Beyonce was not nominated for a Country Music Association award when the 58th edition was announced on Monday, despite the fact that her “Cowboy Carter” album became a global hit after its release this year.
The absence of “Cowboy Carter” from the list of candidates was notable: “Texas Hold ‘Em,” her epic album’s first single, surged to the top of the charts, including the country list, and the album was universally regarded as a blockbuster.
Beyonce’s “Cowboy Carter” is a full-throated homage to her southern US roots, a rollicking revue that also serves as a valuable history lesson on the Black ancestry of country music.
Nashville’s gatekeepers have long attempted to promote a rigid vision of country music, which is mainly white and male – “Cowboy Carter” challenged that notion.
She takes listeners on a journey through the history of country music, from African American spirituals and fiddle tunes to pioneering women.
The awards ceremony will be held on November 20.
Morgan Wallen, the controversial country-pop singer who has achieved huge streaming success, won the most nominations (seven), including the coveted “Entertainer of the Year” title.
Chris Stapleton and Cody Johnson received five nominations each.
Lainey Wilson notched four, as did Post Malone, who segued into country this year from his warbling rock-rap. His single “I Had Some Help” features Wallen, and its nominations ushered that artist to the front of the pack.
Beyonce is no stranger to CMA controversy: she notably received racist comments after performing what was then her most country song to date, “Daddy Lessons,” at the 2016 CMA awards.
A Texan raised by a mother from Louisiana and a father from Alabama, Beyonce tackled the perceived “controversy” over her country turn this year on the track “Ameriican Requiem.”
“They used to say I spoke, ‘Too country’ / Then the rejection came, said I wasn’t, ‘Country enough’ / Said I wouldn’t saddle up, but if that ain’t country, tell me, what is?” Beyonce sings on the track, whose musical allusions include Buffalo Springfield’s classic “For What It’s Worth.”
“Cowboy Carter” was far more than country: it included technical mastery of a blend of styles including various country subsets as well as rap, dance, soul, funk, rock and gospel.