The Country Music Association Awards announced its nominees Monday, and there was one name fans thought to be noticeably absent: Beyoncé.
Despite becoming one of the biggest country albums of the year, the superstar's "Cowboy Carter" was excluded from the list, while other artists who ventured into the genre this year, like Post Malone, saw multiple nominations.
Social media took specific umbrage with the album's lead single, "Texas Hold 'Em," not receiving any recognition from the association, which includes everything from music executives and publicists to songwriters and singers. "Texas Hold 'Em" made Beyoncé the first Black woman to top the Billboard country chart when it hit No. 1 — and held the position for 10 weeks. Seven other songs from the album cracked the top 10, while the album itself spent four weeks on the top of the country albums chart.
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Beyoncé said in an Instagram post earlier this year that "Cowboy Carter" 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 this experience inspired her to do a "deeper dive" into country music's history and that the "criticisms" she faced when she first entered the genre forced her "to propel past the limitations" put on her. Over five years later, "Cowboy Carter" was the result.
The experience the star mentioned is likely referencing the 2016 CMA Awards when she surprise performed her song "Daddy Lessons" with The Chicks. Though the room seemed to be enthralled, others targeted Beyoncé with criticism, saying she didn't belong on the country stage and even launching racist attacks.
And now eight years later, the awards show has shut her out, it seems, though she qualified for awards like single, song, album, female vocalist and music event of the year. But her collaborators on the 27-track "Cowboy Carter" were not.
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Post Malone, who sang "LEVII'S JEANS" with Beyoncé on her album, picked up four nominations for his No. 1 duet with Morgan Wallen, "I Had Some Help." And Shaboozey, who was featured on two "Cowboy Carter" songs, snagged two nominations for Best New Artist and Single of the Year for "A Bar Song (Tipsy)." The song has held the No. 1 spot on the country charts for 12 weeks.
The CMAs will air live on ABC on Nov. 20.
