Beyonce and her groundbreaking “Cowboy Carter” album earned a leading 11 nominations for the Grammy Awards, the music industry’s showcase gala, where she will face off against Taylor Swift and a new class of pop hitmakers.

The nominations announced Friday by the Recording Academy make Beyonce the Grammys’ most nominated artiste -- and reignite the conversation about genre and race sparked by her innovative album vaunting Black cowboy culture.

But the megastar -- who despite her accolade-rich career still has never won the Grammy's most prestigious top album and record trophies -- faces stiff competition from perennial contenders Swift and Billie Eilish, who scored six and seven chances at Grammy gold, respectively.

And a buzzy, of-the-moment group of young artists including club hitmaker Charli XCX (seven nods) along with pop sensations Sabrina Carpenter (six) and Chappell Roan (six) are all also in contention for major prizes.

Kendrick Lamar -- whose dig-heavy rap battle with Drake earned him Grammy favour this year -- and the shapeshifter Post Malone each scooped seven nominations, including in the top categories.

Music released between 16 September 2023 and 30 August 2024 was eligible for nomination.

The Recording Academy will hand out trophies in all 94 categories on 2 February in Los Angeles.

The nominee list sets up a showdown between Beyonce and Swift, global superstars and Grammy regulars.

 The 34-year-old juggernaut Swift, on the other hand, last year swept past Frank Sinatra, Stevie Wonder and Paul Simon to win more best album prizes than anyone with four, and she could extend that lead this time around.

 It’s all the more prescient considering Beyonce’s nominations this season stem from “Cowboy Carter,” a rowdy, wide-ranging homage to her southern heritage that took to task the country industry, which has long promoted a rigid view of the genre that’s overwhelmingly white and male.

Top nominee Post Malone was buoyed to the top thanks to his collaborations with both Beyonce and Swift. The one-time warbling rapper features in major categories as well as pop and country fields.

The closely watched Best New Artist field features Carpenter and Roan, who both soared into the mainstream this year and are favorites for that coveted prize.

Also in contention for Best New Artist is Shaboozey, whose song “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” has topped the US hot songs chart for weeks and is up for the top award honoring songwriting.

Shaboozey, 29, is also nominated for a melodic rap award thanks to his collaboration with Beyonce.

Megan Thee Stallion, Dua Lipa, Tinashe and South African phenom Tyla were all left out of the 2025 running.

And once again, top Latin artists including Shakira, Peso Pluma, Bad Bunny and Young Miko were notably relegated to genre-specific categories and overlooked for the top fields.