Taylor Swift Takes Home Album of the Year at 2016 Grammy Awards

Taylor Swift rose above a crowded field to take home Album of the Year at the 2016 Grammy Awards for her work on 1989. The pop singer beat out albums such as Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp a Butterfly, Alabama Shakes’ Sound & Color, Chris Stapleton’s Traveller and the Weeknd’s Beauty Behind the Madness. This is her second Album of the Year win at the Grammy Awards; in 2010 she won the award for her sophomore release, Fearless.

There is no denying the impact that 1989 made on the mainstream pop world, with singles like “Shake it Off,” “Blank Space,” “Style” and “Bad Blood” dominating the airwaves, giving her five consecutive top-five singles in the United States. The album received acclaim from publications across the musical spectrum, and will be considered one of the landmark pop releases of the decade for years to come. Even alternative artists such as Ryan Adams saw the merit in the songs on the album, creating song-by-song cover album of 1989.

In her acceptance speech, she made an unsubtle reference to the recent Kanye West “I made that bitch famous” line from one of his latest songs, “Famous”:

“I want to say to all the young women out there—there are going to be people along the way who will to try to undercut your success or take credit for your accomplishments or your fame.”

She also noted the fact that she is the first woman to win the Album of the Year award twice at the Grammy Awards. In addition to winning the award for 1989 and Fearless, she was nominated for the award in 2014 for her album Red. 1989‘s Album of the Year nod is a bit of an oddity, as it came out in late 2014, too late to be eligible for the 2015 awards. So almost a year and a half after it came out, the album is being recognized for its impact all over the music world.

In addition to the Album of the Year nomination for 1989, Swift was nominated for Best Pop Vocal Album (1989), Record of the Year, Best Pop Solo Performance and Song of the Year (“Blank Space) as well as Best Pop Duo/Group Performance and Best Music Video (“Bad Blood”). She won Best Pop Vocal Album for 1989 and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for “Bad Blood,” a song which features fellow Album of the Year nominee Kendrick Lamar.