Grammys Rework Country Category After Beyonce's Cowboy Carter Win Received Backlash
The Best Country Album will be split into two awards: Best Contemporary Country Album and Best Traditional Country Album.
The 68th Grammy Awards is splitting up its award for Best Country Album following backlash from Beyonce's historic win in the category.
Beyoncé made waves earlier this year when her album Cowboy Carter took home Country Album of the Year, marking the first time a Black artist received the award. While many celebrated the moment as a breakthrough for Black artists in the country genre, it also sparked backlash from critics who took issue with the album for straying from tradition.
Now the Grammys have split the Country Album category into two: Traditional Country Album and Contemporary Country Album. The Academy says the move is meant to honor the genre's evolving landscape while preserving space for its foundational sound.
"Traditional country has a timeless, distinct sound that's inspired generations," said Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. in a statement. "It's an important part of the country music story and deserves to be celebrated and recognized with intention."
Beyoncé's genre-bending foray into country music was inspired by experiences that made her feel unwelcome in a category that is dominated by white men. She collaborated with legends Willie Nelson and Dolly Parton, modern icon Miley Cyrus, and newcomers like Shaboozy and Post Malone, paying tribute to country's roots while modernizing the genre with diverse artistry.
"I think sometimes 'genre' is a code word to keep us in our place as artists," Beyoncé said as she accepted the Grammy. "And I just want to encourage people to do what they're passionate about, and to stay persistent."
But her endeavor to reshape country with more inclusivity was not embraced by all. Country artist John Rich reacted by calling the Grammys a clown show. The Country Music Association Awards declined to recognize the album's existence.
The Grammys' decision to split the award has been criticized as caving to pressure rooted in racial discrimination.
"Beyoncé won Best Country Album, so they had to rename/create new categories like Best Contemporary Country Album + Best Traditional Country Album in an attempt to differentiate from 'traditional' (white) country music. Go racism!" Journalist Mikeisha Dache wrote on X.
"Excited to see that black people performing country music are only eligible for 3/5ths of a Grammy," read a sarcastic Bluesky post from author Kashan Cauley.
The Recording Academy hasn't commented on the change beyond the initial statement.
Nominations for the 2026 Grammy Awards will be announced on November 7. Music released between August 31, 2024, and August 30, 2025, will be eligible.
