Whoopi Goldberg is coming to Beyoncé’s defense after a Fox News pundit criticized the global icon for winning best country album at the 2025 Grammys on Sunday.
Conservative author Raymond Arroyo made an appearance on Fox News’ The Ingraham Angle, hosted by Laura Ingraham, Monday night, where he called Beyoncé’s Grammy wins a “ridiculous outcome.” The “Texas Hold ‘Em” singer took home the awards for best country album and album of the year for Cowboy Carter, in addition to best country duo/group performance for “II Most Wanted” featuring Miley Cyrus.
“The country artists are not really happy about this,” Arroyo claimed. “I’m gonna put this in some context Laura: Dolly Parton has 10 Grammys. Frank Sinatra had 11 Grammys. Beyoncé has 35. How is that possibly commensurate with that talent? I mean, come on.”
Arroyo continued, “Basically, Lady Gaga’s cat sitter voted for best reggae and best county album, so that’s why you get this ridiculous outcome that has nothing to do with the country audience or the country musicians.”
Goldberg took a moment on The View Tuesday morning to slam Arroyo for his criticism, saying, “Sir, are you aware that you have to be in the music industry to be a Grammy voter? So, the cat sitter can’t just vote.”
The EGOT winner continued, “Are you aware that when the Grammys began in 1959, there were only 28 categories, now there are 94? The year that Frank Sinatra got six nominations despite having two No. 1 albums, he only won one Grammy that night for his album cover — not even for his singing, for the album cover. Listen, man. You can’t do that. She earned it.”
Speaking directing to Arroyo, Goldberg added, “You want to hold on to country music like white people didn’t also buy her country album. Come on, man! People voted for it. Sometimes you win, sometimes you don’t. Same with the Oscars. Sit down! … Music does not have the issues you have. Music is about the people.”
Cowboy Carter, released in March 2024, was not only a historic effort from Beyoncé, but it also put a spotlight on other Black artists in the country music space and ignited cultural conversations about Black artists reclaiming the genres they started, including country music. The singer has also been open about not feeling “welcomed” in the country genre when she initially tried to enter the scene years ago.
Last year, Beyoncé was also infamously snubbed from the CMA Awards, despite Cowboy Carter being one of the top albums of the year and spending four weeks on top of Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart.
On Sunday, she made history as the first Black woman to win the Grammy for best country album.
