Adele Praises Beyoncé in Acceptance Speech for Album of the Year: ‘My Artist of My Life Is Beyoncé’

Adele won Album of the Year for 25 at the 2017 Grammys, beating out Beyoncé’s Lemonade in the process. As it turns out, Adele felt Beyoncé deserved it too.

During her acceptance speech, Adele praised Beyoncé and said, “I can’t possibly accept this award.” You can read her acceptance speech below:

“You struggle being a mom; it’s really hard. Tonight, winning this kind of feels full circle, and like a bit of me has come back to myself. But I can’t possibly accept this award. And I’m very humbled, and I’m very grateful, and gracious. But, my artist of my life is Beyoncé, and this album for me, the Lemonade album, was just so monumental. And so well-thought-out, and so beautiful and soul-baring. And we all got to see another side to you that you don’t always let us see, and we appreciate that. All us artists here adore you. You are our light. And the way that you make me and my friends feel; the way you make my black friends feel is empowering. And you make them stand up for themselves. And I love you. I always have, and I always will.

Following her speech, Adele broke the Grammy in half to share with Beyoncé:

ADELE BROKE HER ALBUM OF THE YEAR GRAMMY IN HALF TO GIVE PART OF IT TO BEYONCÉ. I LOVE HER SO MUCH #GRAMMYs pic.twitter.com/tf6Yn630BQ

— SHOOK (@adkinsupdates) February 13, 2017

Backstage, Adele reportedly also added:

Adele backstage: “My album of the year was ‘Lemonade,’ so a piece of me did die inside, as a Beyoncé fan.”

— Ben Sisario (@sisario) February 13, 2017

Many shouted out Adele for her acknowledgement: 

Adele gives it up to Beyoncé. Women are so wonderful.

— Bette Midler (@BetteMidler) February 13, 2017

I appreciate Adele, her work & her acknowledgement of how truly once-in-a-lifetime Beyonce’s LEMONADE is, especially to black women. ??✊??

— Janet Mock (@janetmock) February 13, 2017

Even Adele knows Beyonce should have won ???

— Michelle Collins (@michcoll) February 13, 2017

Adele is the GOAT for giving up AOTY. You can’t stop a movement. Lemonade is a movement.

— Akilah Hughes (@AkilahObviously) February 13, 2017