Beyoncé’s family and fans have slammed the Country Music Awards after the singer failed to land a single nomination.
In March, the 43-year-old songstress dropped her eighth studio album, Cowboy Carter, which serves as the second act in a planned three-act project.
Cowboy Carter is a reclamation and homage to an overlooked legacy of Black Americans in country music and culture.
The 27-track record featured icons like Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson, and Linda Martell, and even included a cover of Parton’s iconic hit song, ‘Jolene’.
Cowboy Carter became the first album by a Black woman to reach Number 1 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart. The first single ‘Texas Hold ’Em’ also became the first song by a Black woman to claim the top spot on Billboard’s country song chart.
Despite its impressive success, the album didn’t score a single nomination at country music’s most prestigious award show.
This has angered many people, including the singer’s dad, Matthew Knowles, who told TMZ that the CMA voters are “showing it still comes down to white and black”.
“There are more white people in America and unfortunately, they don’t vote based on ability and achievements,” he explained, noting that his daughter’s latest project being overlooked “speaks for itself”.
Matthew, who was Beyoncé and Destiny Child’s former manager, added that he was not shocked about the lack of nominations due to the “current state of American culture,” adding: “In America, there’s no accountability for people not being accepting of other cultures.”
“I am disappointed, to say the least, that @Beyonce didn’t receive a @CountryMusic CMA nomination. The album is one of the best of all genres this year and is a work on a level that few contemporary albums reach. This is Nashville’s and country music’s loss,” one fan wrote.
“Beyoncé’s impact on country music can not be denied & is not validated/invalidated by the CMAs. Her commitment to pushing boundaries and breaking barriers in music (& bringing others along to reap the benefits) is beyond legendary in itself. She’s already won. F**k them,” another chimed in.
Music legend Dionne Warwick called the lack of nominations “absolutely ridiculous” on the platform X, while Black country music artist Shaboozey praised the ‘Rennaissance’ icon.
While promoting Cowboy Carter earlier this year, the ‘Run The World’ artist declared that her album “ain’t a country album,” but rather “a ‘Beyoncé’ album”.
She also shared that the project had been “five years in the making,” and was inspired by an experience she had years ago where she didn’t “feel welcomed,” leading many people to believe she was referencing her performance with The Chicks at the 2016 CMA Awards.
“The criticisms I faced when I first entered this genre forced me to propel past the limitations that were put on me,” she added at the time.
After the album’s release, the music sensation reflected: “The joy of creating music is that there are no rules. The more I see the world evolving, the more I felt a deeper connection to purity,” as cited by Daily Mail.
