Beyonce Snubbed by Country Music Association Awards Despite Cultural Phenomenon

Beyonce’s Cowboy Carter album, a cultural phenomenon upon its release this year, did not receive a Country Music Association awards nomination. The absence of the album among the nominees was conspicuous, given its widespread critical acclaim and commercial success.

The album’s first single, Texas Hold ‘Em, soared to the top of the charts, including the country list, and the album was widely considered a smash. Beyonce’s Cowboy Carter is a full-throated ode to her southern US roots, a rollicking revue that also deals a vital history lesson on the Black lineage of country music.

Nashville’s gatekeepers have long tried to promote a rigid view of country music that’s overwhelmingly white and male. Cowboy Carter skewered that notion, leading listeners through country’s evolution from African American spirituals and fiddle tunes to its pioneering women.

The awards ceremony will be held on November 20. Morgan Wallen, the controversial country-pop singer, received the most nominations with seven, including for the coveted Entertainer of the Year title. Chris Stapleton and Cody Johnson received five nominations each, while Lainey Wilson and Post Malone notched four nominations each.

Beyonce is no stranger to CMA controversy. She notably received racist comments after performing her song Daddy Lessons at the 2016 CMA awards. This year, she tackled the perceived controversy over her country turn on the track Ameriican Requiem.

They used to say I spoke, ‘Too country’ / Then the rejection came, said I wasn’t, ‘Country enough’ / Said I wouldn’t saddle up, but if that ain’t country, tell me, what is? Beyonce sings on the track, whose musical allusions include Buffalo Springfield’s classic For What It’s Worth.

Cowboy Carter was far more than country: it included technical mastery of a blend of styles, including various country subsets as well as rap, dance, soul, funk, rock, and gospel.