Nominations for this year’s Country Music Awards have officially dropped and one notable name seems to be missing from the lineup: Beyoncé.
The Texas native embraced her southern routes earlier this year with the release of “Cowboy Carter,” her first country album, which has received rave reviews from fans and critics alike.
However, the CMAs did not count Beyoncé among the artists nominated for accolades at this year’s award ceremony taking place Nov. 20.
Rather, Luke Combs, Jelly Roll, Chris Stapleton, Morgan Wallen and Lainey Wilson have all been nominated for entertainer of the year. A number of other big names were nominated for awards, including Kacey Musgraves, Kelsea Ballerini, Lady A, Little Big Town, Old Dominion, Zac Brown Band, Dan + Shay and Shaboozey, among others.
Fans reacted swiftly to Beyoncé’s blatant shutout.
“As much as the CMAs try to, the ground breaking success and impact of Cowboy Carter will never be erased,” one user wrote on X. “Beyoncé broke records, honored country legends, and paved the way for new black country artists all while releasing a flawless country album.”
The user added, “#They can never take that away.”
“Beyoncé INSTEAD soundtracked USA Gymnastics at the Olympics. She ushered in a new gen of Black country artists into the mainstream, including Shaboozey who has been atop the B100 for 8 wks & counting,” another user wrote. “Only after having a #1 country hit herself. The CMAs are low hanging fruit.”
Beyoncé’s hit, “Texas Hold ‘Em,” was sitting at No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart for two straight weeks, remaining on the list for 20 weeks.
Several other songs off “Cowboy Carter” also landed on the chart, including “16 Carriages,” “Jolene,” “Levii’s Jeans,” “Blackbird,” “Ya Ya” and “Tyrant,” among others.
She was also the first Black woman with the number one single on the Hot Country Songs chart, which she acknowledged in an Instagram post, saying she felt “honored.”
One fan pointed to the album’s history on the charts and wrote, “No one in the history of having a #1 album AND song has been completely snubbed at an award show. IN ANY CATEGORY.”
“Beyoncé deserved better,” the user added.
“Beyoncé still dominating the conversation around the CMAs despite them trying to exclude her,” another wrote, adding a video of TV host Wendy Williams punching the screen.
Shaboozey, whose hit “Bar Song (Tipsy)” took over the charts earlier this summer, paid his own tribute to Beyoncé. He collaborated with her on “Cowboy Carter,” appearing on the track “Spaghettii.”
“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 wrote on X.
Beyoncé has not commented on the shutout. TODAY.com has reached out for comment and has not heard back at the time of publication.
It’s worth noting the CMAs are thought to be a part of the “Cowboy Carter’s” foundational mythology – which is why some fans are “not surprised” by the snub. “The entire Cowboy Carter is a diss-track to the CMAs,” one wrote.
When announcing the album, Beyoncé cited an experience “did not feel welcomed” as the inspiration for “Cowboy Carter.”
“This album has been over five years in the making. It 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,” she wrote in a March 19 Instagram post.
“The criticisms I faced when I first entered this genre forced me to propel past the limitations that were put on me,” she added. “Act ii is a result of challenging myself, and taking my time to bend and blend genres together to create this body of work.”
Fans thought she might have been referring to her 2016 performance of her song “Daddy Lessons” with the Chicks.
Her first, and only, time performing at the CMAs was met with backlash and booing.
Tanner Davenport, co-director of country outlet Black Opry, recalled hearing jeers in an essay for MSNBC.com that came out in 2024 timed to “Cowboy Carter.”
Controversy grew when the CMAs did not post the performance on their platforms and deleted the promotional post it had shared, The New York Times reported. Elle’s 2016 screenshots showed that The Chicks and Beyoncé had been removed from the CMAs website.
The CMAs said in a comment to The New York Times in 2016 that a promotional clip was deleted before the performance at Beyoncé’s request.
Before “Cowboy Carter” dropped, Beyoncé wrote on social media, “This ain’t a Country album. This is a ‘Beyoncé’ album.”
