Kelly Clarkson has voiced her surprise over Beyoncé’s exclusion from the 2024 CMA Awards nominations, reflecting on her own experiences in the country music scene. Despite Beyoncé’s album, ‘Cowboy Carter’, achieving major commercial success and topping both the Billboard 200 and Top Country Albums charts, it failed to garner any nominations from the Country Music Association.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Clarkson expressed her astonishment at Beyoncé’s absence from the nominations list. “I kind of find it fascinating,” Clarkson said, adding, “I feel like those songs were everywhere.” This sentiment resonates with many fans and critics who are struggling to understand why such a high-profile and successful album didn’t receive any recognition.

‘Cowboy Carter’ was a chart-topping hit, with tracks like “Texas Hold ‘Em” reaching the top of the Billboard Hot 100. Yet, despite this success, the album’s exclusion from CMA consideration has sparked discussions about the barriers faced by artists trying to break into the country genre.

Clarkson, who has navigated her own challenges within the country music world, shared her personal struggles with the genre. She recounted a past experience where someone told her if she wanted to play on country radio, she would have to abandon her pop music career entirely. “I was literally told that to my face at a lunch,” Clarkson recalled. “And I was like, ‘OK, no offense, but I’m not ever gonna just pick one.’”

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Growing up in Texas, Clarkson has always had a strong connection to country music. Despite her efforts to blend country elements into her music, including collaborations with artists like Vince Gill and Jason Aldean, she found that breaking into the genre was particularly challenging. “It just seemed like the door was closed unless I was all-in and had to leave every other genre behind,” she said. “I don’t think people like me, or even Beyoncé, are capable of doing that. It’s not even a desire or a want; it’s just like, we love dabbling.”

Clarkson, who now hosts ‘The Kelly Clarkson Show’, emphasized that for her, the real measure of success is the support of her audience rather than awards. “At the end of the day, I’ve always kind of learned in this industry, it’s not necessarily about the awards, and it’s not necessarily about any of that, really. People are showing up, right?” she said.

Even though Beyoncé didn’t receive CMA nominations, Clarkson believes the true victory for artists lies in their connection with their audience. “People are showing up to my concerts, they like hearing the country stuff from me, they like hearing the pop, they like hearing all the different things,” Clarkson noted. “I’m sure they do with her as well. I think the real win there is that you don’t even need the award.”

The 2024 CMA Awards nominations spotlighted other notable artists, with Morgan Wallen leading the pack with seven nominations. Chris Stapleton and Cody Johnson followed with five nominations each, while Post Malone and Lainey Wilson each received four nominations.