© Reuters. Beyonce accepts the award for Best Dance/Electronic Music Album for “Renaissance” during the 65th Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, California, United States, February 5, 2023. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni
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By Lisa Richwine and Danielle Broadway
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Pop superstar Beyonce broke the record for the most career wins at the Grammy music awards on Sunday but lost in the prestigious album of the year category, this time by song. British artist Harry Styles.
Beyonce has added four Grammys to her collection, bringing her lifetime total to 32 and surpassing the late classical conductor Georg Solti’s total. She has been nominated for nine awards this year.
Despite her success over the years, the 41-year-old “Break My Soul” singer has never won the best album trophy with any of her four nominations in the category. Styles took home that honor Sunday for “Harry’s House.”
“I’ve been so inspired by every artist in this category,” said Styles in surprise as he accepted the award. “On nights like this one, it’s obviously important for us to remember that there’s no such thing as the best in music.”
Styles wowed the crowd with a performance of his hit single “As It Was,” glittering in a silver-rimmed jumpsuit.
The former “One Direction” singer snagged a formidable list of album contenders that included Beyonce, Puerto Rican rapper Bad Bunny, singer-flutist Lizzo, British singer Adele and producer disco-era Swedish hit ABBA.
Beyonce took to the stage as she won the all-time Grammy record with the award for best dance/electronic music album for “Renaissance”.
“I’m trying not to get too emotional,” Beyonce said. “I’m just trying to take in tonight.” “I want to thank God for protecting me. Thank God.”
She also thanked her family and “queer community for your love and for inventing the genre.”
Before that, Beyonce was absent when accepting the award for Best R&B Song for “Cuff It”. Host Trevor Noah said the male singer was stuck in traffic. He then handed her the trophy at her spot in the stands.
Grammy voters shared the top awards among several artists.
Lizzo’s upbeat “About Dam Time” won the record of the year.
She dedicated the award to Prince, saying that the late artist inspired her to compose positive music. Lizzo also greets Beyonce and recalls how she skipped school in fifth grade to see the singer “Halo” in concert.
“You are clearly the artist of our lives,” Lizzo said.
Blues singer Bonnie Raitt’s song “Just Like That,” about an organ donor, won Song of the Year, one of her three awards on Sunday.
BEYONCE FANS SURPRISE
The winners were chosen by about 11,000 members of the Recording Academy, which has faced complaints that it did not give Black artists due recognition. The group has taken steps in recent years to diversify its membership and overhaul voting procedures.
Beyonce fans flooded social media on Sunday, making the word “ROBBED” a trending topic on Twitter. Twitter user @coreynmarie wrote: “Beyonce has been robbed again.
The ceremony was broadcast live on the CBS television network and the Paramount+ streaming service.
Elsewhere, Bad Bunny took home the award for Best Urban Music Album for “Un Verano Sin Ti”.
“I want to dedicate this award to Puerto Rico, the birthplace of reggaeton,” Bad Bunny said in both English and Spanish.
For best rap album, Kendrick Lamar won with “Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers.” Lamar said, “I finally found the imperfection in this album.
The ceremony celebrated 50 years of hip-hop with performances from an all-star group of artists, from Public Enemy to Busta Rhymes, Queen Latifah and Missy Elliott.
American jazz singer Samara Joy was named best new artist.
“Oh my. I’ve been watching you all on TV for so long,” she said. “You are all very inspirational to me.”
US First Lady Jill Biden gives a new honor to a song that addresses social issues. That award went to Iranian singer-songwriter Shervin Hajipour for “Baraye,” which Biden called “a powerful and poetic call for women’s freedom and rights.”
