The Grammy Awards have recently faced criticism on social media after Beyoncé was awarded the Best Country Music  Album of the Year on Sunday night, February 2.

Beyoncé’s “Cowboy Carter” secured a Grammy for Best Country Album, thus making her the first Black female artist to achieve this distinction in the category. The award was presented to Beyoncé by Taylor Swift.

Upon hearing her name announced as the winner, Beyoncé appeared visibly startled before she made her way to the podium.

“I was not expecting this,” Beyoncé told the room ahead of her acceptance speech. She continued, “I want to thank God that I’m able to still do what I love after so many years, oh, my God! I’d like to thank all of the incredible country artists that accepted this, this  album we worked so hard on… I think sometimes genre is a cold word to keep us in our place as artists, and just want to encourage people to do what they’re passionate about. And to stay persistent.”

However, numerous social media users criticized the award organizers, asserting that the outcome was rigged because Beyoncé belongs to a minority race; they believed this decision was an attempt to showcase that anyone can overcome racial barriers, even within a genre like country music.

Some individuals even suggested that Jay-Z, her husband, may have influenced her victory, while others argued that there was no conceivable way Beyoncé’s album surpassed those of competitors like Post Malone.

See tweets below…