Every awards season, we complain about how various movie awards are structured, the weird rules, the implicit racism. But the Oscars and the critics’ awards are practically transparent compared to the Grammys and how the Recording Academy decides who gets nominated and who wins. There’s so much secrecy and BS. Well, as soon as Beyonce released Cowboy Carter, we knew it was Beyonce challenging the way country music is recognized and awarded. The Country Music Awards have already shown their ass by refusing to nominate Beyonce for anything. Will the Grammys double-down on the racism? Well, maybe not?
Queen Bey’s latest album, Cowboy Carter, will compete for best country album while Carpenter — whose pop star breakthrough came with the release of her sixth album this year — will appear on the ballot for best new artist, according to a source.
The Recording Academy held its screening committee meeting last week, where members determined the categories in which albums or songs will compete, as well as who qualified for best new artist, where Carpenter is the frontrunner along with Chappell Roan. Over the years, the Academy has updated the rules for best new artist to keep up with the ever-changing music industry, and in the past it has been criticized because it placed a song and album limit, disqualifying certain performers.
Other best new artist contenders include Shaboozey, Benson Boone, Teddy Swims and Megan Moroney. First-round Grammy voting begins Friday until Oct. 15. Nominations will be announced Nov. 8 and final voting is from Dec. 12, 2024, through Jan. 3, 2025. The live show will air on Feb. 2, 2025, from the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.
Beyoncé’s submission to best country album comes seven years after the Academy’s country committee rejected her twangy song “Daddy Lessons” from 2016’s Lemonade. Last month, the 43-year-old singer was heavily snubbed at the CMA Awards, where she received zero nominations for Cowboy Carter and its No. 1 single “Texas Hold ‘Em.” She also lost in the 17 categories she was nominated for at last week’s People’s Choice Country Awards.
If Beyoncé — the most decorated artist in Grammy history — earns a best country album nod, it would be her first in the genre and she would become the rare artist who has scored nominations across multiple genres at the Grammys. At the 2017 show, she made history with Lemonade as the first artist to garner nods in the rock, rap, R&B and pop fields in the same year.
For whatever record, Chappell Roan and Sabrina Carpenter are not technically new artists. But whatever – they’re using that category to reward artists who have had a breakout year. BNA should go to Shaboozey anyway, which is why you know it will go to Chappell. As for Beyonce finally being included in the country music categories… I assume that she will get nominated once the ballots are tallied, but there will probably be backlash either way. Speaking of, Luke Bryan was asked this week about the CMAs snubbing Beyonce and Cowboy Carter. Luke said something kind of bizarre (he was really nervous, he knows about the Beyhive):
“Everybody loved that Beyoncé made a country album. 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. 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.”
Beyonce literally made an excellent country song (Daddy Lessons) eight years ago and performed the song at the CMAs with the Dixie Chicks and country music fans made it clear that Beyonce isn’t welcome in their world and that she didn’t “belong” on stage at the CMAs. That’s the whole reason why Bey made Cowboy Carter – she was reclaiming space in country music. “Come to an awards show and high five us and have fun and get in the family, too…” Try inviting her. Ask her to perform “Texas Hold ‘Em” at the CMAs. Welcome her into your toxic bro-country club. Oh wait.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Beyonce’s social media.
