Music star Beyoncé was not on the list when the nominations for the Country Music Association Awards were announced earlier this week.
She released her debut album, “Cowboy Carter,” in March.
Many fans criticized the CMAs’ decision to exclude her, as she had previously stated that she felt unwelcome within the genre.
A representative for the artist did not respond to a request to comment.
In March, she released a statement about her debut album, saying that it was inspired by her experience growing up in a different era.
She also stated that her desire to dive deeper into country music motivated her.
In her Instagram post, she stated that she faced criticism during her early days in the industry, which motivated her to overcome her limitations.
Some believe that she was referring specifically to her performance at the CMAs in 2016, where she performed “Daddy Lessons.”
Many fans were surprised that the song “Texas Hold ’em,” which was the lead single from her debut album, was not nominated.
It became the first song by a Black artist to top the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart.
The album was viewed as a reclamation of country music, which has typically been perceived as a genre exclusively for white men.
Many African-American artists hoped that it would raise awareness and put more African-American music on the map.
Beyoncé worked with various talented individuals, such as Linda Martell, Brittney Spencer, Tiera Kennedy, and Tanner Adell.
One of the artists who worked with Beyoncé was Shaboozey, who appeared on two songs on “Cowboy Carter.”
He was nominated for both new artist of the year and single of the year, for “A Bar Song.”
On Monday, he took to X to talk about his nominations and his admiration for Beyoncé.
In his Instagram post, Shaboozey stated that he was thankful for how Beyoncé had opened up a dialogue and helped create one of the most innovative albums in the history of country music.
