Beyoncé Doesn’t Need The CMAs To Validate Her Genius. Cowboy Carter Already Did That

On Monday, the 2024 Country Music Association Awards (CMAs) made it clear that they want nothing to do with Beyoncè. The CMAs completely snubbed Queen Bey despite her groundbreaking album, Cowboy Carter, which dominated the charts and redefined country music. After releasing her eighth studio album in March, the musical project broke Billboard records, reaching the No.1 spot for Top Country Albums. But despite Beyoncé's historic achievement of becoming the first Black woman to lead the Top Country Albums chart, the superstar was notably left out of this year’s nominations. I have to admit, the CMAs' excluding Cowboy Carter seems calculated, spiteful, and racist. 

Beyoncé deserved a CMA nomination, and they should be ashamed of themselves for shutting out a groundbreaking piece of art that pushed the needle forward. The album’s snub disappointed many fans and rightfully sparked immense outrage on social media.

The impact of Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter is undeniable. It was more than just a musical release; it was a powerful statement that challenged the deeply ingrained racism and cultural bias within the country music landscape. By seamlessly blending country, folk, rap and R&B, Beyoncé not only pushed genre boundaries but also reclaimed a space that historically erased Black artists. On top of that, the historical references and symbolism present in the album advanced her agenda to make people aware that Blackness exists in country music no matter how much its racist past tries to dismiss this fact. 

Beyoncé's father, Mathew Knowles, weighed in on the controversy, saying he believes race played a factor in the CMAs decision to exclude the singer from their nominations. "There's more white people in America, and unfortunately, they don't vote based on ability and achievements; it's still sometimes a white and Black thing," Knowles told TMZ. "In America, there's no accountability for people not being accepting of other cultures."

Upon its release, the 27-track album sparked countless debates and discussions that placed country music's Black artists at the forefront. By featuring other Black country artists who were not widely recognised, like Tanner Adell, Brittney Spencer, Tiera Kennedy, Reyna Roberts, Shaboozey, Willie Jones, and the legendary Linda Martell, Beyoncé ushered in a new wave of country music, further challenging the status quo and the limited perceptions that have long dominated country music. In a new interview with GQ, released Tuesday, Beyoncé spoke of the impact of Cowboy Carter. “I was so hyped to see a song like “Texas Hold ’Em” gain worldwide acceptance. Even more exciting was how it helped reinvigorate the country genre across music, fashion, art, and culture, and introduced the world to so much great talent.” Beyoncé also reiterated a theme of the album: that genres are “a funny little concept”: “I believe genres are traps that box us in and separate us. I’ve experienced this for 25 years in the music industry,” she told GQ. “Black artists, and other artists of colour, have been creating and mastering multiple genres, since forever.” 

Shaboozey, featured on "Spaghetti" and "Sweet Honey Buckiin," also had one of country music's biggest hits of the year. His "A Bar Song (Tipsy)” earned him two CMA nominations for Single of the Year and New Artist of the Year. Following his recognition, the artist thanked Beyoncé for creating space for him and his peers to shine. He wrote on Twitter: "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!"

Beyoncé’s country music reckoning began with the highly anticipated release of Cowboy Carter in February. During the album rollout, she dropped the first two singles following her surprise guest appearance in a Verizon Super Bowl commercial. After much speculation about the follow-up to “Renaissance,” the singer confirmed her venture into country music territory with the release of popular singles "Texas Hold' Em" and "16 Carriages." Just ten days before the album hit the airwaves, Beyoncé took to Instagram to share the personal inspiration behind the project and how an unfavourable experience inspired her to courageously create a body of work that celebrated her country roots. 

"This album has been over five years in the making," she captioned the lengthy post. "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. 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. Act II is a result of challenging myself, and taking my time to bend and blend genres together to create this body of work."

The "unwelcoming experience" she referred to was her show-stopping duet with The Chicks during the 2016 CMAs, when they performed "Daddy Lessons" from her highly acclaimed “Lemonade” album. Once Beyoncé was announced as a performer, critics threatened to boycott the awards show. The hashtag #BoycottCMAs circulated across social media filled with negative, racist and hateful comments. 

Not one to back down from a challenge, Beyoncé carried on as planned despite the bigotry from racist trolls that ensued because of her inclusion in the performance lineup. Unfortunately, the controversy didn't end there. After the show aired, viewers noticed that a playback of her duet with The Chicks was noticeably missing from the CMA official website. This fueled speculation and accusations that her performance didn't appear on the site due to the negative backlash. CMA representatives refuted these claims and released a statement to Billboard declaring the performance wasn't erased and could be found on the awards show’s social channels. Regardless of the oversight, Beyoncé's past unpleasant experience with the CMAs demonstrates a pattern of disrespect and disregard, and it’s obvious that the organization has done her dirty once again. 

Fortunately, Beyoncé's primary focus remains on creating music, rather than chasing awards. In fact, she made it clear in her lyrics that her passion lies in the craft after addressing her snub at the 66th Annual Grammy Awards for Album of the Year (AOTY) in February. She rapped, "AOTY, I ain't win/ I ain't stuntin' 'bout them/ Take that sh–t on the chin/ Come back and f–ck up the pen." But as a Beyoncé fan and honorary Beyhive member, it still stings not seeing her receive the accolades that she has rightfully earned. 

With country music's racist history in mind, it dawned on me the apparent reason that the CMAs turned a blind eye to the powerhouse vocalist. It simply boils down to their limited perception of the type of country artists meant to dominate their award categories. As a Black woman, Beyoncé, unfortunately, doesn't fit into their traditional mould of country artists. Spotlighting a dominant force like Beyoncé goes against the deep-seated prejudice that extends beyond racism to include transphobia, homophobia, and misogyny that still runs rampant in the genre. This was a missed opportunity for the CMAs to right their wrongs; however, they chose to ignore what was right in front of them. Instead of giving credit where it's due, the CMAs would rather protect and uphold an inherently biased image of country music that doesn't stray away from their status quo and reinforces their discriminatory views.

If Beyoncé has taught us anything, it's that she will always have the last laugh. And for her, that means not subscribing to other people's limitations. Throughout her journey, she has consistently broken down barriers and challenged societal norms even if she doesn’t directly benefit from the fruits of her labor. Her sacrifice and commitment to pushing the envelope undoubtedly places her in a league of her own. There is no denying, she is the standard. While the CMAs didn't give Cowboy Carter the nod it deserved, its significance will forever be embedded in country music history. Perhaps that was the goal all along, not to win awards but to leave a lasting legacy that would set a new framework and inspire future generations of artists.