“I’m honored to be the first Black woman with the number one single on the Hot Country Songs chart,” Beyoncé said in a statement following her album’s release, referring to her breakout track “16 Carriages.” “This album isn’t about labels. It’s about music bringing people together.” And indeed, Cowboy Carter did just that—uniting Beyoncé’s fans from all genres under a banner of inclusivity, with a dash of twang.
But while Beyoncé was busy turning the world’s attention to the rich history of Black artists in country music, the CMA was seemingly hard at work plotting her downfall. As the 2024 CMA Award nominations were announced, many were shocked to see that Beyoncé’s name was entirely absent from the list, despite her undeniable chart success and critical acclaim.
The snub alone was bad enough, but the real bombshell came in the form of a shocking statement from the CMA itself, released mere hours after fans began to express their outrage on social media.
“While we respect Ms. Knowles-Carter’s talents and contributions to the music industry,” the statement read, “we must maintain the integrity of the country music genre. Her latest album does not align with our vision of traditional country, and as such, we have made the difficult decision to ban her from all future CMA events and considerations. She can never be country.”
