--- title: Maya Rudolph's 2024 TIME100 Gala Toast | TIME description: For the first toast of the night, Rudolph, who’s currently starring in Apple TV’s original series Loot, shouted out Beyoncé’s new album, Cowboy Carter. For Rudolph, the album was outstanding, not just because it came from Beyoncé, who she considers “one of the greatest living performers of our time,” but because the album boldly challenged conventions when it comes to race, genre, and categorization. “People will try to categorize you and tell you who you think you are, which is something that I know very well,” she said. “But when you know who you are, you are free.” canonical: https://time.com/video/BxhD31N2/ og:title: Maya Rudolph's 2024 TIME100 Gala Toast og:description: For the first toast of the night, Rudolph, who’s currently starring in Apple TV’s original series Loot, shouted out Beyoncé’s new album, Cowboy Carter. For Rudolph, the album was outstanding, not just because it came from Beyoncé, who she considers “one of the greatest living performers of our time,” but because the album boldly challenged conventions when it comes to race, genre, and categorization. “People will try to categorize you and tell you who you think you are, which is something that I know very well,” she said. “But when you know who you are, you are free.” og:url: https://time.com/video/BxhD31N2/ og:image: https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/BxhD31N2/poster.jpg?width=720 og:type: video.other twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Maya Rudolph's 2024 TIME100 Gala Toast twitter:description: For the first toast of the night, Rudolph, who’s currently starring in Apple TV’s original series Loot, shouted out Beyoncé’s new album, Cowboy Carter. For Rudolph, the album was outstanding, not just because it came from Beyoncé, who she considers “one of the greatest living performers of our time,” but because the album boldly challenged conventions when it comes to race, genre, and categorization. “People will try to categorize you and tell you who you think you are, which is something that I know very well,” she said. “But when you know who you are, you are free.” twitter:image: https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/BxhD31N2/poster.jpg?width=720 --- * Entertainment # Maya Rudolph's 2024 TIME100 Gala Toast > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME Subscription: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition TIME is a general-interest news organization founded in 1923, reporting on the people, ideas and issues shaping the world. 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They are at time.com/newsletters and are separate from a paid subscription. ## Video: Maya Rudolph's 2024 TIME100 Gala Toast [Watch (HLS stream): Maya Rudolph's 2024 TIME100 Gala Toast](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/BxhD31N2.m3u8) (2:32)  _Published 2024-05-13. For the first toast of the night, Rudolph, who’s currently starring in Apple TV’s original series Loot, shouted out Beyoncé’s new album, Cowboy Carter. For Rudolph, the album was outstanding, not just because it came from Beyoncé, who she considers “one of the greatest living performers of our time,” but because the album boldly challenged conventions when it comes to race, genre, and categorization. “People will try to categorize you and tell you who you think you are, which is something that I know very well,” she said. “But when you know who you are, you are free.”_ --- May 13, 2024 3:20 AM UTC --- ## More From This Series [All Videos](https://time.com/video/) [Beyoncé’s New Country Album](/video/scIYubME/) ### Beyoncé’s New Country Album [Maya Rudolph Speaks at Tulane Commencement 2015](/video/4feIcAHM/) ### Maya Rudolph Speaks at Tulane Commencement 2015 [10 Questions for Maya Rudolph](/video/CBdl7QBk/) ### 10 Questions for Maya Rudolph --- ## Transcript Okay. First toast of the night. Nobody's drunk yet. Well, it's my honor. I want to make a toast to the new cowboy Carter album. It's very easy to celebrate Beyonce, who, in my opinion, is one of the greatest living performers of our time. Absolutely. But the reason I single out this album is because it comes from an artist who is at a place in her career where she doesn't really need to stand up. She doesn't need to speak about what this album is about. She's worked hard 'cause I just went to the Renaissance tour. And I'm still tired. It was incredible. I did the mute challenge, and we were good. But she chose this album to create a conversation about racism in America. A being made to feel like you aren't welcome, even in a place where you thought you already were. And that no matter how hard you work, no matter how gifted and other worldly, your voice is. No matter how many times you have proven to be the best of the best of the best. They keep moving the goalposts. See, I was raised to believe that music does not need a category, because I was raised in the 70s when you didn't even have to be pretty to make music. You could be but ugly and be a rock star. When I listen to this album, I do hear pain, but I hear a deep beauty, a beauty that comes from pain, knowing that you have been true to yourself, and still, people will try to categorize you and tell you who you think you are. Something that I know very well. But when you know who you are, you are free. So a toast. To Beyonce for creating art that makes us think and reflect and forces us to stand and face the wind, yet again, cheers. ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"Maya Rudolph's 2024 TIME100 Gala Toast","description":"For the first toast of the night, Rudolph, who’s currently starring in Apple TV’s original series Loot, shouted out Beyoncé’s new album, Cowboy Carter. 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