You’ve probably heard that women swept the Big Four awards at the 2023 Latin Grammys for the first time in the show’s 24-year history. The show was held on Nov. 16 in Seville, Spain.
Colombian singer Karol G won album of the year for Mañana Será Bonito, which made history as the first all-Spanish language album by a woman to reach No. 1 on the Billboard 200. Mexican singer Natalia Lafourcade won record of the year for “De Todas las Flores.” Colombian superstar Shakira won song of the year for “Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53,” which was a top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100. (Shakira co-wrote the song with a male collaborator, Bizarrap.) Venezuelan singer Joaquina, just 19, took best new artist.
Women artists – counting either solo artists or group members — have swept each of the Big Four Awards at the Grammy Awards six times. We’ll take a closer look at those six occasions, but first we’ll discuss one situation that came close, but didn’t quite measure up to the others.
In 2008, Amy Winehouse won record and song of the year for “Rehab,” a top 10 hit on the Hot 100. She also won best new artist. Album of the year went to Herbie Hancock’s River: The Joni Letters. Five women – Norah Jones, Joni Mitchell, Corinne Bailey Rae, Luciana Souza and Tina Turner – won Grammys as featured artists on that album, but Hancock was the principal artist.
Here are the six times women artists – either solo artists or full-fledged group members – have swept each of the Big Four Awards at the Grammy Awards.
Date: March 14, 1972
Notes: Carole King became the first woman to win album, record and song of the year in one night. She won for Tapestry, “It’s Too Late” and “You’ve Got a Friend,” respectively. Carly Simon took best new artist on the strength of her eponymous debut album, which included the haunting “That’s the Way I’ve Always Heard It Should Be,” a top 10 hit on the Hot 100.
Date: Feb. 24, 1982
Notes: John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s Double Fantasy won album of the year. Kim Carnes’ “Bette Davis Eyes” won record of the year. That song, written in 1974 by Jackie DeShannon and Donna Weiss, won song of the year. Scottish singer Sheena Easton took best new artist.
Date: Feb. 11, 2007
Notes: The Chicks – then known as Dixie Chicks – won album of the year for Taking the Long Way and record and song of the year for “Not Ready to Make Nice,” in which they discussed their still-tender feelings amid the fierce backlash that followed Natalie Maines’ comment that the band was “ashamed” that President George W. Bush is from Texas. The trio – Maines and sisters Martie Maguire and Emily Robison (now Strayer) – co-wrote the song with Dan Wilson. Carrie Underwood took best new artist, becoming the only American Idol winner to also win best new artist.
Date: Jan. 31, 2010
Notes: Lady A – then known as Lady Antebellum – won record and song of the year for their country/pop crossover smash “Need You Now.” Arcade Fire won album of the year for The Suburbs. Jazz bassist and singer Esperanza Spalding was the upset winner of best new artist. Hillary Scott is a member of Lady A (along with Dave Haywood and Charles Kelley). The group members co-wrote the song with Josh Kear. At the time, Régine Chassagne and Sarah Neufeld were members of Arcade Fire (along with Will Butler, Win Butler, Jeremy Gara, Tim Kingsbury and Richard Reed Parry). Neufeld and Will Butler have since departed the group.
Date: Jan. 26, 2020
Notes: Teen prodigy Billie Eilish swept the Big Four categories, taking album of the year for her debut album When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?, record and song of the year for “Bad Guy” (which she co-wrote with her brother and collaborator Finneas) and best new artist.
Date: March 14, 2021
Notes: Taylor Swift won album of the year for Folklore, becoming the first woman to win three times. Billie Eilish won record of the year for “Everything I Wanted,” becoming the first woman to win in the category two years running since Roberta Flack in 1973-74. H.E.R. and Tiara Thomas won song of the year for the BLM anthem “I Can’t Breathe” (which they co-wrote with Dernst Emile II, better known as D’Mile). Megan Thee Stallion won best new artist.