Billy Ray Cyrus Praise Beyoncé After She’s Snubbed By The CMAs

Billy Ray Cyrus shared his thoughts on Beyoncé being shut out of the CMA awards.

In the Instagram post on Wednesday, Cyrus congratulated all of the CMA nominees: “I’m so happy and proud to see country music opening its doors and format to be inclusive to all people, all styles. @lilnasx 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.”

Following his congratulations, Cyrus noted Beyoncé’s lack of nominations despite her hit debut country album, Cowboy Carter.

He wrote, “I was surprised to see @beyonce 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.”

Cowboy Carter, which came out in March, is the first album by a black woman to reach No. 1 on the Top Country Albums Billboard chart, and her lead single “Texas Hold ‘Em” was the first country song by a black woman to top the Billboard Hot 100. Wildly successful in ushering in a new era of country music, Cowboy Carter earned 11 nominations at the 67th annual Grammys Awards – making it the second most-nominated album in history.

However, despite Cowboy Carter’s overwhelming success, many country music fans have refused to accept the singer’s work as a part of the genre; country singer Luke Bryan offered the controversial advice that Beyoncé should “come into our word and be country with us a little bit.”

The CMA’s lack of acknowledgment for the new epoch of country music a black woman’s album has brought to the genre speaks to the overpowering presence of white males in the industry. A 2023 study found that 2.6% of the artists who received air time on radio stations were people of color, while black women received just barely 0.03% of radio airplay (none of which was during the day). 

Cyrus concluded his message with a quote from Muhammad Ali: “When ya knock em out…. Ya don’t need no judge.” 

Cyrus won his first CMA in 1992 for “Achy Breaky Heart” as single of the year. He won his second in 2019 for his collaboration song “Old Town Road” with Lil Nas X.