The ACM Awards are kicking off tonight, May 8, at 8 p.m. ET on Prime Video. Hosted by Reba McEntire once again, fans are surely looking forward to country’s biggest night with anticipation and excitement.
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Beyoncé fans, however, are wondering if the pop star will be attending. Despite Cowboy Carter winning the Grammy for Best Country Album this year—along with Album of the Year—it hasn’t been nominated for any country-specific award shows.
The 2025 CMA Awards haven’t been announced yet. Fans will have to wait and see if Cowboy Carter earns any nominations there. But when the ACM Award nominations were revealed in March, some crossover fans were wondering about the lack of recognition for Beyoncé. Is it about respect, the insular nature of country music, racism, or something else entirely?
Cowboy Carter has not been nominated for any ACM Awards, but, according to the CEO of the Academy of Country Music, Beyoncé has an open invitation to the show.
Beyoncé Contributed to Country Music, But Does She Need To Be Nominated at the ACM Awards?
ACM CEO Damon Whiteside told Billboard in March that he was hoping Beyoncé would earn some nominations. She’s helping to bring mainstream attention to country music. Additionally, she’s making it clear that the staunch boundaries of genre are actually not so rigid. But ultimately, it comes down to the voters, who primarily live in Nashville and work in country music.
“I think, more likely, they’re going to be voting for artists that they’ve got relationships with and work with on a regular basis and that are in the country music business 365,” said Whiteside. “We’d love to have Beyoncé on the show. She has an open invitation to be on the ACM stage anytime she ever wants to.”
The ACM Awards are in their 60th year. They’re looking to celebrate country music’s legacy in addition to the new generation of artists. Whiteside expressed excitement that up-and-comer Ella Langley is leading the nominations, while Kelsea Ballerini snagged her first Entertainer of the Year nomination.
Overall, Beyoncé is one of the biggest pop stars in the music industry, matched only by Taylor Swift. Does she need to be nominated at country-specific award shows for her one country album?
Cowboy Carter broke barriers, started important conversations, and made people think. She contributed to country music, because anyone is allowed to do that, but she’s not exclusively a country artist. At the end of the day, it’s not likely that sticking around in the genre is her primary goal, and it’s possible that ACM voters considered that.
Featured Image by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for The Recording Academy
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