Beyoncé’s ‘Cowboy Carter’ Gets No ACM Award Nods Despite Grammy Success

Beyoncé's first country album, Cowboy Carter, was commercially successful, reaching #1. Still, the Academy of Country Music (ACM) has largely ignored it, failing to give it a single nomination. Consider Beyoncé's absence in the ACM nominations for the May 8 ACM Awards just another example of the skepticism with which some country music professionals regard her presence in their genre of music.

While Megan Moroney and Jelly Roll prepare for the ACM nominations in the top album category, Beyoncé's presence is noticeably absent. While Cowboy Carter did well on the charts by commercial standards, she still doesn't have a prominent role in the ACM or any other future award shows or events.

Numerous insiders have shared that Beyoncé does not feel "welcomed" into the country music genre, and she is frustrated by her peers' reluctance to accept her and formally recognize her. She has expressed a personal love for country music and a belief that she has added something positive to the genre, but remains in a position of industry-wide animus, as the insiders point out.

"Industry professionals still aren't buying Beyoncé as a country artist — they see the record as a cash grab," one insider said, and there is still a larger skepticism toward whether her authenticity exists in the transition to another genre of music.

Beyoncé didn't leave the Grammy Awards empty-handed in February, winning both Best Country Album and Album of the Year honors; however, those awards haven't been without complications, as some rumors and whispers say her husband, Jay-Z, played a part in ensuring she won those awards. These controversies only added another layer of uncertainty to her place in the country music industry.