On Sunday (Monday morning in Manila), multi-award-winning rapper Jay-Z took to the 2024 Grammys stage not only to accept his Dr. Dre Global Impact Award but also to criticize the prestigious awards-giving body.

The hip-hop artist, who accepted his trophy with his daughter Blue Ivy, took aim at the Grammys’ longtime failure to give his wife Beyoncé the Album of the Year award.

Despite Beyoncé being the most-awarded Grammy singer of all time, with 32 trophies, she has never won the coveted Album of the Year honors.

She was nominated in the category four times, but lost each time to Taylor Swift (2010), Beck (2015), Adele (2017) and Harry Styles (2023).

“I don’t want to embarrass this young lady, but she has more Grammys than everyone and never won album of the year. So even by your own metrics, that doesn’t work. Think about that. The most Grammys, never won album of the year. That doesn’t work,” Jay-Z said on the Grammy stage.

Although he conceded that music is subjective and opinion-based, the awards show should not be inconsistent in honoring artists for their outstanding achievements in the industry, Jay-Z added. 

“We want y’all to get it right. At least getting close to right,” he stressed. “The truth is, we grew up wanting to be on the Grammys, and it was our goal. We just want them to get it right. That’s what we want.”  

Beyoncé, who was in the audience, did not visibly react when the cameras panned to her.

Jay Z and Beyoncé are tied for the record of having the most Grammy nominations with 88 each. Jay-Z has secured 24 wins, making him the most Grammy-winning rapper of all time alongside Kanye West. 

Only Jay-Z and Dr. Dre are the recipients of the Premium Dr. Dre Global Impact Award. Meanwhile, the week before the televised awards show, Lenny Kravitz and Mariah Carey were honored with the Global Impact Award during the Recording Academy’s Black Music Collective.