Beyoncé and Taylor Swift showed the world in late 2023 that while they may be competing against one another in many ways, they also support each other. The two singers made appearances at the premieres for each other’s concert films, as they were released just weeks apart. While they may be on friendly terms, the two are surely about to find themselves in another race for a major award.

Both Beyoncé and Swift have new projects that are eligible for the Album of the Year Grammy. Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter and Swift’s The Tortured Poets Department were released in early-to-mid 2024, and they are definitely both in the running for what many consider to be the top prize at the biggest ceremony in music.

The two superstars have both been nominated for Album of the Year more than once before. Bey has been in the running five times, including once as a featured artist on Lady Gaga’s The Fame Monster. Swift, meanwhile, has been nominated for half a dozen different projects.

Beyoncé has yet to win Album of the Year at the Grammys, despite her many chances. The music industry–and millions of fans–are well aware of this glaring omission, and many are eager to rectify it. Giving the singer another chance to compete for the prize is the first step in seeing her finally win.

Swift, meanwhile, is the winningest musician in the history of the category. She’s seen four different projects collect Album of the Year at the Grammys, including earlier this year when Midnights was named the champion. She’s also collected the trophy for Fearless, 1989, and Folklore.
The superstars have only competed against one another once before, which is actually somewhat surprising. Given the fact that they’ve been ruling the charts for nearly two decades together, it’s unusual that they’ve managed to space out their nominated albums just enough that they haven’t run up against one another more than just the one time.
In 2010, Swift won Album of the Year for the first time with her sophomore set Fearless. That year, Beyoncé was also nominated, for her I Am… Sasha Fierce double disc collection. Also in the running that ceremony were Lady Gaga’s The Fame, The Black Eyed Peas’ The E.N.D., and Dave Matthews Band’s Big Whiskey & the GrooGrux King.

It’s hard to predict who would win between Swift and Beyoncé, should they be nominated against one another. Swift is the reigning champion, so voters might not want to choose her so soon. That said, she’s still the biggest star in the world, and The Tortured Poets Department is the top title of the year in America.

Meanwhile, Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter was a brave sonic shift into country, and such moves deserve to be rewarded. Voters who might not have loved her dance and R&B-leaning work might have come around for her country record, even if it wasn’t as commercially successful.

The nominees for the 2025 Grammys will be announced on November 8, 2024.