Beyonce finally wins Grammy album of the year award after 99 nominations

Beyonce has won her first ever album of the year Grammy Award at her fifth attempt.

The 44-year-old singer is the ceremony’s most decorated artist ever with 99 overall nominations, but has never won the prestigious prize despite making the shortlist four times before.

She was thrilled her country record Cowboy Carter finally secured her the accolade on Sunday night, as her husband Jay-Z toasted with his wife’s fellow nominee Taylor Swift in the audience.

Joined on stage by her 13-year-old daughter Blue Ivy Carter, Beyonce said: ‘I just feel very full and very honoured. It’s been many, many years and I just want to thank the Grammys, every songwriter, every collaborator, every producer, all the hard work.’

The Texas Hold ‘Em hitmaker – who is only the fourth Black female artist to win the award – ended her short speech with a dedication to Linda Martell, a Black trailblazer in country music.

‘I want to dedicate this to Miss Martell, and I’ll just hopefully keep pushing forward, opening doors. God Bless y’all,’ she added.

The award was handed out by dozens of Los Angeles firefighters, who received the biggest standing ovation of the night at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.

Fire chief Anthony Marrone thanked first responders ‘who came from near and far’ to battle the blazes, while Beyonce took a moment to pay tribute to them before her acceptance speech.

She said: ‘I’d like to thank and acknowledge and praise all the firefighters for keeping us safe.’

Referencing Beyonce’s husband Jay-Z’s hit 99 Problems. host Trevor Noah quipped afterwards: ‘She had 99 nominations, and now an album of the year win is one.’

She faced stiff competition for the prize, with other nominees including Sabrina Carpenter’s Short n’ Sweet, Charli XCX’s Brat, Billie Eilish’s Hit Me Hard and Soft, Andre 3000’s New Blue Sun, Taylor’s The Tortured Poets Department, Jacob Collier’s Djesse Vol. 4, and Chappell Roan’s The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess.

Earlier in the evening, Taylor presented Queen Bey with the best country album gong, as she became the first Black woman to win the prize.

‘Wow, I really was not expecting this. I want to thank God that I’m able to do what I love after so many years,’ she said.

‘Genre is a code word to keep us in place as artists, and I just want to encourage us to do what we’re passionate about.’

Kendrick Lamar was the big winner on the night at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, with five prizes.

His Drake diss track Not Like Us earned him a haul of statuettes, including record and song of the year wins, plus best music video, best rap song and best rap performance.

Accepting the record of the year gong, he said: ‘What’s up? First and foremost, praise to the most high we woke up this morning. Dre, what’s up? Swiss what’s up?

‘We gonna dedicate this one to this city: Compton, Long Beach, Englewood, Hollywood, out to the Valley, San Bernardino, all that. This is my neck of the woods that held me down since a young pup, since I was in the studio scrapping to write the best raps and all that to write ones like these.

‘I can’t give enough thanks to these places that I rolled around since high school.

‘Most importantly, the people and the families out in the Palisades and Altadena. This is a true testament that we can change and restore this city. Keep rocking. My boy Mustard, where you at?’

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