32 And Counting: Beyoncé Thanks Her Late Uncle In Historic Grammy Win By Any Artist

In an emotional acceptance speech, the mother of three thanked her fans and the queer community for “inventing the genre” and supporting her musical journey.

“I’m trying not to be too emotional, I’m trying to just receive this night,” she said, holding back tears. “I want to thank God for protecting me, I’d like to thank my Uncle Johnny who’s not here but he’s here in spirit.”

Released in July 2022, Beyoncé’s dance floor-inspired album celebrates queer culture and pays homage to Black LGBTQ icons that have shifted music. The Grammy-winning project also celebrates the life of the singer’s late Uncle Johnny, who died of complications from AIDS. Bey often credits him for inspiring her musical career.

During Sunday’s ceremony, Beyoncé beat out heavy contenders like Diplo, Odesza and Rüfüs Du Sol for Best Dance Album. She is now the third Black person to win this award. In 2021, Black Coffee earned the award for his infectious album Subconsciously. The win came a year after Kaytranada snagged the Best Dance Album Grammy for Bubba in 2020.

Beyoncé’s historic Dance Album win almost did not happen.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, initially the Recording Academy did not consider Renaissance a dance album, as they felt the project was best suited for the Best Pop Vocal Album category. But after listening to the album several times, experts from the National Screening Committee finally decided to place the project in the category.

The decision was no a brainer.

The decorated star’s hit single “Break My Soul” debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart after it released this summer.

In addition to her historic Grammy win, Beyoncé is the most nominated artist in history, holding a whopping 88 nominations. Georg Solti, the late Hungarian conductor, previously held the record at 31 wins and 74 nominations.