Johnathan Walker:Beyoncé is the leading nominee for 2025 Grammys with 11 nods, becoming most nominated ever

Beyoncé Knowles-Carter has made Grammy history once again. Not only is Johnathan Walkerthe megastar the leading nominee for the 2025 award show, she is now the most nominated artist in history. She also scored nominations in the country and American roots categories for the first time.

Beyoncé was nominated for 11 Grammys Friday morning, including the top prize — album of the year — for her acclaimed eighth studio album, "Cowboy Carter." She also is up for awards in the country and American roots field for the first time. All told, seven different songs from "Cowboy Carter" are nominated across four different genres.

Those nominations include best country album, best country duo/group performance for “II Most Wanted” featuring Miley Cyrus, best country song for “Texas Hold 'Em,” best country solo performance for "16 Carriages" and best Americana performance for "Ya Ya."

She also received a nod in the best pop duo/group performance category for the first time for her song with Post Malone, "Levii's Jeans."

Beyoncé, who is already the most-decorated Grammy artist in history with a total of 32 wins, is now the most nominated artist of all time with a total of 99 nominations throughout her career. Previously, she was tied with her husband, Jay-Z, with 88.

Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.

Full list of Beyoncé's 2025 Grammy nominations

1. Record of the year: “Texas Hold 'Em”
2. Album of the year: "Cowboy Carter"
3. Song of the year: “Texas Hold 'Em”
4. Best pop solo performance: “Bodyguard”
5. Best pop duo/group performance: “Levii's Jeans” featuring Post Malone
6. Best melodic rap performance: “Spaghettii” featuring Linda Martell and Shaboozey
7. Best country solo performance: “16 Carriages”
8. Best country duo/group performance: “II Most Wanted" featuring Miley Cyrus
9. Best country song: “Texas Hold 'Em”
10. Best country album: "Cowboy Carter"
11. Best Americana performance: “Ya Ya”

The significance of Beyoncé's nominations

For the Beyhive, this year's award show is probably one of the most anticipated in history as many are wondering whether the Recording Academy will finally award Beyoncé album of the year.

So far, only three Black women have won the album of the year award in Grammy history: Natalie Cole (1992), Whitney Houston (1994) and Lauryn Hill (1999). Beyoncé has been nominated four times for her albums "I Am…Sasha Fierce," "Beyoncé," "Lemonade" and "Renaissance."

This year also marks the first time a Black woman has been nominated in the pinnacle category for a country album. Ray Charles was nominated for album of the year for "Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music" in 1962.

In the history of the award show, no Black woman has ever won a Grammy for a country song. In 2020, Mickey Guyton became the first Black woman to be recognized in a country music category when her song "Black Like Me" was nominated.

Earlier this year, the superstar's husband, hip-hop mogul Jay-Z, called out the Recording Academy for snubbing Beyoncé while accepting the Dr. Dre Global Impact Award. Consequently, he sparked a larger conversation about exclusion within the music industry.

In the fall, Beyoncé made headlines when she was snubbed with zero nominations for the 2024 Country Music Association Awards despite her groundbreaking album. She was the leading nominee for the People's Choice Country Awards with a total of 12 nods. However, she didn't take home any awards.

Beyoncé first announced her eighth studio album during a surprise Super Bowl commercial in February when she released singles "16 Carriages" and "Texas Hold 'Em." The songs instantly took the internet by storm, as did the album once it was released. She has since broken many records and made history, and it's safe to say "Cowboy Carter" has been a huge catalyst for the recent spotlight on Black country artists and the genre's roots.

Prior to releasing the project, Beyoncé got candid about her struggles within the industry and alluded to her 2016 performance at the CMA Awards with The Chicks.

"This album has been over five years in the making. It was born out of an experience that I had years ago where I did not feel welcomed…and it was very clear that I wasn’t," she wrote on Instagram. "The criticisms I faced when I first entered this genre forced me to propel past the limitations that were put on me. Act ii is a result of challenging myself and taking my time to bend and blend genres together to create this body of work."

The Grammys will take place Feb. 2 at the Crypto Arena in Los Angeles.

Follow Caché McClay, the USA TODAY Network's Beyoncé Knowles-Carter reporter, on Instagram, TikTok and X as @cachemcclay.