The 39-year-old star received four honors — Best R&B Performance for “Black Parade,” Best Rap Song and Best Rap Performance for “Savage” with Megan Thee Stallion, and Best Music Video for “Brown Skin Girl” — during the main event and the pre-telecast ceremony, which took her total to 28 over the years, surpassing the record previously held by Alison Krauss, with 27 wins.
Accepting Best R&B Performance and breaking the record, she said: “I’m so honored. I’m so excited.
“As an artist, I believe it’s my job and all of our jobs to reflect the times, and it’s been such a difficult time. So I wanted to uplift and encourage all of the Black queens and kings.”
“I can’t believe this happened, it’s such a magical night.”
Beyonce then paid tribute to her and husband Jay-Z’s children, 9-year-old Blue Ivy — who featured in the video to “Brown Skin Girl,” which was named Best Music Video earlier in the evening — and 3-year-old twins Rumi and Sir.
She said: “I know my two daughters and my son are watching. Blue, she won a Grammy tonight! I’m so proud of you. I’m so proud to be all of your mommy.”
After winning four awards so far at the Grammys, Beyoncé is now tied with Quincy Jones on the overall historic winners’ list, jumping up from sixth place.
Only classical conductor Sir George Solti has won more than the 39-year-old star, with 31 Grammy wins to his name.
Elsewhere, Taylor Swift became the first woman to win Album of the Year three times after accepting the honor for Folklore, and H.E.R. was a surprise winner of Song of the Year for “I Can’t Breathe.”
Billie Eilish was stunned to scoop the evening’s biggest honor, Record of the Year, as she expected it to go to Megan Thee Stallion for “Savage.”
She said in her acceptance speech: “I’m embarrassed. Megan, girl, I was going to write a speech about how you deserves this, but then I was like, ‘There’s no way they’re going to choose me. You deserve this.
“This is really embarrassing for me. I was like, ‘It’s hers’. You deserve this.
“You had a year I think was untoppable, you are a queen, I want to cry thinking about how much I love you.
“You’re so beautiful, you’re so talented, you deserve everything in the world. I think about you constantly, I root for you always. You deserve it, honestly. Genuinely, this goes to her. Can we cheer for Megan Thee Stallion, please?”
Harry Styles — who won his first Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Performance for “Watermelon Sugar” — kicked off the musical performances at Los Angeles’ Convention Center with a shirtless rendition of “Fine Line,” while other performers included Swift, Eilish, DaBaby and Dua Lipa.
Megan and Cardi B were widely credited for stealing the show with a raunchy performance of their controversial single “WAP,” which had many of its lyrics bleeped out, and BTS recreated the entire Grammy Awards set for their performance of “Dynamite,” which was filmed in Seoul, South Korea.
Trevor Noah hosted the socially distanced event, which largely took place outside the convention center.
Check out a selected list of winners at the Grammy Awards 2021 on the next page.
