Dolly Parton shares her thoughts on Beyoncé not receiving any CMA Award nominations for her collaboration with Cowboy Carter.
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Parton appears on two tracks from ‘Cowboy Carter,’ and Beyoncé also delivers her own rendition of the classic hit “Jolene” on the chart-topping album.
Was Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter intentionally overlooked at the 2024 CMA Awards? Dolly Parton doesn’t believe so.
Despite the album not earning any nominations for the upcoming 58th Annual CMA Awards, the country legend—who collaborated on two tracks—shared her thoughts with Variety on why it may have been left out of the awards consideration.
“Well, you just never know,” said the 78-year-old singer-songwriter, who contributed to the songs “Dolly P” and “Tyrant,” while Beyoncé, 43, covered her classic hit “Jolene” for the album.
“There are so many incredible country artists who dedicate their entire lives to this genre, so I think the CMA voters felt they couldn’t overlook those artists,” Parton explained. “I didn’t even notice the lack of nominations until someone pointed it out. But it was a wonderful album.”
The “Here You Come Again” singer added that Beyoncé “should be very, very proud of [the album], and I think the country music community appreciated her effort and thought it was great.”
“So, I don’t believe it was about purposely excluding her,” Parton continued. “It’s more about recognizing the work of artists who consistently contribute to the genre, rather than just honoring a special project.”
After its March release, Cowboy Carter debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. The album produced the chart-topping single “Texas Hold ‘Em” on the Billboard Hot 100, along with two other top-10 hits, “II Most Wanted” and Beyoncé’s rendition of “Jolene.”
Nominations for the 58th Annual CMA Awards were announced on September 6, with Morgan Wallen leading with seven nods. Chris Stapleton and Cody Johnson followed with five nominations each, while Post Malone and Lainey Wilson earned four each.
Luke Combs, Jelly Roll, Megan Moroney, and Kacey Musgraves all received three nominations, along with producers and songwriters Louis Bell, Charlie Handsome, and Hoskins.
During her interview with Variety, Parton discussed her involvement in both Cowboy Carter and Post Malone’s recent country album, F-1 Trillion. “I’ve been lucky enough to be part of both albums,” she shared.
Regarding Beyoncé’s project, Parton said, “She included ‘Jolene,’ and I thought the album was fantastic. She’s a country girl at heart, growing up in Texas and Louisiana, so it wasn’t like she just jumped into the genre without any background.”
Parton also praised Post Malone, saying, “He’s always loved country music, and I had the chance to do a duet with him on his album. I think it’s a phenomenal record. I really believe both albums are great.”