This post was updated Feb. 19 at 8:20 p.m.

Beyoncé may have finally lassoed the top Grammy award, but trouble still lurks around the Recording Academy rodeo.

The singer received the coveted Album Of The Year trophy for her eighth studio album “COWBOY CARTER” at the 67th Annual Grammy Awards on Feb. 2. The win for her genre-hopping country album marked her first Album Of The Year award after four previous nominations for “I AM…SASHA FIERCE,” “BEYONCÉ,” “Lemonade” and “RENAISSANCE.” While the superstar’s victory for this particular album is beyond deserved – despite debates otherwise – the win spotlights the Recording Academy’s persistent problematic approach to recognizing and celebrating Black artists and Black music.

Beyoncé’s triumph in finally securing the elusive award is not without strong discourse against the win. Members of the general public and fans of other artists nominated in the category have taken to social media to criticize the win over more acclaimed and commercially successful albums. For instance, supporters of Billie Eilish’s nominated third album “HIT ME HARD AND SOFT” have insisted that “COWBOY CARTER” is neither as popular nor impactful as Eilish’s album with its reflective, emotional songs. Some fans and members of the general public have even gone as far as accusing Beyoncé of buying the award, claiming that her win is a result of diversity, equity and inclusion rather than merit.

What fans and general music listeners routinely fail to consider in their claims and critiques is that the Grammys is not a popularity contest. Having the most streams on an album or recognizable songs that many sing along to are not the only factors counted in the selection process. Albums that were not as mainstream – such as Kacey Musgraves’ “Golden Hour” and Jon Batiste’s “WE ARE” – have taken home Album Of The Year trophies in past ceremonies. Such wins reflect the tastes and opinions of thousands of musicians and industry professionals who might digest projects differently than the average listener.

[Related: Second Take: The Grammys’ prioritization of entertainment over awards is a snub to music]

The criticism, accusations and dismissals around “COWBOY CARTER” downplay the album’s cultural significance and impact on the country music genre. Partially inspired by the singer feeling excluded from the country space after facing backlash for her 2016 Country Music Association Awards performance of “Daddy Lessons” with The Chicks, “COWBOY CARTER” sought to challenge and redefine the genre predominantly associated with white artists. The album’s fusion of country, R&B, folk, zydeco and bluegrass – along with appearances from Black country artists and pioneers such as Tanner Adell, Willie Jones, Shaboozey and Linda Martell – illuminate the deep yet disregarded Black roots and influence that shaped the country scene.

While the Album Of The Year win for “COWBOY CARTER” is a deserved and long-awaited achievement for Beyoncé, the Recording Academy finally awarding the singer its most prestigious trophy for an album outside of her familiar genres raises questions around the type of work the institution truly recognizes for its most competitive prizes. Artists can and should be free to explore other genres without consequence, but it is worth noting that Beyoncé’s previous works – those that are more noticeably Black in sound and messaging – could not secure the esteemed award.

Yes, “COWBOY CARTER” is a Beyoncé album, but it is still a country album – revealing a pattern in how the Recording Academy responds to music with stronger linkages to Black culture. Black artists are often expected to shift and rebrand themselves to appeal to wider, more mainstream audiences and sounds to receive recognition – while still being ignored and disregarded for their white peers in the same spaces. “COWBOY CARTER” begins to contest this in rewriting the country music narrative to illuminate and credit Black artists’ contributions to the genre. While Beyoncé succeeds in educating a wider audience about Black history in country music, this does not necessarily change the fact that the country genre is still heavily associated with whiteness.

[Related: Grammys 2025: 67th ceremony awards Beyoncé and Kendrick Lamar, encourages fire recovery in LA]

The Recording Academy snubbing albums like “Lemonade” and “RENAISSANCE” shows the continuing friction between the institution and Black art at the highest award level. “Lemonade” stretches across the genres of rock, soul, hip-hop, reggae and R&B – all of which bear connection to Black artists. Likewise, “RENAISSANCE” delves into the sounds of Black LGBTQ+ clubs and ballroom culture with influences of Afrobeats, funk, disco and house. The fact that both of these albums did not win Album Of The Year despite being the most acclaimed in their respective lineups suggests that the Recording Academy remains reluctant to give top prizes to Black musicians and genres associated with Black culture.

Beyoncé’s status as the first Black woman to win Album Of The Year in 26 years – after Lauryn Hill’s win for “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill” in 1999 – and fourth Black woman overall in the Grammys’ 67-year history further demonstrates a systemic hesitancy around awarding Black artists, their undeniably Black sounds and their albums’ cultural messaging. It is contradictory to the Recording Academy’s aims to be more inclusive when it frequently disregards Black music at the highest levels and instead awards projects that align with seemingly mainstream, white standards.

To be sure, the win for “COWBOY CARTER” is a landmark moment in Beyoncé’s career and properly recognizes both the quality of the LP and the strength of the cultural icon’s artistry. Similarly, the album’s victory suggests that the Recording Academy is changing and can successfully champion Black country artists and their contributions to mainstream music. However, the Recording Academy needs to improve its recognition of Black artists specifically performing historically Black genres such as R&B and hip-hop. Music listeners must also understand that “COWBOY CARTER” is no less deserving of its win – even if they were not the target audience for the album or did not find the LP to be as relatable or impactful as other projects in the Album Of The Year lineup.

With the “COWBOY CARTER” win, Beyoncé continues to amplify Black artistry and make lemonade out of lemons – even if the Grammys’ own lemonade remains a bit sour.