Beyoncé Brings Audience to Tears With Album Of The Year Grammy Speech

Beyoncé took home the album of the year at the 67th Grammy Awards for “Cowboy Carter,” the first time she has won the coveted award.

After accepting the award, which was presented by members of the Los Angeles County Fire Department, Beyoncé said in the acceptance speech that she was humbled.

“I just feel full and very honored,” she said after thanking the firefighters. “It’s been many, many years. I just want to thank the Grammys, every songwriter, every collaborator, every producer, all of the hard work.”

She also took a moment to thank Linda Martell, a Black country artist referenced on the “Cowboy Carter” track “The Linda Martell Show.”

“I want to dedicate this to Miss Martell, and I hope we just keep pushing forward, opening doors. God bless you all. Thank you so much,” she said.

Beyoncé’s win comes after a heated battle for what is considered the top award at the Grammys. The award recognizes the best overall recording as it relates to the “quality and artistry of the collection of tracks as a whole,” according to the Recording Academy.

Beyoncé took down a competitive field that included André 3000 (“New Blue Sun”), Sabrina Carpenter (“Short n’ Sweet”), Charli xcx (“Brat”), Jacob Collier (“Djesse Vol. 4”), Billie Eilish (“Hit Me Hard and Soft”), Chappell Roan (“The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess”) and Taylor Swift (“The Tortured Poets Department”).

Last year, Swift won album of the year, making her the first artist to win the award four times.

“I would love to tell you that this is the best moment in my life,” she said in her acceptance. “But I feel this happy when I finished a song or when I crack the code to a bridge that I love or when I’m shot listing a music video, or when I’m rehearsing with my dancers or my band or getting ready to go to Tokyo to play a show.”

She also acknowledged how gratifying it was for her to get to that point.

“For me, the award is the work. All I want to do is keep being able to do this,” she said. “I love it so much. It makes me so happy. It makes me unbelievably blown away that it makes some people happy who voted for this award, too. All I want to do is keep doing this. So thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to do what I love so much.”