Beyoncé has been snubbed by the Country Music Awards (CMAs), despite having one of the biggest country hits of the year with 'Texas Hold 'Em' off her recent chart-topping album Cowboy Carter.

The CMA nominees and winners are voted on each year the 7,300 individuals in the Country Music Association trade group, after three rounds of ballots. When the nominees for the ceremony were announced on Monday morning, the singer was notably absent, receiving not a single nomination.

Beyoncé was widely expected to be a favourite at the awards, with some speculating she could become the first Black woman to be shortlisted for album of the year with Cowboy Carter.

In a surprise twist for many Beyoncé and country fans alike, Morgan Wallen bagged the most nominations, with 7 to his name, despite being banned from attending the ceremony and deemed ineligible in 2021 after he was caught using a racial slur on camera. Last year, his double album One Thing At A Time was nominated for album of the year at the Country Music Awards (CMAs).

This year, he picks up four nominations as a featured artist on the hit song 'I Had Some Help' by Post Malone - a pop artist who, like Beyoncé, has not traditionally been part of the country establishment.

Shaboozey, who is featured on Cowboy Carter, also picks up two nominations - best new artist and single of the year, for 'A Bar Song (Tipsy)'.

'Texas Hold 'Em' artwork

That song replaced Beyoncé's 'Texas Hold 'Em' at the top of the US country charts in April, making Shaboozey the first Black male artist to top the country chart and the Billboard Hot 100 simultaneously. It also marked the first time that two black artists had claimed the number one spot consecutively.

Earlier this year, Beyoncé hinted that her treatment at a previous CMA ceremony prompted her decision to make a country album.

In 2016, the star attended the CMAs to perform her song 'Daddy Lessons' with The Chicks (then known as the Dixie Chicks). Their performance faced a barrage of criticism - and racism - online.

Natalie Maines, lead vocalist of The Chicks, later told the New York Times that the treatment Beyoncé was given after the show was "disgusting."

In her Instagram post, Beyoncé said Cowboy Carter was "born out of an experience that I had years ago where I did not feel welcome" that prompted her to take "a deeper dive into the history of country".

Her album is the second part of a trilogy that interrogates the roots of American musical traditions and uncovers the often unheralded contributions made by black artists. The single 'Texas Hold 'Em' features banjo chops from Americana legend, and current Irish resident, Rhiannon Giddens.

Billboard classified Cowboy Carter as a country album for chart purposes, and the aforementioned 'Texas Hold 'Em' spent 10 weeks at the top of the country music chart.

Beyoncé also received 12 nominations for the 2024 People's Choice Country Awards - more than any other artist.

The CMA has not commented on their reasons for overlooking her album, but according to their judging criteria, the album of the year prize is "judged on all aspects including, but not limited to, artist’s performance, musical background, engineering, packaging, design, art, layout and liner notes".

Among those shortlisted for album of the year were Kacey Musgraves’ Deeper Well, Luke Combs’ Fathers & Sons, Chris Stapleton’s Higher, Cody Johnson’s Leather and Jelly Roll’s Whitsitt Chapel.

The winners will be revealed at a ceremony at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee on Wednesday, 20 November.