Beyoncé's CMA Snub "Sucks" And Is "Definitely Unfortunate" According To Shaboozey

Source: Michael Buckner / Getty

Earlier this year, Beyoncé became the first Black woman to top the country charts with “Texas Hold ‘Em” the first single from her album Cowboy Carter. But when the Country Music Association Awards announced its nominations for its 58th awards show this week, Beyoncé was nowhere to be found.

Morgan Wallen, the man who was once caught on camera drunkenly using the “N” word was the CMA’s top vote-getter. Although the 2021 video where he referred to his friends as ‘my n-ggas’ caused him to be temporarily ‘suspended’ from his record label and his music pulled from radio and streaming sites, it hardly stopped the trajectory of his career. He apologized and was soon restored to his label and the airwaves. Wallen received seven nominations, including one for “I Had Some Help” for his collaboration with Post Malone and Entertainer of the Year.

While social media may have been outraged by Beyoncé’s snub, given the historic achievement of topping the country charts, it shouldn’t be that surprising. Like The Recording Academy which oversees the Grammys where Queen B has scored an all-time record with 32 wins, the Country Music Association is membership-based.

Those artists would be more apt to reward members who make music primarily in the country genre, those who have been members for a long time, or, like Wallen, are top-selling, top-touring country artists. While The Recording Academy includes members from all genres, i.e., R&B, hip-hop classical, jazz, etc., the CMA is specifically for country artists.

Beyoncé also topped the country album charts with Cowboy Carter, but she’s barely promoted the project since its release earlier this year. She’s done no videos, no promo performances and hasn’t referred to the project recently on her social media platforms. No tour in support of the album has been announced and it appears B has moved on to promoting her new whisky line Sir Davis. In a new GQ article, she spends as much time talking about the new (and classic) music she likes as much as she does her own album.

As Beyoncé is clearly Grammy’s favorite artist, you can expect some nominations from them when it comes time. Nominations could be in the country or Americana category where Cowboy Carter would actually be the best fit.

The artist who has benefited most from his association with Cowboy Carter is Shaboozey, whose hit “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” was a juggernaut this summer spending nine weeks (and counting) at #1.

He appeared on the songs “Spaghettii” (with Linda Martell) and “Sweet * Honey * Buckiin’.” He told E! that it “sucks” that Beyoncé didn’t receive any nominations and thanked her for putting him on her album.

“For Beyoncé, she puts everything into what she does and that could be an exhausting process in itself,” he said at the VMAs. “So you know if you’re doing that and you’re putting intentionality and you’re connecting with these people, these awards don’t, they’re fun, they’re fun and games. And you see your friends and it’s cool to get that…but you know, it changed my life, it changed so many different lives and I hope to do the same thing.” 

Shaboozey is nominated for two CMA Awards – Song of the Year and New Artist Of The Year.

The CMA Awards will air Nov. 20 on CMT, but see social media’s outrage below.

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