Beyoncé snubbed: "Cowboy Carter" shut out of CMA Awards nominations
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Beyoncé in April. Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images for iHeartRadio
The nominations for this year's CMA Awards, which were released by the Country Music Association Monday, are a familiar run-down of the genre's biggest bold-faced names, including Morgan Wallen, Chris Stapleton and Lainey Wilson.
- What's most noteworthy might be a name that's missing.
Why it matters: Beyoncé, who earlier this year became the first Black woman ever to top the country singles and album charts, was snubbed.
- Her exclusion has already reignited the long-standing debate over diversity and racism in country music.
The big picture: The music icon's latest album "Cowboy Carter" carved her own path through country music, mixing in elements of R&B, rap and hip-hop alongside Willie Nelson and Dolly Parton cameos.
- In a rare statement explaining the album, Beyoncé framed the project as an effort to break down barriers between genres for all artists.
- Many country artists have publicly welcomed Beyoncé, but she has faced resistance.
State of play: While much of the album defies genre, there are several moments of pure country, including a take on Parton's classic "Jolene" and the single "Texas Hold 'Em," which seems destined to become a honky tonk staple.
- "Texas Hold 'Em" initially faced some friction at county radio after its release earlier this year before being more broadly embraced.
Zoom in: Beyoncé's duet with Post Malone on "Levii's Jeans" would be at home on country radio.
- Meanwhile, the lead single from Post Malone's separate country crossover project, which is a duet with Wallen, earned four CMA nominations.
Driving the news: Beyoncé's history at the CMA Awards is already fraught. In 2016, she appeared on the show to sing her country-inflected song "Daddy Lessons" with The Chicks. It got a frosty reception from some in the audience.
- The singer suggested that "Cowboy Carter" was inspired by that pushback, saying "the criticisms I faced when I first entered this genre forced me to propel past the limitations that were put on me."
- She subsequently researched the Black artists who helped shape country music.
What she's saying: "I feel honored to be the first Black woman with the number one single on the Hot Country Songs chart," she said in March. "My hope is that years from now, the mention of an artist's race, as it relates to releasing genres of music, will be irrelevant."
The intrigue: "Cowboy Carter" featured multiple up-and-coming Black country artists in supporting roles. One of those artists, Shaboozey, did score CMA nominations this year.
- He's up for best new artist and his hit "A Bar Song (Tipsy)" is nominated for best single.