When the nominations for the 2024 CMA Awards were revealed on Monday, one prominent artist who dominated the country charts this year was conspicuously absent: Beyoncé.
Fans were quick to note that Beyoncé, whose album “Cowboy Carter” captivated audiences and critics this year, received no nominations.
At the same time, Morgan Wallen is the most nominated artist at the 58th CMA Awards, with seven nominations in total, including Entertainer of the Year, the night’s top award, and four nominations for his feature and collaboration with Post Malone on their song “I Had Some Help”. Malone also received four nominations for his country album debut.
Beyoncé’s album, released on March 29, topped Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart for four weeks, making her the first black woman to reach this milestone.
As for single tracks, “Texas Hold “Em” dominated Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart for 10 weeks. Her collaboration with Miley Cyrus, “II Most Wanted”, reached No. 2, while her cover of Dolly Parton’s “Jolene” reached No. 3.
Prior to the release of her eighth solo studio album, Beyoncé wrote a post on her Instagram account that “Cowboy Carter” was made in response to her feelings of being excluded from the country music scene.
“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 said at the time. “But, because of that experience, I did a deeper dive into the history of Country music and studied our rich musical archive. 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.”
Beyoncé ended her post, stating, “This ain’t a Country album. This is a ‘Beyoncé’ album.”
