The 2024 CMA Awards have revealed their nominations, and while Morgan Wallen and Post Malone received multiple nods, Beyoncé was notably snubbed despite having a significant year in country music. Beyoncé’s album Cowboy Carter made history by spending four weeks atop the Billboard country albums chart, making her the first Black woman to achieve this feat. Her single, “Texas Hold ‘Em,” also dominated the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart for 10 weeks. However, Beyoncé received no nominations, despite qualifying in major categories like song and album of the year.
Wallen leads the pack with seven nominations, including entertainer of the year. He’s followed by Chris Stapleton and Cody Johnson, with five nominations each, while Post Malone and Lainey Wilson each earned four nods. Wilson, who won entertainer of the year in 2023, will defend her title against Wallen, Stapleton, Luke Combs, and Jelly Roll. Post Malone, who released his first country album, received nominations for his hit song “I Had Some Help” with Wallen, including song and single of the year.
Beyoncé’s exclusion from the nominations is reminiscent of past tensions with the country music community. In 2016, she performed her country-inspired song “Daddy Lessons” at the CMAs with The Chicks, which led to some backlash from country purists. Despite her influence on the genre and record-breaking success, the CMA’s voting body, made up of artists, executives, and other professionals in the industry, did not recognize her contributions this year.
The CMA voting process involves eligible singles and albums released between July 1, 2023, and June 30, 2024. Final voting for the awards will take place from October 1 through October 29, with the awards ceremony set to air live on November 20 from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena.
