Beyoncé once again competes for a prestigious Grammy, this time for her country album Cowboy Carter, during a ceremony in Los Angeles that honors the best in music while also acknowledging the devastating wildfires that impacted the local music industry. The Grammy Awards will air live from the Crypto.com Arena at 8 p.m. ET on Sunday.

Despite winning a record 32 Grammy Awards, Beyoncé has never won the coveted Album of the Year trophy. This year, she faces competition from Taylor Swift, nominated for The Tortured Poets Department, and Billie Eilish whose nomination is for Hit Me Hard and Soft.

Earlier in the evening, Sabrina Carpenter received the Grammy for Best Pop Vocal Album with her album Short n’ Sweet, marking one of the first awards announced before the main ceremony, while Beyoncé and Miley Cyrus celebrated their Grammy win for Best Country Duo or Group Performance with the song II Most Wanted, featured on Cowboy Carter.

The event sees comedian Trevor Noah return as the host, blending the awards show with a fundraiser to support musicians affected by the fires. Notably, the ceremony includes performances from nominees like Chappell Roan, Carpenter, and Teddy Swims, with the latter expressing excitement about being part of "one of the best rookie classes ever."

As the night unfolds, many are eagerly speculating whether this will finally be the year Beyoncé wins the Album of the Year award. Her husband, Jay-Z, previously emphasized the lack of recognition for Black artists at the Grammys, pointing out his wife's impressive record of wins yet absence in this category. "I don't want to embarrass this young lady, but she has more Grammys than anyone and never won album of the year," he said during last year’s ceremony.

Cowboy Carter has been heralded as a tribute to the contributions of Black Americans in country music, becoming the first album by a Black woman to top the Billboard Top Country Albums chart. However, it did face criticism for being overlooked during the Country Music Awards nominations last fall.

As the event progresses, Beyoncé leads the night with 11 nominations, followed closely by Eilish, Charli XCX, Kendrick Lamar, and Post Malone, each with seven. Swift herself secured six nominations, contributing further excitement to the ongoing ceremony. Additional Grammy nods for Beyoncé include Record and Song of the Year for her single Texas Hold ‘Em.

The Song of the Year competition features Eilish’s Birds of a Feather, Carpenter’s Please Please Please, and Roan’s Good Luck, Babe!, while the Record of the Year nominees include Carpenter's Espresso and Swift’s collaboration with Post Malone on Fortnight.

For further updates on the Grammy Awards and winners, visit the South China Morning Post.