Whoopi Goldberg recently responded to the criticisms surrounding Beyoncé’s historic win for Best Country Album at the 2025 Grammy Awards. On a recent episode of The View, Goldberg addressed comments made by conservative commentator Raymond Arroyo, who questioned the legitimacy of Beyoncé’s win. Arroyo, appearing on Fox News, had compared Beyoncé’s growing Grammy count to legendary artists like Dolly Parton and Frank Sinatra, implying that the Grammy voting process was influenced by people outside the music industry.
Goldberg quickly shut down these claims, emphasizing that only music industry professionals are eligible to vote for the Grammys, and the voting process is credible. She also pointed out that the number of categories at the Grammys has grown significantly since its inception in 1959, from 28 to 94 categories, which she believes accounts for the larger number of awards that modern artists, like Beyoncé, have accumulated. Goldberg firmly stated, “Listen, man. You can’t do that. She earned it.”
Beyoncé’s album Cowboy Carter not only earned her the Best Country Album award, but it also made history by being the first album by a Black woman to win Album of the Year since Lauryn Hill’s The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill in 1999. The album’s lead single, Texas Hold ‘Em, became a chart-topping hit on Billboard’s country chart, marking Beyoncé’s successful crossover into the country music genre.
Goldberg’s defense of Beyoncé highlights the ever-changing nature of the music industry, where artists like Beyoncé are pushing boundaries and bridging genres, proving that music is constantly evolving. Through this win, Beyoncé has shown how versatile she is and how music can defy traditional expectations.
For more details on Whoopi Goldberg’s response, you can catch the full segment on The View.
