The Country Music Awards Totally Snubbed Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter – And It's Not Gone Down Well
Music fans have been voicing their upset since Beyoncé was completely snubbed at this year’s Country Music Awards.
The nominations for the 2024 CMAs were revealed on Monday afternoon, with the music icon’s latest album Cowboy Carter not landing a single nod, despite its critical and commercial success.
While the Formation singer has dabbled with country music in the past, Cowboy Carter represented her biggest step into the genre to date.
The woman herself dismissed the idea that Cowboy Carter is an outright “country album” (“it’s a Beyoncé album!” she insisted around its release), but there’s no denying it was heavily inspired by country music.
Cowboy Carter ended up making history when Beyoncé became the first Black woman to score a number one album on Billboard’s Country Music Charts.
Similarly, lead single Texas Hold ’Em – one of the album’s most obviously country-inspired tracks – was overlooked by the CMAs, despite topping Billboard’s country chart, as well as reaching number one in the mainstream singles chart on both sides of the Atlantic.
The album also featured guest appearances from some of the most influential country artists alive today including Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton and Linda Martell.
Since this year’s CMAs contenders were revealed, people have been speaking out against the decision not to nominate Beyoncé, particularly as artists like Post Malone – not traditionally associated with country music – managed to secure nods at the upcoming awards show:
Beyoncé received zero nominations at this year's Country Music Awards.
— chart data (@chartdata) September 9, 2024
'COWBOY CARTER' is both the most acclaimed and best selling new country album of 2024. pic.twitter.com/emxZV1JBrz
I am disappointed, to say the least, that @Beyonce didn't receive a @CountryMusic CMA nomination. The album is one of the best of all genres this year and is a work on a level that few contemporary albums reach. This is Nashville's and country music's loss.
— Beverly Keel (@bevkeel) September 9, 2024
that’s why award shows literally mean nothing anymore https://t.co/AdgZWQmRAS
— hanna ★ (@leatinwives) September 9, 2024
Black People saw this coming a mile away… smh
— Dicapito (@dicapito) September 9, 2024
Both Beyoncé & Post Malone ventured into country music this year, and both earned #1 Country Songs (Beyoncé didn’t need a Morgan Wallen feature)
— COWBOY CARTER Updates ???? ⭑ (@B7Album) September 9, 2024
Somehow Post Malones song received 4 nominations at the CMAs while Beyoncé’s received 0. pic.twitter.com/QKMng9MJwX
Natalie Maines of The Chicks describing how Beyonce was made to feel uncomfortable at the 2016 CMAs.
— COWBOY CARTER Updates ???? ⭑ (@B7Album) September 9, 2024
The CMAs have doubled down in excluding Beyoncé by failing to nominate her at this years ceremony despite having a #1 country song and album
pic.twitter.com/3gkTjFtELj
No one in the history of having a #1 album AND song has been completely snubbed at an award show.
— raveen marie ???????? (@xoraveen) September 9, 2024
IN ANY CATEGORY.
The CMAs can kiss the blackest part of my ass.
Beyonce deserved better. pic.twitter.com/XDWtnDGUzw
“To me, such a blatant snub only tells me the CMA nomination committee members couldn’t bear the thought of a Black woman who doesn’t fit their idea of a country star sweeping the biggest categories of the night—so they opted not to recognize her at all.”@harpersbazaarus about… pic.twitter.com/DF4LX28LIg
— Beyoncé Press. (@beyoncepress) September 9, 2024
Texas Hold ‘Em is one of the best selling #1 country songs of the year and Bey gets 0 nominations? Mmkay. https://t.co/YCC8rlYAeh
— chas (@chaspers22) September 9, 2024
Imagine Texas Hold Em and Bar Song just magically not being considered lol. https://t.co/XXyczR8qFm
— Mayor of Chuckalissa (@Scrappmusiq) September 9, 2024
If Post Malone can do genre-crossing and bending albums, and still pick up CMA nominations and wins, then please don't act like this is about it not being country enough
— Talker (@ifetalksback) September 9, 2024
CMAs have hated her for years and I'm sure none of this is a suprise.
and no one should be surprised. when they show you who they are, BELIEVE THEM. https://t.co/eKppnDShbe
— ???? onii ???? (@__Onixivy_) September 9, 2024
Beyoncé didn’t do #COWBOYCARTER for a CMA. Beyoncé did the album because she is an Artist who understands that music is experimental & has no limits. Country Music doesn’t belong to white people nor did it originate from them. The CMAs needed Beyoncé, not the other way around.???? https://t.co/dTzmyQULi3pic.twitter.com/7mLGR8sw7o
— ????????✨Illustrious Hussy???????? (@WandasXanny) September 9, 2024
Beyonce should host a live show on all platforms at the exact same time as the CMAs. Or release the videos for the album the minute the CMAs begin.
— deray (@deray) September 9, 2024
Now if you really wanna piss them off you'll release the Renaissance Film on streaming the day the CMAs air.
— Sisa (@TheTitanBaddie) September 9, 2024
Unless you're afraid of them @Beyoncepic.twitter.com/OQGGGRplVj
Beyoncé still dominating the conversation around the CMAs despite them trying to exclude her pic.twitter.com/xGhvN5hTRG
— COWBOY CARTER Updates ???? ⭑ (@B7Album) September 9, 2024
Meanwhile, US singer Shaboozey – who was featured on the Cowboy Carter cuts Spaghetii and Sweet Honey Buckiin – thanked Beyoncé after he secured two CMAs nominations of his own.
“That goes without saying. Thank you Beyonce for opening a door for us, starting a conversation, and giving us one of the most innovative country albums of all time!” he wrote on X.
That goes without saying. Thank you @Beyonce for opening a door for us, starting a conversation, and giving us one of the most innovative country albums of all time!
— Shaboozey (@ShaboozeysJeans) September 9, 2024
Beyoncé previously performed with country music staples The Chicks at the 2016 CMAs, where they delivered a live version of Daddy Lessons, taken from her groundbreaking album Lemonade.
It was noted at the time that Bey received a hostile reception from some of the audience members, and although she didn’t mention it explicitly, the Grammy winner has claimed that Cowboy Carter was “born out of an experience that I had years ago where I did not feel welcomed… and it was very clear that I wasn’t”.
“Because of that experience, I did a deeper dive into the history of Country music and studied our rich musical archive,” she explained.
“It feels good to see how music can unite so many people around the world, while also amplifying the voices of some of the people who have dedicated so much of their lives educating on our musical history.”