Black Sounds Beautiful: How Beyoncé Has Empowered The Black Community Across Her Music And Art

Editor’s Note: This article was originally published on Feb. 8, 2018 and was updated on Feb. 12, 2025 to reflect current stats and wins; Taylor Weatherby also contributed.

Black artists have been making history at the GRAMMYs since the awards were first presented on May 4, 1959, when Ella Fitzgerald and Count Basie each took home two awards. African-American creators have continued to set records and celebrate monumental firsts through the 2025 GRAMMYs, when Beyoncé became the first Black artist to win the golden gramophone for Best Country Album.

Of course, that’s not Beyoncé’s only GRAMMY record. And she’s joined by a host of other Black superstars that have had a historic moment on the GRAMMY stage, from Michael Jackson‘s huge night in 1983 to Lauryn Hill‘s big win in 1998.

To help celebrate Black History Month, take a look at 15 Black artists who have set GRAMMY records.

The 5th Dimension

Los Angeles soul group the 5th Dimension had two big GRAMMY nights in 1968 and 1970, scooping up six awards between the two. And with those six wins, they became the first group or duo to win twice for Record Of The Year: “Up, Up And Away” in 1968, and “Aquarius/Let The Sunshine In (The Flesh Failures)” in 1970.

Babyface

In 1993, Babyface shared his first Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical win with L.A. Reid, and the pair tied for the win with Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois. But just three years later, he won on his own — and proceeded to win the award solo for three years straight.

With that, Babyface became a four-time winner in the Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical Category, making him the only producer to do so to date.

Thom Bell

The 1974 GRAMMYs marked the first year that the Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical Category was awarded. Thom Bell was the inaugural winner, making him the first producer to win Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical.

Beyoncé

Perhaps Beyoncé’s biggest story of the 2025 GRAMMYs was her first win for Album Of The Year, but she actually made history with another one of her three wins. COWBOY CARTER was also crowned Best Country Album, making Beyoncé the first Black artist to win in the Category.

The “TEXAS HOLD ‘EM” singer’s three wins at the 2025 GRAMMYs brought her total to 35, which extends her lead as the artist with the most GRAMMYs. She actually broke the record at the 2023 GRAMMYs, when she won four golden gramophones to bring her total to 32.

Beyoncé broke another record prior to the 2025 GRAMMYs, as her 11 nominations brought her total to 99 — making her the artist with the most GRAMMY nominations, too.

Interestingly, Beyoncé and her husband, Jay-Z, are the only couple where both individuals have received 20 or more GRAMMYs. As of press time, Jay-Z has won 25.

Long before setting her latest records, Beyoncé had another historic GRAMMY night in 2010. She became the first woman to win six GRAMMYs in one night thanks to I Am… Sasha Fierce; her awards included Song Of The Year for “Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It).”

Ray Charles

During his remarkable lifetime, Ray Charles was a 12-time GRAMMY winner. And even after his passing in 2004 at the age of 73, he not only managed to posthumously add more to that count, but he also made GRAMMY history in doing so.

Charles’ beloved final album, 2004’s posthumously released Genius Loves Company, won five golden gramophones at the 2005 GRAMMYs, including Album Of The Year. As of press time, it holds the record as the most posthumous GRAMMYs in one night.

Elizabeth Cotten

Blues and folk pioneer Elizabeth Cotten won her first GRAMMY at 90 years old, which also made her the oldest female artist to win a GRAMMY. She was 90 years and 52 days old when she won Best Ethnic Or Traditional Folk Recording for Elizabeth Cotten Live! at the 1985 GRAMMYs (which beats Betty White‘s record by 26 days, as the late comedian’s 2011 win for Best Spoken Word Album (Includes Poetry, Audio Books & Storytelling) came when she was 90 years and 26 days old).

Ella Fitzgerald

At the very first GRAMMYs in 1959, Ella Fitzgerald was nominated for Album Of The Year for Ella Fitzgerald Sings The Irving Berlin Song Book. Not only was she the only woman in the Category, but the nomination made her the first woman to ever receive an Album Of The Year nomination.

Eight years later, Fitzgerald also became the first woman to receive a GRAMMY Lifetime Achievement Award.

Roberta Flack

At the 1973 GRAMMYs, Roberta Flack won Record Of The Year for “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face.” She won the Category the following year as well for “Killing Me Softly With His Song,” making her the first artist to win back-to-back awards for Record Of The Year.

Aretha Franklin

From 1968-2011, Aretha Franklin accrued an impressive 18 GRAMMY wins and 44 nominations. Among her wins is a unique record: most consecutive awards in any Category.

Franklin won Best R&B Vocal Performance, Female for eight consecutive years, from 1968 to 1975; the streak kicked off with her classic hit “Respect.”

Lauryn Hill

To this day, Lauryn Hill’s The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill is revered as one of hip-hop’s most iconic albums — and the 1999 GRAMMYs was proof of its significance.

At the ceremony, Hill had five wins, becoming the first woman to win five GRAMMYs in one night. One of those golden gramophones was for Album Of The Year, which made Hill the first rapper to win Album Of The Year. (One year prior, she also became the first woman to win in the Best Rap Album Category, when her group, the Fugees, won for The Score.)

Michael Jackson

At the 1984 GRAMMYs, the King of Pop became the first artist to win eight GRAMMYs in one night, thanks to his blockbuster album Thriller. The album helped Michael Jackson take home Album Of The Year and Record Of The Year for “Beat It,” as well as Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical alongside Quincy Jones. His other Thriller wins were in the Pop, Rock and R&B Fields, and he even took home a golden gramophone for Best Recording For Children for his reading of “E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial.”

With 12 nominations in total that year, Jackson also became the first artist to amass that many nods in one night.

Quincy Jones

While Quincy Jones wasn’t the first winner of Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical, he became the first to win it two and three times. His first win came in 1982; his second (which he won alongside Michael Jackson) was in 1984; and his third win was in 1991.

Hazel Monét

The 2024 GRAMMYs marked a milestone night for Victoria Monét, who won three GRAMMYs including Best New Artist. But it was also a history-making occasion for her daughter, Hazel, who earned a GRAMMY nomination for featuring on her mom’s song “Hollywood,” which was up for Best Traditional R&B Performance. Receiving the nomination at just 2 years old, Hazel is the youngest GRAMMY nominee ever.

Pinetop Perkins

Twenty-eight years after his first nomination, Pinetop Perkins won his first GRAMMY at the 2008 GRAMMYs — and became the oldest GRAMMY winner in the process. He won Best Traditional Blues Album, for Last Of The Great Mississippi Delta Bluesmen: Live In Dallas, at 95 years and 218 days old.

But even more remarkably, three years later, he topped his own record. Winning again in the Best Traditional Blues Album Category (this time for Joined At The Hip), this time, he was 97 years and 221 days old — making him the oldest living artist to win a GRAMMY at that time. (At the 2025 GRAMMYs, Jimmy Carter posthumously won at 100, making him the oldest winner.)

Stevie Wonder

Though Taylor Swift holds the record for the most Album Of The Year wins, Stevie Wonder is the only artist in GRAMMY history to win Album Of The Year with three consecutive studio albums. He achieved this extraordinary three-peat with Innervisions in 1974, Fulfillingness’ First Finale in 1975, and Songs In The Key Of Life in 1977.

Innervisions also helped Wonder become the first artist to win Album Of The Year with an entirely self-produced album.