Beyoncé made history and shattered records with her country album, Cowboy Carter. However, her noticeable absence from the nominees' list for the 2024 Academy of Country Music Awards drew even more attention.
The 59th ACM Awards will honor the greatest country musicians and their work at the upcoming ceremony at Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Tex., on Thursday, May 17. The award-giving body will offer live performances from the country industry's biggest names.
However, some remain unaware of the reason why Beyoncé and Cowboy Carter failed to score nominations at the ceremony.
According to the Academy of Country Music's press release, the eligibility period for musicians to submit works for the upcoming ceremony was from January 1, 2023, through December 31, 2023. This means that Beyoncé's 'Cowboy Carter,' released on March 29, was not eligible for the 2024 ACM Awards.
Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter was only released on March 29, making it possible to be considered for the 2025 ACM Awards instead.
The next ACM Awards will see a tough and close competition, as Beyoncé's album has raked several awards since its release. Fans have also embraced the "TEXAS HOLD 'EM" singer's decision to explore the country genre through her eighth studio record.
"The joy of creating music is that there are no rules," she said of her album. "The more I see the world evolving the more I felt a deeper connection to purity."
READ ALSO: Beyoncé Makes History as 1st Black Woman to Score No. 1 Country Album With 'Cowboy Carter'
Beyoncé added, "With artificial intelligence and digital filters and programming, I wanted to go back to real instruments, and I used very old ones. I didn't want some layers of instruments like strings, especially guitars, and organs perfectly in tune. I kept some songs raw and leaned into folk. All the sounds were so organic and human, everyday things like the wind, snaps and even the sound of birds and chickens, the sounds of nature."
Aside from Beyoncé, many country artists will have to wait until 2025 to see whether they can be nominated for the ceremony.
Luke Grimes released his self-titled album in March. Sheryl Crow's Evolution and Kacey Musgraves' Deeper Well also hit the spotlight only this year.
Meanwhile, fans can tune in to learn about the next winners at the ACM Awards.
Luke Combs' Gettin' Old, Chris Stapleton's Higher, Cody Johnson's Leather, Morgan Wallen's One Thing at a Time and Kelsea Ballerini's Rolling Up the Welcome Mat (For Good) are nominated for the Album of the Year. Meanwhile, Ballerini, Musgraves, Lainey Wilson, Ashley McBryde and Megan Moroney are in the Female Artist of the Year category.
READ MORE: Beyoncé Goes Viral After Sweet Interaction With a Young Fan [VIDEO]
