The 2024 CMA Awards nominations are out, and while artists like Morgan Wallen and Post Malone racked up multiple nods, Beyoncé was surprisingly left out, despite making waves in the country music scene this year. Her album Cowboy Carter broke records by staying at the top of the Billboard Country Albums chart for four consecutive weeks, making her the first Black woman to accomplish this. Her hit single “Texas Hold ‘Em” also held the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart for 10 weeks.
Despite these achievements, Beyoncé didn’t receive a single nomination, though she qualified for major categories like Song and Album of the Year.
Wallen leads the nominations with seven, including the coveted Entertainer of the Year award. Chris Stapleton and Cody Johnson follow closely with five nominations each, while Post Malone and Lainey Wilson each received four. Wilson, the reigning Entertainer of the Year from 2023, will compete for the title again, alongside Wallen, Stapleton, Luke Combs, and Jelly Roll. Post Malone, who debuted his first country album this year, is up for awards like Song and Single of the Year for his hit “I Had Some Help” with Wallen.
Beyoncé’s lack of nominations brings back memories of past friction with the country music world. In 2016, her performance of the country-inspired “Daddy Lessons” with The Chicks at the CMAs sparked backlash from some traditional country fans.
Despite her undeniable impact on the genre and record-breaking success, the CMA’s voting panel, composed of industry artists, executives, and professionals, did not acknowledge her efforts this year.
Eligible singles and albums for this year’s CMAs had to be released between July 1, 2023, and June 30, 2024. Final voting will take place from October 1 to October 29, with the ceremony airing live on November 20 from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena.
