Though Beyoncé’s Renaissance was unanimously acclaimed and commercially successful, if it wins album of the year at the 65th annual Grammy Awards on Feb. 5 — as many observers (including me) expect — it will be at least in part because her previous studio album, Lemonade, was passed over in that category.
If you watched the 59th annual Grammy Awards on Feb. 12, 2017, you doubtless remember the moment when Adele’s 25 prevailed over Lemonade. In her acceptance speech, a highly emotional Adele all but handed the Grammy to Beyoncé, who was standing in the front row with her husband, Jay-Z, as the audience rose to its feet to celebrate Adele’s win. Adele’s speech stands as one of the most selfless and gracious in awards show history.
After some introductory thanks, Adele addressed the issue of competing with a friend and an artist she greatly admires. “I can’t possibly accept this award and I’m very humbled and I’m very grateful and gracious, but my artist of my life is Beyoncé and this album to me – the Lemonade album – was so monumental.”
Addressing the singer directly, she continued: “Beyoncé, it was just so monumental and so well thought-out and so beautiful and soul-baring and we all got to see another side to you that you don’t always let us see, and we appreciate that. And all us artists here, we f–king adore you. You are our light. And the way that you make me and my friends feel – the way you make my Black friends feel – is empowering. And you make them stand up for themselves and I love you. I always have and I always will.”
While no one questions Adele’s talent, some wondered if it was fair that Adele won a second award in that category before Beyoncé won it even once. (I Am…Sasha Fierce had lost to Taylor Swift’s Fearless; Beyoncé had lost to Beck’s Morning Phase.)
Of course, it isn’t Adele’s “fault” that she won. Still, an impression remains that Beyoncé was wronged – and that Grammy voters have a chance to make it right this year.
Renaissance wouldn’t be the first album to win album of the year at least in part as a “make-up” award for a previous album or albums that had not been so awarded. Take a look at this list, shown in reverse chronological order. (All years shown are the Grammy year of record.)
