Despite having one of the highest-selling albums of the year, it looks like Beyoncé won’t be taking home any Country Music Association awards for COWBOY CARTER. The nominations, which were announced on Monday (Sept. 9), saw her absent from every category.
On the other hand, Morgan Wallen and Post Malone — the latter of which appeared on Beyoncé’s “LEVII’S JEANS” — garnered seven and four nods, respectively. It’s also worth mentioning that Shaboozey is vying for New Artist and Single of the Year with “A Bar Song (Tipsy).” The record is this year’s longest-running Hot 100 No. 1 and has over 114 million views on its YouTube visualizer at the time of reporting.
COWBOY CARTER spanned a total of 27 songs, including Beyoncé’s chart-topping “TEXAS HOLD ‘EM” and the pre-loved “16 CARRIAGES.” It also boasted guest appearances from Dolly Parton, Tanner Adell, Willie Nelson, Brittney Spencer and more.
In March, Beyoncé spoke about how the project was ultimately driven by her feeling unwelcome in the genre. “This album has been over five years in the making. It 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 explained. “But, because of that experience, I did a deeper dive into the history of country music and studied our rich musical archive.”
“The criticisms I faced when I first entered this genre forced me to propel past the limitations that were put on me,” she continued. While COWBOY CARTER undoubtedly pulled cues from country, the pop icon noted, “This ain’t a country album. This is a ‘Beyoncé’ album.”
In light of the artist being snubbed, Shaboozey and several fans spoke out. “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!” the Lady Wrangler creator wrote on Twitter.