The Country Music Awards (CMAs) nominations were announced on Monday and one superstar was noticeably absent from the list: Beyoncé.
The singer released her first full-length country project “Cowboy Carter” in March.
Fans were disappointed by Monday’s snub and criticized the CMAs for excluding Beyoncé, who had previously expressed that she felt unwelcome in the country genre.
A representative for Beyoncé did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Beyoncé shared on Instagram earlier this year that the album was “born out of an experience that I had years ago where I did not feel welcomed.” Beyoncé said her experience motivated her to do a “deeper dive” into country music.
“The criticisms I faced when I first entered this genre forced me to propel past the limitations that were put on me,” she wrote in her Instagram post.
Many fans speculated that she was referencing her performance at the 2016 CMAs, during which she played her song “Daddy Lessons” with the country group The Chicks, that received backlash at the time.
Some fans were surprised that “Texas Hold ‘Em,” the lead single off of “Cowboy Carter,” was not given a nod. Beyoncé made history with “Texas Hold ‘Em,” which became the first song by a Black female artist to top Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart after it was released in February.
“Cowboy Carter” has been considered a tribute to Black musicians’ contributions to country music. Many viewed the album as a reclamation of country, which has often been perceived as a genre for white men. Black artists hoped that the album would bring more attention and recognition to Black country music.
Beyoncé collaborated with Black country music artists such as pioneer Linda Martell and rising stars Brittney Spencer, Reyna Roberts, Tiera Kennedy, Tanner Adell and Shaboozey.
Shaboozey, who was featured on two tracks on “Cowboy Carter,” received two nominations in this year’s CMAs. His song “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” was nominated for single of the year and he was nominated for new artist of the year.
Shaboozey took to X on Monday to celebrate his nominations and praise Beyoncé.
“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 posted.
Meanwhile, Morgan Wallen led the nominations on Monday, receiving eight nods. His collaboration with Post Malone, “I Had Some Help,” was recently crowned Billboard’s song of the summer based on chart performance.
Post Malone, who also released his first country album this year and collaborated with Beyoncé on “Cowboy Carter,” received four nominations for “I Had Some Help.”
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