Beyoncé's Success and Achievements in Timeline

A success timeline featuring the most significant achievements of Beyoncé.

Beyoncé Knowles-Carter is a highly influential American singer, songwriter, actress, and businesswoman. Celebrated for her vocal prowess, creative reinventions, and captivating live shows, she's a prominent cultural icon of the 21st century. Beyoncé is credited with influencing popular music and is considered one of history's greatest entertainers.

Sections (5)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Legacy & Impact

2007: Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue and Best-Dressed Celebrity

In 2007, Beyoncé became the second African-American woman to appear on the cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue magazine, and People recognized her as the best-dressed celebrity.

June 26, 2011: Glastonbury Festival Headliner

On June 26, 2011, Beyoncé became the first solo female artist in over two decades to headline the main Pyramid Stage at the Glastonbury Festival. The performance received praise from critics.

August 2011: Exclusive Shows at Roseland Ballroom

In August 2011, Beyoncé headlined four exclusive shows at New York's Roseland Ballroom titled 4 Intimate Nights with Beyoncé, performing songs from 4. That month, the album was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America after shipping one million copies to retail stores.

2011: Billboard Millennium Award

At the 2011 Billboard Music Awards, Beyoncé was honored with the Billboard Millennium Award.

January 2012: Horse-fly Species Named After Beyoncé

In January 2012, Australian research scientist Bryan Lessard named a species of horse-fly, Scaptia beyonceae, after her.

2012: Named 'World's Most Beautiful Woman' and 'Hottest Female Singer of All Time'

In 2012, Beyoncé was named the 'World's Most Beautiful Woman' by People and the 'Hottest Female Singer of All Time' by Complex.

January 2013: Featured on GQ's '100 Sexiest Women of the 21st Century' list

In January 2013, GQ featured Beyoncé on its cover, placing her atop its '100 Sexiest Women of the 21st Century' list.

December 13, 2013: Surprise Release of 'Beyoncé' Album

On December 13, 2013, Beyoncé unexpectedly released her fifth studio album, Beyoncé, on the iTunes Store without prior announcement or promotion. The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart, selling 617,000 copies in its first week.

2013: Exploring Darker Themes in "Beyoncé"

In 2013, Beyoncé explored darker, more personal themes in her album "Beyoncé", including bulimia, postnatal depression, and the emotional complexities of marriage and motherhood. The album sold 2.3 million units worldwide by the end of 2013, making it the one of the best-selling albums of the year.

August 24, 2014: Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award at MTV Video Music Awards

On August 24, 2014, Beyoncé received the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award at the MTV Video Music Awards. She also won Best Video with a Social Message and Best Cinematography for "Pretty Hurts", and Best Collaboration for "Drunk in Love".

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October 2016: Formation World Tour

Beyoncé's Formation World Tour, which ran from April to October 2016, concluded. It was the first all-stadium tour by a female artist and received Tour of the Year at the 44th American Music Awards.

2016: Eleven Nominations at the MTV Video Music Awards

In 2016, the album's visuals earned eleven nominations at the MTV Video Music Awards—the most Beyoncé had ever received in a single year—and won eight awards, including Video of the Year for "Formation". Beyoncé became the show's most-awarded artist with 24 total awards, surpassing Madonna's previous record of 20 wins.

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February 2018: 4 Surpasses One Billion Streams on Spotify

In February 2018, 4 made Beyoncé the first female artist to have three of her albums surpass one billion streams on Spotify.

2018: Headlining Coachella

Beyoncé headlined both weekends of the 2018 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. Her performance on April 14 was the most-tweeted-about performance of the first weekend and became the most-watched live performance on YouTube.

April 17, 2019: Release of Homecoming on Netflix

On April 17, 2019, Homecoming: A Film by Beyoncé, a documentary and concert film chronicling the 2018 Coachella performances, was released on Netflix, alongside Homecoming: The Live Album. The film earned six nominations at the 71st Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards in 2019.

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April 2020: Release of 'Savage' Remix

In April 2020, Megan Thee Stallion and Beyoncé released a remix of the former's song "Savage", which topped the Billboard Hot 100, becoming Beyoncé's seventh number-one as a soloist.

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2021: Grammy Awards and Academy Award Nomination

In 2021, Beyoncé led with nine nominations and won four awards at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards, making her the most-awarded singer and woman in Grammy history. That same year, she earned her first Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song for "Be Alive" from the film King Richard.

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July 29, 2022: Release of 'Renaissance'

On July 29, 2022, Beyoncé released her album 'Renaissance' to critical acclaim. The album celebrates Black dance music and debuted at number one on the Billboard 200.

November 2023: Release of 'Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé'

In November 2023, Beyoncé released 'Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé', a documentary concert film chronicling her Renaissance World Tour.

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2023: Ranked Eighth in Rolling Stone's '200 Greatest Singers of All Time'

In 2023, Rolling Stone ranked Beyoncé eighth in their list of the '200 Greatest Singers of All Time'.

February 11, 2024: Release of 'Texas Hold 'Em' and '16 Carriages'

On February 11, 2024, Beyoncé announced the second installment of her trilogy project and released the singles "Texas Hold 'Em" and "16 Carriages".

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2024: Most RIAA-Certified Female Artist in History

In 2024, Beyoncé became the most RIAA-certified female artist in history.

2024: Greatest Pop Star of the 21st Century

In 2024, Billboard named Beyoncé the greatest pop star of the 21st century.

2025: Grammy Wins and Cowboy Carter Tour

In 2025, Beyoncé became the first Black artist in 50 years to win in the country categories at the Grammy Awards, and embarked on the Cowboy Carter Tour.