Country music star Luke Bryan has shared his thoughts on Beyoncé being excluded from the CMA nominations for her album “Cowboy Carter” during an interview on SiriusXM’s “Andy Cohen Live.”
Bryan, who will co-host the CMA Awards on Nov. 20 alongside Peyton Manning and 2023 Entertainer of the Year Lainey Wilson, acknowledged that Beyoncé has passionate fans and that it’s understandable they are upset about her snub.
“If she doesn’t get something…”
“It’s a tricky question,” said Bryan, who has previously won the CMA Awards’ Entertainer of the Year twice. He added that even though Beyoncé made a country album and has a loyal fan base, it doesn’t guarantee a nomination. “If she doesn’t get something they want, man, they come at you … as fans should do.”
Beyoncé’s album “Cowboy Carter,” featuring the hit single “Texas Hold ‘Em,” was groundbreaking, making her the first Black woman to top both the country albums and singles charts. It featured iconic country artists such as Dolly Parton and Willie Nelson, as well as African-American country artists like Linda Martell and Shaboozey.
However, Bryan admitted that it’s “a tough thing to say” why Beyoncé’s album didn’t receive any CMA recognition. He noted that while he supports anyone making country music, merely making an album doesn’t necessarily mean it will get nominated. “But just by declaring that, just because she made one…” he said, trailing off.
“A lot of great music’s overlooked”
Bryan emphasized that “a lot of great music’s overlooked” and that nominations depend on what the CMA voting body deems worthy. He also insisted there is no bias against Beyoncé. “Everybody loved that Beyoncé made a country album. Nobody’s mad about it,” Bryan said, but noted that if artists want to make country music, it helps to engage more with the community. “Come into our world and be country with us a little bit.”
Bryan suggested that perhaps if Beyoncé had spent more time within the country music community, it might have helped. “Beyoncé can do exactly what she wants to. She’s probably the biggest star in music,” he said. “But come to an awards show and high-five us and have fun and get in the family too … Country music’s a lot about family.”
Dolly Parton also weighed in on Beyoncé’s CMA snub, telling Variety that she doesn’t believe the CMAs deliberately shut Beyoncé out.
“There’s so many wonderful country artists that, I guess probably the country music field, they probably thought, well, we can’t really leave out some of the ones that spend their whole life doing that … not just a specialty album,” Parton explained.
Shaboozey, who received CMA nominations for single of the year and new artist of the year, praised Beyoncé for paving the way. “Thank you @Beyonce for opening a door for us, starting a conversation, and giving us one of the most innovative country albums of all time!” he wrote on X.
Leading the CMA nominations is Morgan Wallen, with seven, followed by Chris Stapleton and Cody Johnson, each with five. Lainey Wilson and Post Malone, who collaborated with Beyoncé on “Cowboy Carter” and worked with Wallen on “I Had Some Help,” each received four nominations.
