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Beyoncé took home two of the top awards in the country music genre during the American Music Awards held at Fontainebleau Las Vegas in Las Vegas on May 26, 2025.
The Halo singer won Favorite Female Country Artist and Favorite Country Album for her 2024 album Cowboy Carter, but she did not attend the award ceremony to receive her trophies in person as she is currently on tour. Cowboy Carter was nominated for Album of the Year at the 2025 AMAs. However, she lost to Billie Eilish's 2024 album, Hit Me Hard and Soft.
Cowboy Carter, which is Beyoncé's eighth studio album, previously won Album of the Year and Best Country Album at the 2025 Grammy Awards in February.
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The news of Beyoncé winning Favorite Female Country Artist at the 2025 AMAs was met with mixed responses from netizens. One user claimed that the news might have irked fellow country star Carrie Underwood.
This came after The Daily Mail reported that Carrie Underwood's performance at at Donald Trump's presidential inauguration in January 2025 was marred with technical difficulties, which reportedly left her feeling like she wasn't "afforded the same level of respect or admiration that previous performers, such as Beyoncé and Lady Gaga, had received."
"Beyonce never leaves an award show empty handed- Carrie Underwood was found somewhere in hives," one user wrote.
Some users echoed this sentiment, while others praised the Diva singer on her latest accomplishment.
"Somebody get carrie underwood on camera i wanna see the tears," one person posted.
"Bey really out here winning everything huh," another person added.
"OH EXACTLY!! AS SHE SHOULD!! You can take the girl outta the country, but you can never take the country outta the girl!!!" someone else exclaimed.
"Beyoncé taking the country crown just proves she breaks every mold with ease," another user commented.
Meanwhile, other netizens seemed adamant in their beliefs that Beyoncé was not a country artist, claiming she didn't deserve the win.
"She only got the award because they were scared of the racism accusations she is a lot but she is not country," one person tweeted.
"That’s a little messed up. She’s not a country artist," another person added.
"You mean fake country artist… she just did it for the aesthetics," someone else commented.
"If that’s country music, I’m the king of France," another user said.
Beyoncé explained the origins of Cowboy Carter in an Instagram post
While Beyoncé has previously forayed into the country music genre with her songs, Cowboy Carter is her first country album to date. In an Instagram post announcing the album's release in March 2024, the singer explained that she had been working on the project for the past five years.
Beyoncé continued that the project originated due to her experience of being unwelcome in country spaces years ago, writing:
"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. But, because of that experience, I did a deeper dive into the history of Country music and studied our rich musical archive."
She continued:
"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."
While Beyoncé did not elaborate on the incident that left her feeling unwelcome, fans inferred that she was referring to her 2016 performance of her song Daddy Lessons with The Chicks (formerly known as Dixie Chicks) at the Country Music Awards. The performance was met with immense backlash and, according to Vogue, country star Alan Jackson reportedly walked out mid-performance.
Beyoncé concluded her Instagram post by adding that Cowboy Carter was a continuation of her 2022 album Renaissance, dubbing it the Act II to Renaissance's Act I. She also mentioned that the LP was not a "country album," but rather "a “Beyoncé” album," writing:
"This ain’t a Country album. This is a “Beyoncé” album. This is act ii COWBOY CARTER, and I am proud to share it with y’all!"
According to her official website, both albums are part of Beyoncé's "three-act project," which she conceptualized during the COVID-19 pandemic. During a press release ahead of Cowboy Carter's release, Beyoncé also revealed that the country album was initially meant to be released as Act 1, however, she decided to release Renaissance instead to give people a reason to dance after the pandemic.
Released on March 29, 2024, Cowboy Carter was an immense success, debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. The album secured Beyoncé many accolades, including her first Album of the Year at the 2025 Grammys.
The singer is currently on her five-night run of the "Cowboy Carter Tour" at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, with the next show scheduled for May 28.
