Roommates… relating to the Grammys, some wins go way beyond the music. Through the years, the awards stage has doubled as a history book, spotlighting Black artists who didn’t just take home trophies — they shifted culture, broke ceilings, and sometimes made history at shockingly young ages. From Blue Ivy to Beyoncé, listed below are some unforgettable Grammy moments you may not know hit quite this hard.
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Blue Ivy Collects Grammys Like Infinity Stones
Yes — that Blue Ivy. At just 9 years old, Blue Ivy Carter principally told the Grammys, “I’m here too, y’all see me?” She scooped her first award for Best Music Video on the 2021 GRAMMYs for ‘Brown Skin Girl’ — a track fronted by her mother Beyoncé and featured Wizkid and Saint Jhn. But, don’t get it twisted: Blue didn’t just show as much as wave and smile. She laid down vocals and a verse, snagging credit as each a featured artist and author. With that win, she officially became a Grammy Award winner alongside her parents Jay-Z and Beyoncé. That moment proved the Carter family talent isn’t inherited — it’s born into the DNA.
Lauryn Hill Cleared The Grammys, Let’s Be Honest
To today, ‘The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill’ stays one of the crucial iconic albums in hip-hop history — and the 1999 GRAMMYs sealed its legacy. That night, Lauryn Hill won five Grammys, becoming the primary woman to ever achieve this in a single evening. Considered one of those wins was Album of the Yr, making her the primary rapper — male or female — to take home the category. A 12 months earlier, she had already made history as the primary woman to win Best Rap Album as a part of the Fugees for ‘The Rating.’ Legendary behavior, period.
Michael Jackson Said, “Run Me Every Grammy”
On the 1984 Grammys, Michael Jackson pulled up and principally told the world, “Y’all weren’t ready for THIS.” Due to ‘Thriller,’ he walked out with eight Grammys in a single night — a flex that also hasn’t been touched. He snagged Album of the Yr, Record of the Yr for ‘Beat It,’ and even Producer of the Yr with Quincy Jones, proving he wasn’t just performing. And since why not? MJ also scooped wins across pop, rock, R&B, and yes… even Best Recording for Children for reading ‘E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.’ With 12 nods in total, Michael didn’t just win — he rewrote the Grammy playbook.
#1
Hazel Monét Enters The Grammy Chat Early
The 2024 GRAMMYs were already an enormous night for Victoria Monét, who took home three awards, including Best Recent Artist. But history was also quietly made by her daughter Hazel Monét. At just 2 years old, Hazel earned a GRAMMY nomination for her feature on Victoria’s song ‘Hollywood,’ which was nominated for Best Traditional R&B Performance. That nomination made Hazel the youngest Grammy nominee ever — and the web was not ready.
#2
Beyoncé Walked In Like, “I’ll Take Those”
By the 2025 Grammys, Beyoncé wasn’t just collecting awards — she was making history look easy. Fans cheered her Album of the Yr win, but the true mic-drop moment? COWBOY CARTER snagging Best Country Album, making her the first Black artist ever to take that crown. Three wins later, she hit 35 Grammys and 99 nominations, still running the board because the most-awarded and most-nominated artist in history — and yes, she and Jay-Z remain the one couple with 20+ Grammys each, because after all. Queen B didn’t just show up, she rewrote the foundations, shut down the room, and reminded everyone who runs this show.
#3
Kendrick Lamar Made The Grammys Run It Back
Born and bred in Compton, Kendrick Lamar didn’t just come up — he leveled up the sport. After breaking through with ‘good kid, m.A.A.d city,’ he grabbed his first Grammys in 2014. Fast forward to the 2025 Grammys, and K.Dot ran the entire show, sweeping all five of his nominations with ‘Not Like Us,’ including Song of the Yr and Record of the Yr — straight Compton takeover energy. With 22 Grammys and over 55 nods, Kendrick’s proof that bars, legacy, and street-smart lyricism still command the crown.
#4
Auntie Aretha Don’t Play Honey!
From 1968 to 2011, the Queen of Soul collected 18 GRAMMY wins and 44 nominations — including one record nobody else has touched. Aretha Franklin won Best R&B Vocal Performance, Female for eight consecutive years, starting together with her classic ‘Respect.’ And when asked years later about modern artists? Aretha kept it easy — and shady — together with her now-iconic words: “Great gowns, beautiful gowns.” Say less.
#5
Outkast Flexed & Left The Grammys Shook
Outkast didn’t just show as much as the Grammys — they made history. With 6 wins under their belt, the duo became the primary (and still only) hip-hop group to take home Album of the Yr in 2004 for ‘Speakerboxxx/The Love Below,’ beating out heavy hitters like Justin Timberlake and Missy Elliott. From ‘Hey Ya!’ snagging ‘Best Urban/Alternative Performance’ to ‘Ms. Jackson’ and ‘The Whole World’ winning ‘Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group,’ plus ‘Stankonia’ grabbing Best Rap Album, Outkast proved they weren’t just racking up trophies — they were setting the bar for each hip-hop duo after them, all while André 3000’s “Thanks” speech left the group shook and fully confirmed: these legends don’t play
