Fans have spoken: Beyoncé Knowles-Carter and her eighth studio album, Cowboy Carter, are among the favorites at the 2025 American Music Awards (AMAs).
At the live ceremony in Las Vegas on May 26, Beyoncé won two country music awards. She took home the prizes for favorite female country artist and favorite country album for her genre-crossing project. This marked her first nominations in these categories, though neither award was shown on television.
Beyoncé was also nominated for album of the year. However, Billie Eilish won that award, along with all seven other categories she was nominated for.
Country music was a major topic during the show. Megan Moroney and Shaboozey, a collaborator on Cowboy Carter, presented the award for favorite country duo or group. During their presentation, Shaboozey mentioned Charley Pride, a legendary African-American country artist, who won best country album and favorite male artist of the year in 1974. Moroney added that in the same year, the favorite female artist award went to Lynn Anderson and the favorite country duo or group award went to the Carter Family, who “basically invented country music.”
Shaboozey appeared surprised by this comment. While the Carter Family were important figures in country music, they were not the genre’s inventors.
This moment brought attention to ongoing misunderstandings about country music’s history. The contributions of Black artists and people of color are often overlooked. Beyoncé’s music has helped highlight these issues while showing the genre’s resistance to change.
Beyoncé first announced Cowboy Carter in a surprise Super Bowl commercial in 2024. She released singles like “16 Carriages” and “Texas Hold ‘Em” ahead of the album.
The 27-track album played a big role in bringing attention to Black country artists and the genre’s roots. It also broke several records. At the 2025 Grammy Awards, Beyoncé led the nominations and was recognized in country and American roots categories for the first time.
She won album of the year and best country duo/group performance for “II Most Wanted,” a collaboration with Miley Cyrus. Beyoncé also won best country album for Cowboy Carter. This was the first time a Black woman won that award.
Currently, Beyoncé is on her Cowboy Carter and Rodeo Chitlin’ Circuit Tour. The tour features a mix of fashion, music genres, country music, and political messages. The song “Freedom” is part of the show’s large set list.
The tour will visit nine cities across the U.S. and Europe. It will end with a grand finale in Las Vegas on July 26.
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