Record-breaking women at the Grammys

Women make history at Grammys - 22nd March 2021

It was a historic night for women at the 2021 Grammys awards as Beyoncé and Taylor Swift secured record breaking wins.

Beyoncé's 28th Grammy win makes her the most awarded female artist of all time.

"I am so honoured, I'm so excited," she gushed as she picked up her trophy in front of a socially distanced audience of music stars.

Taylor Swift earned her third Album of the Year award for 'Folklore'. She is the first woman to join Frank Sinatra, Paul Simon and Stevie Wonder as the only artists to be awarded the prestigious prize three times.

Beyoncé's 'Black Parade', a celebration of Black power and strength, was named Best R&B Performance of the year. Released on Juneteenth, the annual anniversary of the end of slavery in the US, the single dropped at a time of widespread Black Lives Matter protests prompted by the murder of George Floyd.

The movement was also reflected in another award winner. The Song of the Year Grammy went to R&B artist HER for 'I Can't Breathe', which quotes the last words of George Floyd. The 46 year old lost his life in police custody in 2020.

Collecting her award, Beyoncé commented on the importance of music. "As an artist, I believe it's my job to reflect the times, and it's been such a difficult time," she said. "So I wanted to uplift, encourage, celebrate all of the beautiful Black queens and kings that continue to inspire me and inspire the world."