Fans speculated Beyoncé could be the first black woman nominated for Album of the Year for Cowboy Carter.
Beyoncé was noticeably snubbed by the Country Music Awards, despite having one of the year’s biggest country hits with “Texas Hold ‘Em.”
When the nominations were revealed on Monday morning, the singer did not receive a single nomination.
Beyoncé had been widely expected to receive recognition, with fans speculating she might become the first black woman to be nominated for Album of the Year for Cowboy Carter.
However, Morgan Wallen received the most nominations, three years after being suspended by his label for using a racial slur.
The artist later apologized and rejoined his label.
Last year, his double album One Thing At A Time dominated the US charts for 16 weeks and earned a nomination for Album of the Year at the CMAs.
This year, Wallen earned four nominations as a featured artist on the hit track “I Had Some Help” by Post Malone — a pop artist who, like Beyoncé, is not traditionally part of the country music scene.
Shaboozey, featured on Cowboy Carter, secured two nominations — Best New Artist and Single of the Year for “A Bar Song (Tipsy).”
That song overtook Beyoncé’s Texas Hold ‘Em at the top of the US country charts in April, making Shaboozey the first black male artist to simultaneously top the country charts and the Billboard Hot 100.
It was also the first time two black artists held the number one spot consecutively.
Earlier this year, Beyoncé hinted that her experience at a previous CMA event influenced her decision to create a country album.
In 2016, she performed “Daddy Lessons” with The Chicks (formerly known as the Dixie Chicks) at the CMAs, but their performance was met with harsh criticism — and racism — online.
Natalie Maines, lead singer of The Chicks, later told the New York Times that the treatment Beyoncé received after the show was “disgusting.”
In an Instagram post, Beyoncé explained that Cowboy Carter was “born out of an experience that I had years ago where I did not feel welcome,” which led her to explore “a deeper dive into the history of country.”
Her album is the second part of a trilogy that examines the roots of American music and highlights the often overlooked contributions of black artists.
