In a groundbreaking win for queer artists in the genre, Durand Bernarr took home the Grammy for Best Progressive R&B Album in the Premiere Ceremony at the Peacock Theater. With his meteoric hit 2026 album Bloom, his first Grammy a is a triumph, especially for the butch queens to whom he dedicated the honor.
“To all the independent artists out there, and to every butch queen who was ever made to feel like they were too much, I am the proof that you needed and the sign you’ve been waiting for,” he said during his tear-jerking acceptance speech. “Be yourself!”
The 37-year-old singer-songwriter grew up with music as a central force to his life, raised by a professional music teacher and a sound engineer who has worked with artistic legends such as Beyoncé, Jay-Z, and Whitney Houston. He used his upbringing to launch a lauded career, earning praise from the likes of musical powerhouses like Eryka Badu and Earth, Wind, & Fire. Bernarr performed on NPR’s Tiny Desk, where he put on a high-energy, vibrant performance that has since gone megaviral.
“Looking back at [Tiny Desk], it was so much bigger than me,” he told Out in 2024. “Because, when I look at it, I’m seeing not just myself, but I’m seeing other Black queer men who look and act like me and showing them that we can take up space. We can be sharp [and] we can be rehearsed if given that opportunity.”
Bernarr used his acceptance speech as an opportunity to uplift Black queer people, thanking his parents by pulling them on stage, and calling attention to what community care can actually look like.
“Happy Black History Month for the rest of my life,” he said at the beginning of his speech. “Listen, I want to remind everyone that we are all we got, and we know who I’m referring to so please give yourself some grace and extend your kindness to your neighbor who needs it, ok?”
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