Beyoncé Knowles-Carter’s album “Cowboy Carter,” received no nominations for the 58th annual Country Music Association (CMA) Awards this year.
“Cowboy Carter,” her eighth studio album, was released on March 29. The album, which features artists Dolly Parton, Miley Cyrus, Shaboozey and others, includes a variety of genres, like country, rock, gospel, hip-hop and opera. Upon release, Knowles-Carter became the first Black woman to have the No.1 spot on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart.
The artist said the country album was created in response to the controversy she received for her performance of her song “Daddy Lessons” with The Chicks at the 2016 CMAs.
“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. But, because of that experience, I did a deeper dive into the history of Country music and studied our rich musical archive,” Beyonce said in an Instagram post on March 19.
Following her performance, numerous country music fans and artists displayed their disapproval, emphasizing that she is only a “pop” artist and should disassociate herself from country music.
Country singer-songwriter Travis Tritt shared his opinions in a tweet thread. “As I see it, country music has appealed to millions for many years. We can stand on our own and don’t need pop artists on our awards shows,” Tritt tweeted.
Some of this year’s nominees include Chris Stapleton, Cody Johnson, Post Malone, Kacey Musgraves and Shaboozey, along with Morgan Wallen receiving the most nominations.
The lack of nominations by the CMAs brought about collective disappointment amongst other music artists. Artists like Kelly Clarkson said the situation is “fascinating.”
During an interview, Clarkson said, “I kind of find it fascinating, because I feel like those songs were everywhere.”
Shaboozey, who featured on Beyoncé’s album, was nominated for New Artist of the Year. His song, “A Bar Song (Tipsy),” is the longest running No. 1 single on the Billboard 100 charts of 2024. He also made history as the first Black male artist to chart at No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 and Hot Country Songs charts at the same time.
In response to the news, he tweeted, “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!”
According to The Historic New Orleans Collection, the origin of the American country scene began with musical talent from enslaved Africans and their role in society. While the Black population was creating various songs, spiritual hymns and playing the banjo, white citizens created minstrel shows to mock their creativity.
However, the banjo eventually became desirable to white citizens. This led to the creation of “hillbilly” music, a style of country music released by white performers. Due to marketability, “hillbilly” music became a country genre that mainly catered to white audiences, despite its Black roots.
Some of Beyoncé’s fans, like Thalia Elliott, a junior political science and Spanish double major, shared their reactions to the recent announcement. She said she felt disappointed, despite anticipating Beyoncé wouldn’t be nominated.
“While we are in an era where many sectors of entertainment have openly tried to claim that they are righting the wrongs of their pasts, we have seen time and time again that biases still creep into modern award shows,” Elliot said.
Vivienne Smith, a sophomore film and television production major and jazz voice minor also said she wasn’t surprised that the CMAs didn’t nominate “Cowboy Carter.”
“It’s sad, but a big part of the album’s message was that Beyoncé was rejected from being considered ‘country’ simply because she’s Black. Her song ‘American Requiem’ points out the hypocrisy of country music ‘enthusiasts,’” she said.
This decision left fans and other music enjoyers questioning if the lack of recognition of “Cowboy Carter” would impact the future of Black Country artists. It also highlights racial discrimination and prejudice within entertainment, especially in country music.
“There are many examples of times where Black artists were discredited because they didn’t fit the stereotype,” Noëlla Tuzolana, a sophomore criminology major said. “For example, Lil Nas X’s song “Old Town Road” was considered a rap song, until Billy Ray Cryus decided to hop on the song, then it was considered a country song. Beyoncé was simply discredited because of her skin color.”
Other country music lovers, like Caleb Cummings, the administrative coordinator at the Warner Music/Blavatnik Center for Music Business, agreed.
“If there is any prejudice present within, it will continue to thrive, until we get them under a microscope,” Cummings said.
Despite the lack of nominations, some fans believe Beyoncé’s music still remains impactful and influential. Elliott, who previously expressed disappointment, highlighted the album’s cultural significance.
“I still believe that it will have a long-term cultural impact on not just country music, but Black culture in general,” she said. “Beyoncé shone a light on a multitude of smaller country artists on her album and has given them a platform that can launch careers, like Shaboozey and Tanner Adell.”
Elliott also shared a perspective that reflects a broader sentiment shared by those who view Beyoncé’s influence as extending far beyond award recognition.
“She doesn’t need the CMAs to validate her work, because snubbing further proves her point about racism in the country industry and raises meaningful conversations that will hopefully help in aiding other Black country singers in the future,” she said.
Copy edited by Anijah Franklin
