She is the most decorated Grammy artist in history but Beyonce has infamously never won the coveted prize for Album of the Year -- despite four previous nominations for her studio albums -- and the 67th edition of the awards gala might finally put that paradox to bed.
Despite the high-wattage star power, Grammy week -- which is usually loaded up with industry parties and performances -- has taken on a more sombre tone than usual, as the entertainment capital reels in the aftermath of deadly wildfires that leveled entire neighbourhoods just weeks ago. Organisers decided the glitzy awards show should go on, with a newfound mission to raise aid funds and pay homage to impacted industry members along with first responders.
The broader mission of MusiCares, the charitable arm of the Recording Academy, includes offering a parachute for artists and other workers in the precarious US music industry for everything from disaster relief to mental health support. The sudden need for fire aid placed a spotlight on that mission, and others in the industry have taken their lead to give back.
Dre and even Joni Mitchell. Saturday's annual Clive Davis gala -- one of the most coveted tickets in the business -- is also set to include a fundraising element. That Beyonce has produced industry-shifting, culture-shaking work for years but been repeatedly and conspicuously shut out of the top Grammy prizes for best album and best record is regarded as one of the clearest illustrations of the voting body's tendency to sideline the work of Black artists in the major fields.
Pop juggernaut Swift has won the Album of the Year trophy a record four times: that is more wins than all of the Black women who've won it combined.
