Beyoncé has surpassed her husband Jay-Z to become the most-nominated artist in Grammy Awards history, earning 11 nominations Thursday for her country-inspired album “Cowboy Carter,” including album of the year and best country album.
The nominations push Beyoncé’s career total to 89, moving her ahead of Jay-Z’s 88 and adding another milestone to her record-breaking Grammy legacy. She already holds the record for most Grammy wins with 32 solo victories and three with Destiny’s Child, though the coveted album of the year prize has eluded her despite four previous nominations.
Jay-Z addressed this oversight earlier this year while accepting a lifetime achievement award, noting, “She has more Grammys than everyone and never won album of the year. So even by your own metrics, that doesn’t work.”
The 2025 nominations feature strong showings from several female artists, with Billie Eilish, Charli XCX, Post Malone, and Kendrick Lamar each receiving seven nominations. Taylor Swift, seeking an unprecedented fifth album of the year trophy, earned six nominations for “The Tortured Poets Department.”
Breakout stars Sabrina Carpenter and Chappell Roan received nominations in all four major categories — album, song, and record of the year, plus best new artist. Roan, whose debut “The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess” earned album of the year consideration, emerges as a favorite for best new artist.
In a historic twist, The Beatles received a record of the year nomination for “Now And Then,” an AI-assisted completion of an unfinished John Lennon track, marking their first nomination in the category since winning best new artist 60 years ago.
Notable surprises include André 3000’s instrumental flute album “New Blue Sun” earning an album of the year nod, while established artists like Katy Perry, Dua Lipa, and Dolly Parton missed the nominations entirely. Former President Jimmy Carter became the oldest-ever Grammy nominee at 100, recognized for his audiobook “Last Sundays In Plains.”
The Recording Academy has expanded its voting membership to 13,000, with almost two-thirds joining since 2018 as part of efforts to increase diversity. CEO Harvey Mason Jr. recently warned voters against “bias, grudge-holding, or careless voting” amid ongoing scrutiny of the academy’s recognition of Black artists.
A record 20,309 entries were submitted across 94 categories this year. Winners will be announced at the Grammy Awards ceremony in Los Angeles on February 2, 2025.
Leading Grammy Nominations for 2025:
– Beyoncé – 11
– Billie Eilish, Kendrick Lamar, Post Malone, Charli XCX – 7 each
– Taylor Swift, Sabrina Carpenter, Chappell Roan – 6 each
