Country music icon Dolly Parton recently shared her perspective on Beyoncé’s surprising lack of CMA Awards nominations for her acclaimed album, Cowboy Carter. The album, which topped charts and received critical praise, was noticeably absent from the list of nominees, raising questions among fans and industry insiders.
In an interview with Variety, Parton acknowledged the snub, suggesting it wasn’t an intentional exclusion. “Well, you never know,” Parton said. “There are so many wonderful country artists, and they probably thought, ‘We can’t really leave out some of the ones that spend their whole life doing that.'”
She emphasized that Beyoncé’s album was “wonderful” and noted that the country music community welcomed her contribution. “I don’t think it was a matter of shutting out, like doing that on purpose,” Parton explained. “It was just more about what the country charts and artists were doing, who do this all the time, not just a specialty album.”
Cowboy Carter, released on March 29, spent four weeks at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart and made Beyoncé the first Black woman to achieve that feat. Despite the CMA not commenting on the lack of nominations, Parton praised Beyoncé’s venture into country music, calling it a “great album” and acknowledging her country roots in Texas and Louisiana.
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