Kelly Clarkson has voiced her bewilderment over Beyoncé’s exclusion from the 2024 CMA Awards nominations, a sentiment she relates to from her own experiences in country music.
In a recent interview with NBC10 Boston, Clarkson expressed surprise at Beyoncé’s album Cowboy Carter—which topped both the Billboard 200 and Top Country Album charts—being overlooked by the CMAs. “I kind of find it fascinating,” Clarkson said. “I feel like those songs were everywhere.”
Despite Beyoncé’s album achieving significant success, including multiple Top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, the CMA Awards did not recognize it. Clarkson, who has faced similar challenges breaking into the country genre, shared her own struggles. She recounted being told that unless she fully committed to country music and abandoned pop, she would not receive airplay. “I was told to my face at a lunch that if I didn’t quit pop music and just go country, I would not be played,” Clarkson said.
Clarkson, who has deep roots in country music from her Texas upbringing, reflected on the difficulty of navigating the genre. “It’s a hard industry, even for me,” she noted. “I imagine Beyoncé feels the same way. We’re both Texans, so you can’t escape it growing up there.”
She criticized the notion of having to choose one genre over another, stating, “It just seemed like the door was closed unless I was all-in and had to leave every other genre behind. It’s not a desire or a want; we love dabbling. Why limit yourself?”
Clarkson has come to terms with her diverse career path and emphasizes that success is not solely defined by awards. “At the end of the day, I’ve learned it’s not necessarily about the awards. People are showing up, right? You’re massive,” she said, affirming Beyoncé’s impact. “People are showing up to my concerts, they like hearing the country stuff from me, the pop, and everything in between. I’m sure they do with her as well. The real win is not even needing the award.”
The 2024 CMA Awards nominations have been dominated by Morgan Wallen, with seven nods, followed by Chris Stapleton and Cody Johnson with five each, and Post Malone and Lainey Wilson with four.
