Beyonce must be having a great morning today. Aside from being Beyonce and presumably waking up flawless, she also woke to the news that she’s been nominated for four more potential Grammy Awards to add to her growing trophy case. The four nominations also extended one of her most impressive records. While she was already the most-nominated woman in Grammys history, the additional nominations stretched her streak from 66 to 70, which even includes a rock nomination. The next-closest challenger is Dolly Parton with just 49.
The four categories for which Beyonce is nominated this year include Best Solo Pop Performance and Best Song Written For Visual Media for “Spirit” from the film companion The Lion King: The Gift. The album itself is nominated for Best Pop Vocal Album, while Beyonce’s Coachella concert documentary Homecoming is nominated for Best Music Film. Should she win all four, she’ll tie bluegrass-country singer Alison Krauss as the two most-awarded women in Grammys history at 27. The current third most-awarded woman is the late Aretha Franklin, who has 18 awards to her name.
Beyonce’s 70 nominations to date are impressive, but they are also a sign of the gender discrepancy in how the Recording Academy honors male and female artists. Beyonce’s husband, Jay-Z, has seven more nominations, while the record holder for most nominations ever is Quincy Jones with 80 (he’s won 28). Meanwhile, there are only two women in the top 19 most-nominated artists, with a two-way tie for the 15th spot and a three-way tie for the 17th. Congrats to Beyonce, but the Grammys could — and should — be doing a whole lot better, especially after 2018’s promise to start a task force to address its shortcomings.
