2024 CMA Awards: Beyoncé's acclaimed 'Cowboy Carter' snubbed with zero nominations

Beyoncé's chart-topping country album was a hit with critics and fans.

September 9, 2024, 3:05 PM

When the 2024 CMA Awards nominations were announced Monday, one artist who took over the country charts this year was notably missing: Beyoncé.

Fans immediately noticed that Beyoncé, whose album "Cowboy Carter" won over fans and critics this year, was snubbed entirely from the list of nominations.

Morgan Wallen is the top-nominated artist for the 58th annual CMA Awards, earning seven in total, including nods for entertainer of the year, the biggest award of the night, and four nods for his collaboration with crossover artist Post Malone on their song "I Had Some Help." Malone also snagged four nominations for his debut country album.

Beyonce accepts the Innovator Award during the iHeartRadio Music Awards, April 1, 2024, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.
Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP

Beyoncé's album, released March 29, spent four weeks at No. 1 on Billboard's Top Country Albums chart, and helped her become the first Black woman to top that chart.

In terms of songs, "Texas Hold 'Em" spent 10 weeks at No. 1 on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart. Additionally, her collaboration with Miley Cyrus, "II Most Wanted," topped out at No. 2 and her rendition of Dolly Parton's "Jolene" reached No. 3.

Artist Shaboozey, who received two nominations at this year's CMA Awards and collaborated with Beyoncé on two tracks on "Cowboy Carter," appeared to react to the snub in an Instagram story.

"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 posted.

Ahead of her eighth solo studio album, Beyoncé posted on social media explaining that "Cowboy Carter" was a reaction to her feeling excluded in country music.

This cover image released by Parkwood/Columbia/Sony shows "Cowboy Carter" by Beyoncé.
AP

"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, writing, "This ain't a Country album. This is a 'Beyoncé' album."

According to the CMA Awards website, singles, albums, music videos and qualified music products for this year's awards were eligible if they were "first released or reached peak national prominence during the eligibility period, which for the 2024 show is July 1, 2023 through June 30, 2024." This makes Beyoncé and all of "Cowboy Carter" eligible.

"Good Morning America" has reached out to a representative for Beyoncé for comment. CMA declined to comment.

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