At the Grammy Awards on Sunday, February 4th, 2024, Jay-Z criticises the Recording Academy for consistently overlooking Beyoncé’s remarkable talent.
The American rapper voiced his concerns during the ceremony held in Los Angeles on Sunday night, February 4, 2024, where he received the Dr. Dre Global Impact Award.
While expressing gratitude for the accolade, Jay-Z highlighted his wife Beyoncé’s significant Grammy achievements, noting her numerous trophies. However, he lamented the Academy’s failure to recognise her with the Album of the Year honour.
“I don’t want to embarrass this talented lady, but despite having more Grammys than anyone else, she has never won Album of the Year. So, even by your own metrics, that doesn’t add up,” Jay-Z remarked in his acceptance speech.
He underscored the anomaly, stating, “Think about that. The artist with the most Grammys yet never winning Album of the Year. That doesn’t make sense.”
In his address, the rap icon also suggested that some present artists at the Grammy Awards might feel robbed or misplaced in their respective categories. “Some of you may feel robbed. Some of you don’t belong in the category,” he added.
This is not the first time Jay-Z has criticised the Academy. In 2023, he expressed disappointment when Beyoncé lost the top honour of the night to Harry Styles.
“Look at what it’s done to the culture. See how the energy of the world has shifted. They play her entire album in the club,” he remarked, referring to his wife’s album.
Despite being nominated four times for Album of the Year, Beyoncé has never secured a victory in this category. Beyoncé has received a total of 88 nominations, which includes a record-breaking 32 Grammy Awards, the most ever won by an artist.
Meanwhile, pop sensation Taylor Swift achieved yet another milestone by clinching the Grammy Award for Album of the Year, marking her unprecedented fourth win in this category. This triumph underscored the prevailing dominance of women in the music industry, as they claimed top honours at the prestigious event.
While gracing the Grammys stage, Swift not only celebrated her victory but also revealed exciting news to her fans—she is set to release a new album in April.
At 34 years old, Swift secured the Album of the Year accolade for “Midnights,” surpassing the achievements of music icons Frank Sinatra, Paul Simon, and Stevie Wonder, each of whom had previously won the award three times.
Expressing her elation, Swift shared her enthusiasm for the creative process of writing and performing songs. “It makes me so happy,” she enthused. “All I want to do is keep doing this.”
