The racial justice nonprofit Color of Change accuses the Country Music Association of snubbing Beyoncé at its 2024 awards ceremony.

Despite a hugely successful No. 1 album and a single in the country and pop charts – with Cowboy Carter and “Texas Hold ‘Em” – the Grammy winner was completely excluded from the awards ceremony honoring the best country music.

“Beyoncé is bigger than the CMAs. She doesn’t need the CMAs. But when the CMAs say so clearly that they don’t need Beyoncé, they send a clear message that puts them on the side of forces desperately trying to cling to a mythical American past that never was,” said Rashad Robinson, president of Color of Change. The Hollywood Reporter.

“Recognizing Beyoncé at the CMAs would force everyone to confront a multitude of truths: country music’s roots in black music, the history of racism in country music, and the prospect of having to give up not only their white audience, but the part of their audience that can’t stand to see black leaders succeed in this country. It would also force them to confront the one cultural enclave they use as an escape from ever having to see black people: their music,” he continues.

Founded in 2005 and with 7 million members, Color of Change is a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting Black culture and progress, holding corporate and political leaders accountable, and commissioning research on systems of inequality.

Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter made history this year when he spent four weeks on the Billboard‘s Top Country Albums chart – making her the first black woman to do so. She was also the first black woman to top the Billboard‘s Hot Country Songs chart with “Texas Hold ‘Em,” which held the top spot for a whopping 10 weeks. Both her single and album also topped Billboard‘s All-Genre Hot 100 and 200 Albums charts, while seven other Cowboy Carter Songs in the top 10 of the Billboard Country charts. The 27-track project, featuring Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson, Linda Martell and Miley Cyrus, sparked cultural discussions about black artists reclaiming the genres they founded, including country music.

Despite being completely shut out, Beyoncé qualified for CMA categories such as Single of the Year, Song of the Year, Album of the Year, Female Vocalist of the Year and Musical Event of the Year. She even qualified for Entertainer of the Year, although that award is usually reserved for country artists who have built a strong presence in the genre over the years.

Post Malone, who also released his first country album this year and is on Cowboy Carter — was greeted with four nominations, including single and song of the year for “I Had Some Help.” This No. 1 pop and country hit comes from Morgan Wallen, who leads the CMA Awards with seven nominations. Beyoncé collaborator Shaboozey — who received a major boost on the music scene after appearing in two Cowboy Carter Tracks – received his first-ever CMA nominations: Newcomer of the Year and Single of the Year with “A Bar Song (Tipsy),” the biggest hit of the year.

After the CMA announcement, he posted his support for Beyoncé: “Thank you, @Beyoncé, for opening a door, starting a conversation, and giving us one of the most innovative country albums of all time!”

The CMA’s rejection comes eight years after controversy at the 2016 CMAs when Beyoncé surprised the audience with a performance of her country-tinged song “Daddy Lessons” alongside The Chicks. While some applauded the performance, there was backlash from members of the country music community, with some even calling for a boycott, while Queen Bey’s performance was deleted from the CMA website. The singer appeared to be referencing the CMAs when she teased Cowboy Carter in March: “This album was over five years in the making. It grew out of an experience I had years ago when I didn’t feel welcome… and it was very clear that I wasn’t. But because of that experience, I dug deeper into the history of country music and studied our rich music archive.”