In 2017, Adele made headlines when she seemingly broke her Grammy on stage, dedicating the moment to Beyoncé. The incident occurred during the Grammy Awards when Adele won Album of the Year for her record 25. In her acceptance speech, she praised Beyoncé and her album Lemonade, calling it “monumental” and stating that Beyoncé was the artist of her life. The moment was highly emotional, with Adele saying, “All us artists adore you. You are our light.” Beyoncé, visibly moved, teared up as Adele expressed her admiration.
What followed became the talk of the night: Adele broke her Grammy trophy into two pieces. Many believed this was a symbolic gesture in solidarity with Beyoncé, reminiscent of the scene in Mean Girls where Lindsay Lohan’s character breaks her crown and shares it with others. However, the reality behind the broken trophy has been subject to various interpretations.
— media (@media4content) July 11, 2024
According to The Independent, the act was seen as Adele’s tribute to Beyoncé, showing her belief that Lemonade should have won Album of the Year. However, HuffPost reported that the trophy breaking was purely accidental, happening in the heat of the moment as Adele celebrated. Adele herself later admitted backstage that she felt it was Beyoncé’s time to win, explaining, “I felt like it was her time to win.”
Footage from behind the scenes shows Adele exchanging her broken trophy for a new one, reinforcing the idea that the incident might have been unintentional. Despite the viral moment, Adele did not physically share her award with Beyoncé. When the two posed for pictures later that night, Adele held all five of her trophies, while Beyoncé displayed her two wins.
Reflecting on the night, Adele openly expressed her frustration at Beyoncé not taking home Album of the Year, telling Vanity Fair, “What the f–k does she have to do to win album of the year?” It was clear that Adele had deep admiration for Beyoncé, and the two stars demonstrated mutual respect and gratitude throughout the night.
Adele broke her Grammy Award in a half and gave it to Beyonce. This is the reason why i love her so much pic.twitter.com/TtDnxE3Wwn
— Indah Kefli (@Uyushh) February 13, 2017
Interestingly, the Grammy trophies presented on stage are replicas, as Billboard notes. The real awards are delivered two months after the event, ensuring that no permanent damage occurs during the live ceremony. So while Adele’s broken trophy made for a dramatic moment, it didn’t affect the real prize.
