Beyoncé’s ‘Cowboy Carter’ snubbed by country music’s biggest awards show

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Beyoncé’s country album, “Cowboy Carter,” was a moment in music history. She became the first Black woman with a No. 1 song on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart for the single “Texas Hold ’Em.” At the time of its release in March, it was the most streamed album in a single day on Spotify in 2024. No other country album this year has surpassed this.

But Beyoncé won’t take home any awards from the Country Music Association this year. She wasn’t even nominated.

The nominees for the annual Country Music Association Awards (CMAs) were announced Monday, and Beyoncé’s name was noticeably absent. The decision sparked new conversations about racial discrimination and double standards in the country music industry.

Beyoncé’s journey to “Cowboy Carter” began when she performed her song “Daddy Lessons” alongside The Chicks — who have also caused a fair amount of controversy within the genre — at the 2016 CMAs. The backlash sparked debate about what should and should not be considered country music.

“The criticisms I faced when I first entered this genre forced me to propel past the limitations that were put on me,” Beyoncé posted on Instagram ahead of the album’s release, seemingly referencing the performance.

Beyoncé’s experience helped to shine more light on a decades-long problem that has its roots in the start of commercial country music in the 1920s. Though country music grew from the sounds of Black and rural musicians, Black artists have been systematically excluded from commercial recognition.

One data analysis by Ottawa University professor Jada Watson found that in 2022, women artists received just 11 percent of all airplay on the 156 country stations that report their data. In 2020, Watson found that artists of color received 4.8 percent of the annual airplay.

Last year, Tracy Chapman became the first Black songwriter to ever win the CMAs’ Song of the Year after Luke Combs’ recording of her song “Fast Car” went viral.

This year’s list of CMA nominees includes other genre-bending artists. Post Malone and Jelly Roll are White men who first got their start in hip hop, and each received multiple nominations.