Every time someone presented one of the show’s major prizes — album of the year, record of the year, song of the year, best new artist — he or she rattled off the line before revealing the winner. It was a small but telling detail that demonstrated how the academy wants to be perceived after years of being portrayed as a shadowy record-industry cabal.

With the greatest living entertainer earning a win that's been due to her since 2013's Beyoncé, you'd think her breaking this curse would feel better. Instead, the brevity of the moment she accepted it crystalized how complicated and bittersweet it was.

"Cowboy Carter" won earlier in the night for best country album. Beyoncé also won a Grammy for best country duo performance with Miley Cyrus.