With 11 nominations under her belt, Beyoncé was bound to win a Grammy or two for Cowboy Carter at tonight’s ceremony. Sure enough, the singer was awarded Best Country Album and devoted her acceptance speech to the artists who accepted her in the genre.

“I just wanna encourage people to do what they’re passionate about and to stay persistent,” Beyoncé said.

Read her full speech below:

“I’d like to thank all of the incredible country artists that accepted this album. We worked so hard on it. I think sometimes genre is a code word to keep us in our place as artists, and I just wanna encourage people to do what they’re passionate about and to stay persistent. Wow, I’d like to thank my beautiful family, all of the artists that were collaborators. Thank you. This wouldn’t have been this album without you. I’d like to thank God again and my fans, and I still am in shock, so thank you so much for this honor.”

At this year’s Grammys, Beyoncé has nominations for Record of the Year (“Texas Hold ’Em”), Album of the Year (Cowboy Carter), Song of the Year (“Texas Hold ’Em”), Best Pop Solo Performance (“Bodyguard”), Best Pop Duo/Group Performance (“Levii’s Jeans” featuring Post Malone), Best Melodic Rap Performance (“Spaghettii” featuring Linda Martell and Shaboozey), Best Country Solo Performance (“16 Carriages”), Best Country Song (“Texas Hold ’Em”), and Best Americana Performance (“Ya Ya”). Ahead of the ceremony, she already took home the award for Best Country Duo/Group Performance (“II Most Wanted” with Miley Cyrus).

In September, Beyoncé spoke to GQ about how she deals with the expectations people have for her projects. “I create at my own pace, on things that I hope will touch other people,” she said. “I hope my work encourages people to look within themselves and come to terms with their own creativity, strength, and resilience. I focus on storytelling, growth, and quality. I’m not focused on perfectionism. I focus on evolution, innovation, and shifting perception. Working on the music for Cowboy Carter and launching this exciting new project feel nothing like prison, nor a burden. In fact, I only work on what liberates me. It is fame that can at times feel like prison. So, when you don’t see me on red carpets, and when I disappear until I have art to share, that’s why.”