Beyoncé’s groundbreaking foray into the country music scene hit an unexpected snag at the 2024 People’s Choice Country Awards, where the megastar walked away without a single win, despite receiving 17 nominations—the second-highest of any artist this year.
The event, which took place on Thursday (September 26), was highly anticipated, especially with Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter album dominating the charts and country airwaves.
The awards, which pride themselves on being “for the people, by the people,” are determined entirely by fan votes. Voting was open from August 13 to August 23, allowing a narrow window for her loyal fanbase to make their voices heard.
Despite being in the running for numerous accolades, Beyoncé shockingly went 0 for 17. However, her presence wasn’t completely overlooked, as Cowboy Carter collaborator Shaboozey gave the pop icon a shout-out during his acceptance speech, thanking her for “being amazing.”
Cowboy Carter, released in March 2024, has been nothing short of a chart-topping phenomenon. It debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, selling 407,000 equivalent album units in its first week—at that time, the largest sales week of the year.
Since then, Taylor Swift’s latest album has edged out Beyoncé’s sales record, but the album’s success still remains impressive. A staggering 23 of its 27 tracks made it onto the Billboard Hot 100, pushing Beyoncé’s career total to an incredible 106 songs on the chart.
This achievement places her among only 17 artists, and just the third woman, to reach over 100 entries since the chart’s inception in 1958.
However, the country world seems to be slow to fully embrace Queen Bey, as she also received zero nominations for the 2024 Country Music Awards, adding to the growing discussion about her place in the genre.
While her contributions to the music industry are undeniable, her absence from these major country award wins is causing fans to question whether the genre is ready to fully recognize her crossover success.
Will Beyoncé’s country music journey continue to face resistance, or will she eventually break down the genre barriers? Only time will tell, but one thing is certain—her influence in music, no matter the genre, is impossible to ignore.
