Freddie Baez/startraksphoto.comIt's no secret Beyoncé has talent to spare, but this is almost obscene.
The pop superstar and new mama is going to need to clear room on her shelf among those 16 (count 'em) Grammys she already calls her own, as B is the newly named recipient of a prestigious magazine prize handed out by the New York Association of Black Journalists.
Say what?
It's unclear as of yet whether the 30-year-old will be on hand to pick up the award when it's handed out at the May 15 banquet gala in New York, but the honoree has every right to be, taking home the first-place honor in the NABJ's arts and entertainment magazine category.
So what magnum opus penned by Jay-Z's better half nabbed her the prize?
Well, last summer, in the run-up to the release of 4, one stop on Beyoncé's promotional rounds included a first-person article she penned for Essence. The story, titled "Eat, Play, Love," appeared in the July 2011 issue and featured the singer discussing how taking a break from her music career reinvigorated and reprioritized her life.
Unsurprisingly, the organization choosing Beyoncé as one of the year's top journalists (40 will be honored at the event) did not go uncriticized, with some arguing that the selection devalued the prize.
However, the president of the New York chapter of the group, Michael Feeney, defended the decision, saying Beyoncé had "won fair and square."
"I believe it was selected on content and the writing and not on her celebrity."
As it happens, the piece is still available in full to read on the magazine's website, so critics and fans still have a chance to judge for themselves. Congrats, B!