Beyonce, Taylor Swift make Grammy history as women dominate big prize

Taylor Swift and Billie Eilish took the top prizes at the Grammy Awards on Sunday, but Beyonce was the big winner on a history-making night marked by multiple wins for women.

Beyonce’s four Grammys on Sunday – two of them shared with best new artist winner Megan Thee Stallion – took her total career wins to 28, surpassing the previous Grammy record for a female artist set by bluegrass singer, Alison Krauss.

Swift’s surprise record Folklore, recorded during coronavirus lockdowns, was named album of the year and made Swift, 31, the first woman to take home that prize three times.

In a socially-distanced ceremony of live and pre-recorded performances, the writers of I Can’t Breathe by R&B artist H.E.R won song of the year.

It was written in response to the Black Lives Matter protests that roiled the United States last summer following the police killing of George Floyd.

Black culture was also celebrated in Beyonce’s single Black Parade, which was named best R&B performance.

“It has been such a difficult time,” said Beyonce, reflecting on the cultural reckoning about racism in the United States.

“I wanted to uplift, encourage, celebrate all the beautiful Black queens and kings that continue to inspire me and inspire the whole world,” she added.

Megan Thee Stallion, 26, known for promoting women’s empowerment, came away with two more wins for her single, Savage, featuring Beyonce.

Eilish’s ballad, Everything I Wanted, won record of the year, and the 19-year-old also won for her theme song for the upcoming James Bond movie, No Time to Die.

Eilish said she was embarrassed by the win, saying it should have gone to Megan. “You deserve it. Genuinely. Can we just cheer for Megan Thee Stallion,” Eilish said.