Beyoncé may have won critical acclaim for Lemonade, but she was overlooked for Album of the Year at the Grammys this year. Instead, the show’s most prestigious award went to Adele.
And, in a series of (since deleted) tweets, her sister, Solange, has attacked the Record Academy for its decision – claiming that it has only awarded the gong to two black artists since 1997.
“There have only been two black winners in the last 20 years for album of the year,” she wrote on Twitter. “There have been over 200 black artist[s] who have performed.”
Read more: All the fashion from the 59th Grammy Awards
There have been four black winners of the 20 since 1997: Lauryn Hill, OutKast, the late Ray Charles, and Herbie Hancock.
Knowles continued: “Create your own committees, build your own institutions, give your friends awards, award yourself, and be the gold you wanna hold my g's.”
Solange is not the show’s only critic; Frank Ocean, who boycotted the Grammys, recently took aim aim at the event's producer Ken Ehrlich and writer David Wild online.
“'I'm one of the best alive and if you're up for a discussion about the cultural bias and general nerve damage the show you produce suffers from then I'm all for it,” he wrote.
Solange, in an act of support, commented “'Wuddup frank [sic]” alongside the post.
Read more: Adele opens up about the loneliness of fame
Meanwhile Adele, while stepping up to accept the Album of the Year gong, also insisted that the award should have gone to Beyoncé.
“I can't possibly accept this award,” she said, breaking the accolade into two pieces. “The Lemonade album was just so monumental, Beyoncé. It was so monumental and well thought-out and beautiful and soul-bearing...
“The way you make me and my friends feel… the way you make my black friends feel is so empowering. I love you. I always have and always will.”
Adele finished by telling Beyoncé that she “appreciates” every single thing she does for women and artists everywhere.
“All of us artists here adore you,” she said. “You are our light.”
Adele – who won all five awards she was nominated for – later added backstage: “I thought it was her year. What the fuck does she have to do to win Album of the Year?”
Images: Getty
undefined
By signing up you agree to occasionally receive offers and promotions from Stylist. Newsletters may contain online ads and content funded by carefully selected partners. Don’t worry, we’ll never share or sell your data. You can opt-out at any time. For more information read Stylist’s Privacy Policy
Thank you!
You’re now subscribed to all our newsletters. You can manage your subscriptions at any time from an email or from a MyStylist account.