Seems like Billy Ray Cyrus is a little salty about the CMA Awards.
The “Achy Breaky Heart” singer took to his Instagram earlier in the week to congratulate CMA Award nominees, and then provided somewhat of a backhanded remark directed at the annual awards show for not giving more coverage to he and Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road” when that song took home a trophy:
“Congratulations to ALL CMA nominees! I’m so happy and proud to see country music opening their doors and format to be inclusive to all people, all styles. Lil Nas X and I won this award in 2019 for ‘Event Of The Year’… but you wouldn’t have seen it because they didn’t air it in the show.”
Tell us how you really feel, Mr. Cyrus…
Billy Ray then used that last line as a segue to share his thoughts on the snubbing-heard-round-the-world of Beyoncé. There were many music fans – and members of the “Bey Hive” – that thought the R&B singer was deserving to at least be nominated for Cowboy Carter. One of those people was none other than Billy Ray Cyrus:
“I was surprised to see Beyoncé wasn’t nominated? Her album was brilliant… her single ruled. But she knows that. She doesn’t need a trophy from the CMA… or permission… or approval from any of their judges.”
There was much speculation about whether or not the “Texas Hold ‘Em” singer would be included in this year’s CMA nominations. And when the lists of nominees came out with Beyoncé nowhere to be found, some felt as though she was snubbed, while others felt as though her album Cowboy Carter wasn’t enough to garner nomination.
To be clear, the CMA Award nominations are determined through a three-round ballot process. The first round ballot consists of write-in submissions, the second-round is highest vote getters from those write-ins, and then the third round ballot establishes the top five in each category.
According to the Washington Post, Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter made made it through to the second-round ballot for Album of the Year, and she reached that stage as well for Female Vocalist of the Year, but neither ultimately made the top five.
Some CMA voters were directly asked why Beyoncé didn’t receive any nominations, and many pointed at a line that the pop singer used when she announced her 2024 album. In her Instagram post, Beyoncé stated that Cowboy Carter was a “Beyoncé album,” and not a “country album.” That lead many to conclude that it shouldn’t be nominated for country music awards.
Cyrus concluded his pro-Beyoncé message with a quote from the late, great Muhammad Ali. He suggested that the “16 Carriages” singer didn’t need any recognition for her album, because deep down she knows that she left her mark on the country music industry – even if she was only intertwined with country for a short amount of time:
“‘When ya knock em out… Ya don’t need no judge’. – Muhammad Ali.”
Sure, Billy…. whatever you say….