Luke Bryan Reacts to Beyoncé's CMA Awards Snub: It's 'Tricky'
Luke Bryan is sharing his thoughts on Beyoncé getting shut out of the 2024 CMA Awards for Cowboy Carter. While appearing on Wednesday's episode of SiriusXM's Andy Cohen Live, the country star -- who is one of three hosts for next month's awards ceremony -- reacted to Beyoncé receiving zero nominations for Cowboy Carter, despite the success of the country album. "I mean, it's a tricky question because, obviously, Beyoncé made a country album, and Beyoncé has a lot of fans out there that have her back, and if she doesn't get something they want, man, they come at you ... as fans should do," said Bryan, 45. "It's a tough thing to say. I don't know how many albums did she sell. I know she had one song," he continued, seemingly referring to "Texas Hold 'Em," one of the two co-lead singles from Cowboy Carter. The hit topped the Billboard Hot 100 and debuted at No.1 on the Hot Country Songs chart, with Beyoncé making history as the first Black woman to have a No.1 country track on the Billboard charts. "I mean listen, I'm all for everybody coming in and making country albums and all that," Bryan told Cohen. "But just by declaring that, just because she made one ... just 'cause I make one. I don't get any nominations." "A lot of great music's overlooked. Sometimes you don't get nominated," he continued, before adding, "I mean, I think the CMA, they have their voting body. And they vote what they think should make it." The American Idol judge concluded his thoughts by praising Beyoncé's success in music, while again reiterating that awards shows -- specifically country music awards -- can be a "tricky" situation. "Everybody loved that Beyoncé made a country album," Bryan said. "Nobody's mad about it. But where things get a little tricky... you know, if you're gonna make country albums come into our world and be country with us a little bit." "Beyoncé can do exactly what she wants to. She's probably the biggest star in music. But come to an awards show and high five us and have fun and get in the family, too. And I'm not saying she didn't do that," he added. "But country music's a lot about family, and then there's still… but it ain't always family, too. We get pissed at each other, too." Bryan's comments come after country icon Dolly Parton reacted to Beyoncé's album not receiving any nominations during an interview with Variety last month. "Well, you never know," said Parton, who appeared on Cowboy Carter and allowed Beyoncé to cover "Jolene" for the album. "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. But I didn't even realize that until somebody asked me that question." "It was a wonderful album. She can be very, very proud of, and I think everybody in country music welcomed her and thought that, that was good. So I don’t think it was a matter of shutting out, like doing that on purpose," she continued. "I think it was just more of what the country charts and the country artists were doing, that do that all the time, not just a specialty album." The 58th Annual Country Music Association Awards -- which are hosted by Bryan, Lainey Wilson, and Peyton Manning, will be broadcast live from Nashville on ABC on November 20.
Moderated by Tomas Kauer 
"A lot of great music's overlooked. Sometimes you don't get nominated," said the country singer, who is one of the three hosts for the 2024 CMA Awards, before calling Beyoncé "probably the biggest star in music."
Luke Bryan is sharing his thoughts on Beyoncé getting shut out of the 2024 CMA Awards for Cowboy Carter.
While appearing on Wednesday's episode of SiriusXM's Andy Cohen Live, the country star -- who is one of three hosts for next month's awards ceremony -- reacted to Beyoncé receiving zero nominations for Cowboy Carter, despite the success of the country album.
"I mean, it's a tricky question because, obviously, Beyoncé made a country album, and Beyoncé has a lot of fans out there that have her back, and if she doesn't get something they want, man, they come at you ... as fans should do," said Bryan, 45.
"It's a tough thing to say. I don't know how many albums did she sell. I know she had one song," he continued, seemingly referring to "Texas Hold 'Em," one of the two co-lead singles from Cowboy Carter.
The hit topped the Billboard Hot 100 and debuted at No.1 on the Hot Country Songs chart, with Beyoncé making history as the first Black woman to have a No.1 country track on the Billboard charts.
"I mean listen, I'm all for everybody coming in and making country albums and all that," Bryan told Cohen. "But just by declaring that, just because she made one ... just 'cause I make one. I don't get any nominations."
"A lot of great music's overlooked. Sometimes you don't get nominated," he continued, before adding, "I mean, I think the CMA, they have their voting body. And they vote what they think should make it."
The American Idol judge concluded his thoughts by praising Beyoncé's success in music, while again reiterating that awards shows -- specifically country music awards -- can be a "tricky" situation.
"Everybody loved that Beyoncé made a country album," Bryan said. "Nobody's mad about it. But where things get a little tricky... you know, if you're gonna make country albums come into our world and be country with us a little bit."
"Beyoncé can do exactly what she wants to. She's probably the biggest star in music. But come to an awards show and high five us and have fun and get in the family, too. And I'm not saying she didn't do that," he added. "But country music's a lot about family, and then there's still… but it ain't always family, too. We get pissed at each other, too."
Bryan's comments come after country icon Dolly Parton reacted to Beyoncé's album not receiving any nominations during an interview with Variety last month.
"Well, you never know," said Parton, who appeared on Cowboy Carter and allowed Beyoncé to cover "Jolene" for the album. "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. But I didn't even realize that until somebody asked me that question."
"It was a wonderful album. She can be very, very proud of, and I think everybody in country music welcomed her and thought that, that was good. So I don’t think it was a matter of shutting out, like doing that on purpose," she continued. "I think it was just more of what the country charts and the country artists were doing, that do that all the time, not just a specialty album."
The 58th Annual Country Music Association Awards -- which are hosted by Bryan, Lainey Wilson, and Peyton Manning, will be broadcast live from Nashville on ABC on November 20.
