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Many music fans everywhere are furious with the Country Music Awards (CMAs) after Shaboozey walked away with zero wins last night.
As many are aware, the 58th annual ceremony occurred last night and featured many big names, including Luke Bryan and Shaboozey. The latter has had a stellar year in the genre after appearing on Beyoncé’s chart-topping album, Cowboy Carter. Shaboozey, whose real name is Collins, released “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” in April 2024. After it hit streaming platforms, the single became a worldwide hit. The track recently hit 18 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, making it tied for the longest-running No. 1 of the 2020s.
Because of the single’s success, Shaboozey was nominated for two awards during the 2024 CMAs. However, the singer lost in both categories (new artist and single of the year). Following the live show, many fans rushed to social media to share their feelings about the snub. “The fact that Shaboozey didn’t win a single Country Music Award despite having the [No. 1] country song for like 3 months straight is proof that they don’t want somebody black to be the face of country music.” But that’s not all. After a clip of Cody Johnson’s music producer, Trent Willmon, saying his artist has been “kicking shaboozey for years” went viral, watchers unleashed.
He Said What? Fans Are Livid With the CMAS for Disrespecting Black Artists
As Cody Johnson went to accept his award for album of the year, his producer made the interesting comment mentioned above. It’s unclear exactly what he meant by that. Was that a saying his parents said growing up? Or was he throwing shade at the rising artist (who, by the way, has created a cultural movement with his single)?
@KyleCoroneos shared their feelings on X, formerly Twitter. “Yes, Cody Johnson’s producer Trent Willmon just said that Cody Johnson has been “kicking Shaboozey for a lot of years” after Johnson won Album of the Year. You have to believe that was intentional.”
Someone replied to the post, saying Willmon’s statement was “a disgusting reminder of the racism infecting our country music.”
Another user shared the clip, saying the CMAS “have a race issue.” They continued, saying the association is “racist” and “disrespectful.”
These strong reactions aren’t a surprise, either. In case you missed it, the CMAs have been dragged before after removing Beyoncé’s surprise performance of “Daddy Lessons” from their website in 2016. Despite the “Single Ladies” singer delivering the show’s highest-rated 15 minutes ever, they scrubbed the moment from their archives. But it doesn’t stop there. In 2024, the CMAs left her off the ballot box even though she had a No. 1 country single and album.
Shaboozey Responds to the CMAs and Cody Johnson
Shaboozey certainly felt the love following last night’s CMA show. Following the show, the hitmaker hopped onto X to share a photo of him smiling in his dazzling outfit. “Ain’t nobody kicking me!” he captioned the post.
Hours later, Shaboozey shared more of his feelings about the situation online.
“Win or lose, I’m blessed by something or someone that has a power beyond my understanding,” he wrote. “I’m here today hopefully living in my purpose, and if my music makes even the tiniest positive impact in someone’s life, I can die with a smile. Country music changed my life, and I’m forever grateful to it and for it.”
In other news, Shaboozey has more to look forward to. The 29-year-old recently picked up several Grammy nominations for his work on Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter. He’s up for five gramophones, including nominations for “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” and “Spaghettii.”
