Every Time A Black Woman Should Have Won the Album of the Year Grammy

When Jay Z strolled on stage (dragging poor Blue Ivy behind him) to accept his Dr. Dre Global Impact Award during last Sunday’s Grammys, I admit I was mostly tuned out. The Grammys are long and I’m old.

Although the first half of his acceptance speech sounded like an old deacon rambling about nothing at church, his point soon began to take shape – the Grammys have long denied talented artists their just due, specifically how his wife Beyonce has constantly been denied Album of the Year. That conversation got even louder when Taylor Swift won her fourth Album of the Year Grammy, besting SZA’s SOS, which was one of the most celebrated albums of 2023.

In the conversations that followed, it was noted that no Black women have won Album of the Year since Lauryn Hill in 1999.

TWENTY-FIVE YEARS. That cannot be right.

Have Black women been unfairly snubbed for more than two decades, or is the music just not measuring up? Join me as I go through every year a Black woman was nominated for Album of the Year, and let’s see if she was really denied glory.

What determines Album of the Year? WHO KNOWS. And that’s the problem. Sometimes it’s for the best album, sometimes it’s the most popular album, sometimes it’s the biggest seller – and sometimes it even feels like a way to grab the biggest headlines. And that subjective system is why there has been so much confusion and division over winners.

How will *I* determine the Album of the Year?

The dopest album on the list. DUH. It should be that easy.

And yes, I’ve heard every album on this list. No stanning allowed.

But before we begin, because I know it will come up – in 2021, Jhené Aiko’s Chilombo was nominated for Album of the Year. While she does have African ancestry, I’m not 100% sure she identifies as Black, so I’ve excluded her. Apologies if I’m mistaken. But that album ain’t all that, so it’s not like I would have selected it anyway.

On with the show!

2000
Winner: Supernatural, Santana

Nominees:
FanMail, TLC
Fly, Dixie Chicks
Millennium, Backstreet Boys
When I Look in Your Eyes, Diana Krall

Breakdown: TLC’s FanMail is a great project – in fact, I rank it higher than most. But despite its really strong singles, as an overall LP I don’t think it’s markedly better than the competition. Santana was quite the force in 2000 and his album proved that.

THE VERDICT: TLC is great, but I wouldn’t call this a snub.

2002
Winner: O Brother, Where Art Thou? Soundtrack, Various Artists

Nominees:
Acoustic Soul, India.Arie
All That You Can’t Leave Behind, U2
Love and Theft, Bob Dylan
Stankonia, OutKast

Breakdown: The conversation about Black women getting snubbed at the Grammys didn’t start last year, playas. Lemme take you back to 2002, when soul superstar India.Arie – at the peak of her Brown Skin’d prowess – was nominated for seven awards and won zero. ZERO! Black Twitter would have marched on Washington if it existed. While she certainly should have won SOMETHING (Best R&B song, Best R&B Album and Best Female Performance among them, instead of Alicia Keys gobbling up everything on name recognition alone) Album of the Year never was going to be in the cards for her with this strong of a lineup.

THE VERDICT: Y’all did India dirty, but she shouldn’t have won here.

2004
Winner: Speakerboxxx/The Love Below, OutKast

Nominees:
Elephant, The White Stripes
Fallen, Evanescence
Justified, Justin Timberlake
Under Construction, Missy Elliott

Breakdown: Real talk, this is a very strong lineup; everyone here is deserving. And I know someone is gonna scream YOU BIASED! But this is my list so chill. I know that one big problem with the Grammys is that “best” is often conflated with “most hyped,” and in that case, I understand Outkast getting the win. But in terms of the BEST quality album, which, silly me, should be the determining factor of Album of the Year? Under Construction slightly edges ahead of the overstuffed Mighty O. I’ve said for years that it’s the best Missy Elliott album to date, and it deserved recognition.

THE VERDICT: I get why Outkast won, but Missy should have won.

2005
Winner: Genius Loves Company, Ray Charles & Various Artists

Nominees:
American Idiot, Green Day
The College Dropout, Kanye West
Confessions, Usher
The Diary of Alicia Keys, Alicia Keys

Breakdown: *DEEP BREATH* Aight, I feel a way about this one, so let me be clear before the Cancel Club comes knocking at my door. In 2005, months after losing one of the greatest musicians of all time, the Grammys dedicated their award show to the life and legacy of Ray Charles. I have no problem with that. The result was his posthumous album Genius Loves Company sweeping every category. This meant that all four remaining nominees were shut out from the gate and … I kinda do have issue with that in hindsight. All four albums not only are among the best albums of the decade, I’d call every one a classic in their genre. At the time, giving Ray EVERYTHING may have felt like a needed feel-good moment, but in hindsight, ehh. What’s the point of giving someone every flower in the floral shop after they are no longer here to smell them? Rant aside, Alicia’s album is incredible – I gave it 5 stars and called it the best of her career – but objectively Green Day or Kanye should have stood tallest.

THE VERDICT: I have very mixed feelings about Ray’s domination but no, Alicia shouldn’t have won.

2006
Winner: How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb, U2

Nominees:
Chaos and Creation in the Backyard, Paul McCartney
The Emancipation of Mimi, Mariah Carey
Late Registration, Kanye West
Love. Angel. Music. Baby., Gwen Stefani

Breakdown: Mariah’s Emancipation is still celebrated as one of the greatest comebacks in R&B history, definitely worthy of a nomination. But I think its modern-day mythos has inflated its status. From the eyes of a 2024 R&B fan, OF COURSE it looks like a massive snub, it’s the album with the strongest legacy here. But that’s with the benefit of hindsight. Using 2005 eyes, U2’s victory wasn’t an injustice, just kinda predictable. Kanye or Paul McCartney seemed like stronger candidates.

THE VERDICT: Sorry Mimi, wasn’t your year.

2010
Winner: Fearless, Taylor Swift

Nominees:
Big Whiskey & the GrooGrux King, Dave Matthews Band
The E.N.D., The Black Eyed Peas
The Fame, Lady Gaga
I Am… Sasha Fierce, Beyoncé

Breakdown: And so begins The Domination of Taylor Swift. As I said above, using 2024 googles, the Beys In The Trap obviously will scream #JusticeForSashaFierce. Sure, “Single Ladies” was massive and would be the beginning of Bey’s ascent to the stratosphere. But as an overall project, I Am…Sasha Fierce is easily one of the weakest LPs in Yonce’s catalog. Lady Gaga is the one who really got screwed here. Also, it’s crazy that we went FOUR years without a Black woman being nominated in this category.

THE VERDICT: It was not to Bey.

2012
Winner: 21, Adele

Nominees:
Born This Way, Lady Gaga
Doo-Wops & Hooligans, Bruno Mars
Loud, Rihanna
Wasting Light, Foo Fighters

Breakdown: *checks notes* I’ve already pissed off the Hive, the Ray Charles stans (the RayBans?) and now it’s time for the Rihanna Navy to raise their pirate flags. Like Sasha Fierce, Loud was a commercial smash … but the overall project left a lot to be desired. In fact, it’s probably the weakest nominee on the board. They got it right with Adele’s win.

THE VERDICT: Man Down. Sorry, Rih-Rih.

2015
Winner: Morning Phase, Beck

Nominees:
Beyoncé, Beyoncé
Girl, Pharrell Williams
In the Lonely Hour, Sam Smith
x, Ed Sheeran

Breakdown: Sasha Fierce had no business winning in 2010, but Beyonce’s self titled album absolutely deserved to be in the running here. Again, you have to be careful not to judge 2015’s results by 2024’s legacy – Bey’s self-titled set for sure has proved to have the longest legs of anything else here. But even in 2015, strictly in terms of quality, I think it rivals Beck’s album – which is a very, very good album itself. I personally think Beyonce should have won this, but you can make a very solid case for Beck.

THE VERDICT: Beyonce was SORTA snubbed but not bad enough to burn down the Grammy stage.

2016
Winner: 1989, Taylor Swift

Nominees:
Beauty Behind the Madness, The Weeknd
Sound & Color, Alabama Shakes
To Pimp a Butterfly, Kendrick Lamar
Traveller, Chris Stapleton

Breakdown: Hey, it’s Taylor again! Because of course! Anyway, I don’t often talk about Alabama Shakes here on this site, but I encourage all of you to check them out, specifically their incredible lead vocalist Brittany Howard. Sound & Color is a fantastic album, easily better than 1989. But it’s pretty easy to see who the real victim of snub-itis was in 2015, as To Pimp A Butterfly both then and now was celebrated as one of the greatest rap albums of its time.

THE VERDICT: Alabama Shakes deserved more, but K. Dot should have won.

2017
Winner: 25, Adele

Nominees: Lemonade, Beyoncé
Purpose, Justin Bieber
A Sailor’s Guide to Earth, Sturgill Simpson
Views, Drake

Breakdown: Of all the times the Beyhive revolted against the Grammys, 2017 was the most justified. No shade to 25, it was a great album but it didn’t have the quality, nor the storytelling that Lemonade enjoyed. Yeah, Adele moved more units than Bey, but when you lean solely on sales, you get nonsense like Macklemore beating Kendrick Lamar that one year. 25 is great, Lemonade is greater, dassit.

THE VERDICT: Beyonce was robbed, and Adele even knew it in her acceptance speech!

2019
Winer: Golden Hour, Kacey Musgraves

Nominees:
Beerbongs & Bentleys, Post Malone
Black Panther: The Album, Music from and Inspired By Various Artists
By the Way, I Forgive You, Brandi Carlile
Dirty Computer, Janelle Monáe
H.E.R., H.E.R.
Invasion of Privacy, Cardi B
Scorpion, Drake

Breakdown: 2019 was the year when they extended the number of Album of the Year nominees, which is how we got 2-star wonders like Drake and that goofy Post Malone record sliding into to the top spot. We actually got three Black women recognized this year, but it wasn’t much of a contest. Cardi’s album was a star-making performance but just OK overall. HER’s compilation was slightly better but paled in comparison to Janelle Monae’s fantastic Dirty Computer. However, none of the three could top Kacey Musgraves’ Golden Hour, which blew me away at the time. She deserved.

THE VERDICT: Cardi, HER and Janelle just couldn’t hang.

2020
Winner: When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? Billie Eilish

Nominees:
Cuz I Love You (Deluxe), Lizzo
Father of the Bride, Vampire Weekend
I, I, Bon Iver
I Used to Know Her, H.E.R.
Norman F***ing Rockwell!, Lana Del Rey
7, Lil Nas X
Thank U, Next, Ariana Grande

Breakdown: 2020 plays out much like the prior year. Once again, we get another HER compilation – this one a step down from the previous record. Lizzo’s Cuz I Love You was really strong, easily her best work to date. While I personally prefer it to the other nominees, I’m not opposed to Billie Eilish’s win.

THE VERDICT: I Love You Too, Lizzo, but this doesn’t feel like a snub.

2022
Winner: We Are, Jon Batiste

Nominees:
Back of My Mind, H.E.R.
Donda, Kanye West
Evermore, Taylor Swift
Happier Than Ever, Billie Eilish
Justice (Triple Chucks Deluxe), Justin Bieber
Love for Sale, Tony Bennett & Lady Gaga
Montero, Lil Nas X
Planet Her (Deluxe), Doja Cat
Sour, Olivia Rodrigo

Breakdown: Y’all are gonna run me off my own post, but I’m really not feeling this crop of nominees. HER’s third Album of the Year nomination in a row is by far her weakest yet. It does not feel nomination-worthy, and I’m a fan! Same for Doja Cat – Planet Her was a big pop smash but was very uneven in quality. Her previous album Hot Pink was vastly superior. Jon Batiste’s We Are is solid but also didn’t scream Album of the Year to me. Surprised they didn’t default to Taylor again.

THE VERDICT: No snubs but a bunch of scrubs. Not feeling 2022.

2023
Winner: Harry’s House, Harry Styles

Nominees:
30, Adele
Good Morning Gorgeous (Deluxe), Mary J. Blige
In These Silent Days, Brandi Carlile
Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers, Kendrick Lamar
Music of the Spheres, Coldplay
Renaissance, Beyoncé
Special, Lizzo
Un Verano Sin Ti, Bad Bunny
Voyage, ABBA

Breakdown: …oh, y’all waiting for me? Sorry, I was just booking my flight to an undisclosed island before I finished writing this post. Why? Because I’m still getting hate mail (AND ACTUAL DEATH THREATS) because I failed to give Beyonce’s Renaissance a 5-star review. I guess all the Beyhive’s love and acceptance talk is only for silver outfits and glass horsies. Anyway, Harry Styles’ victory in 2023 threw Twitter into a RAGE and I can’t blame them. I love “Late Night Talking” as much as the next brother but there is no way that album beats most of its competition. It DOES beat Mary J’s Good Morning Gorgeous, which I found to be very so-so – well below her standard. Lizzo’s Special was OK at best, nothing … special. And then we have Renaissance, which is for sure better than Harry’s House but, in my humble (and sure to be massacred) opinion, is not the best album here. It’s the People’s Champ, but not the best. That once again should have gone to Kendrick Lamar. Even ABBA had a bigger gripe.

THE VERDICT: Harry should not have won, but the ladies weren’t snubbed. Bye, bye, I have a plane to catch.

2024
Winner: Midnights, Taylor Swift

Nominees:
The Age of Pleasure, Janelle Monáe
Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd, Lana Del Rey
Endless Summer Vacation, Miley Cyrus
Guts, Olivia Rodrigo
The Record, Boygenius
SOS, SZA
World Music Radio, Jon Batiste

Breakdown: Oh yeah, I still have one more year to go. Might as well enrage the SZA stans while I’m at it! Once again, this feels like a very messy year for nominees, as the academy leaned on hype more than substance. As a fervent R&B supporter, I was very happy to see SZA get so much mainstream love for SOS and see R&B in the spotlight again. But there were probably a dozen R&B projects vastly superior to SOS. Same goes for Janelle’s Age of Pleasure – by far Janelle’s most talked about album to date (for a couple of reasons…) but nowhere near the creative triumphs of the albums that came before it. Among these, the best might be Guts, but I’m certainly not dying on that hill.

THE VERDICT: I’m meh on almost all these. Here’s the REAL album of the year:

So, who was snubbed?:

Missy Elliott in 2004

Beyonce in 2015

And for SURE Beyonce in 2017

I’ll let y’all yell about 2023 and 2024 amongst yourselves.

Compiling this list was enlightening – once we hit the late 2010s, the quality of the nominees REALLY start to dip, which is why the winners become increasingly controversial. Regardless, it’s easy to see that the artistry of Black women has been overlooked for far too long.

Grammys, it’s your turn to pay attention.

It’s your turn. Who was truly snubbed at the Grammys these past 25 years? Let us know below. And try to behave, please.