the category – as well as Margo Price and Zach Top.

The Academy stated the split aims to recognize country music’s influence on pop, rock, and hip hop today, while still honoring its traditional form.

Controversy and Speculation Following Beyoncé’s Win

Announced months after Beyoncé’s win, some interpreted the category split as a reaction to her entry into the country music space.

However, the Grammys have a history of creating new awards and adjusting categories as genres evolve.

The Grammy Awards already span two ceremonies, covering 95 categories across numerous genre-specific fields, with the most prominent awards presented during the primetime broadcast.

Experts and the Recording Academy told the BBC that the change for country music was long overdue.

Jason King, dean of the University of Southern California’s Thornton School of Music, said the split was not merely reactionary to Beyoncé’s win, noting ongoing discussions for years.

“Splitting the [country] category has been part of ongoing conversations for several years and was brought forward by working artists in the country music community,”

King cited Lil Nas X’s 2019 viral hit Old Town Road, which blurred country and hip hop lines and featured country star Billy Ray Cyrus on a remix, as an example of the genre’s evolving boundaries.

Historically, the Grammys have separated categories such as rock from metal and alternative subgenres, and distinguished R&B from blues.

Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. emphasized that the change had been proposed multiple times before receiving approval in 2025.

“Ultimately, the addition of the Traditional Country Album category creates space to celebrate even more music and the many artists who are shaping the genre's future. That's a win in my book.”

Defining Country Music and Industry Reactions

What constitutes country music has long been debated within the industry. Taylor Swift’s crossover to pop was criticized by some as a departure, as were Dolly Parton’s collaborations with artists like Kenny Loggins.

Beyoncé’s win particularly unsettled Nashville’s country music establishment, who objected to her bypassing the traditional Music City pathways.

“Beyoncé being an artist that has never classified her music in the country category or genre, it confused several people,”

said Dom Flemons, a Grammy-winning folk artist and host of the Nashville-based radio program American Songster.

“When she didn't go through Nashville and its country-music milieu, it sort...