Beyoncé’s record-breaking album Act II: Cowboy Carter has been brutally snubbed at the 2024 Country Music Association Awards (CMAs).
Cowboy Carter gave Beyoncé her biggest streaming week yet and topped the Country Album charts — with the singer being the first Black woman to achieve this feat. Here in Australia, “Texas Hold ‘Em” peaked at number two — her highest charting single since “Telephone” with Lady Gaga in 2010.
Her album Cowboy Carter has also been credited with making the genre more accessible and highlighting the Black cultural roots of country music. She also fast-tracked the careers of some new Black country artists like Brittney Spencer, Shaboozey, and Tanner Adell.
So you think she’d be celebrated by the Country Music Association, right? Instead, they’ve refused to nominate Beyoncé in any eligible categories.
There’s no denying her cultural impact, so the snub *could* be because Beyoncé doesn’t fit their idea of an All-American Country artist. Or perhaps the CMAs were so terrified a Black woman could finally win big, that they chose to sweep her album under the rug altogether.
It’s possible that her snub won’t be that surprising to Bey herself, as she previously talked about how not everybody was ready for her latest project.
“When you are breaking down barriers, not everyone is ready and open for a shift. But when I see Shaboozey tearing the charts up and all the beautiful female country singers flying to new heights, inspiring the world, that is exactly what motivates me,” she told The Hollywood Reporter in June this year.
Beyoncé’s father Mathew Knowles hits out at the CMAs
The CMAs have previously been accused of treating the singer unfairly back in 2016, after she performed “Daddy Lessons” with the Dixie Chicks. The performance wasn’t shared on CMA’s social platforms and a promotional post was deleted, as per the New York Times.
Beyoncé’s father Mathew Knowles has since referenced the 2016 CMA performance and told TMZ he’s “not surprised” she received zero CMA noms.
He claims she didn’t have a “good experience” during that performance, and the CMAs never “apologised” to her.
“[Voters are] showing it still comes down to white and black. There’s more white people in America and unfortunately they don’t vote based on ability and achievements, it’s still sometimes a white and black thing,” he said.
Knowles clarified and said he wasn’t calling the CMA voters “racist”, but believes her snub “speaks for itself”.
“In America, there’s no accountability for people not being accepting of other cultures,” he added.
Beyoncé’s fans demand justice for Cowboy Carter
Shaboozey, who was featured on Cowboy Carter, has been nominated for CMAs’ Single of the Year with his song “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” as well as New Artist of the Year. When he celebrated his nominations on X (formerly known as Twitter), he referenced Beyoncé’s snub.
“That goes without saying. Thank you Beyoncé for opening a door for us, starting a conversation, and giving us one of the most innovative country albums of all time,” Shaboozey wrote.
A bunch of fans also joined in on the convo on X, with many believing she’s too good for the CMAs anyway.
At this stage, Beyoncé has yet to comment herself. One fan mentioned she should be a petty queen and release the Renaissance film on streaming the same day the CMAs air, which I’m here for!
Lead image: Columbia & Getty
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