Record-breaking women at the Grammys

Female artists triumph at Grammys - 22nd March 2021

Women in music have triumphed at this year's Grammy awards, taking home a raft of the top awards.

Winning in four categories, Beyoncé now has more Grammys on her shelf than any other female artist, with a total of 28 to her name.

Clutching her latest golden gramophone statuette, the superstar told a socially distanced crowd of her peers "I am so honoured, I'm so excited."

Taylor Swift's lockdown LP 'Folklore' was named Album of the Year and made her the first female performer to take that prize home three times with only Frank Sinatra, Paul Simon and Stevie Wonder matching her record.

'Black Parade', Beyoncé's paean to Black resilience, was recognised as the Best R&B Performance of 2020. Surprise released on Juneteenth, the holiday commemorating the emancipation of those who had been enslaved in the US, the non profit charity single served as the soundtrack for the summer's global outpourings of support for Black Lives Matter.

Song of the Year was presented to another powerful Black anthem, HER's 'I Can't Breathe', whose refrain echoes the final words of African American George Floyd. Last year, the 46 year old was killed during an arrest in Minneapolis and his death, along with that of Breonna Taylor, sparked a global wave of demonstrations.

Accepting the prize, HER explained she never imagined "that my fear and my pain would turn into impact. That's why I write music, and I'm so, so grateful".

Similarly, Beyoncé considered the role of musicians in such tumultuous times during her own acceptance speech, saying "as an artist, I believe it's my job to reflect the times, and it's been such a difficult time."

"So I wanted to uplift, encourage, celebrate all of the beautiful Black queens and kings that continue to inspire me and inspire the world."