15 Artists Shockingly Left Out of CMA Awards Nominations This Year

Nominees for the 58th Annual CMA Awards were revealed early Monday morning, and while the list of nominations was mostly expected, there were quite a few artists that were surprisingly overlooked. 

Here’s a closer look at 15 artists who missed out on a nod this year.

Kane Brown 

Kane Brown has been snubbed by CMA voters once again. It’s surprising to see an artist who’s selling out stadiums, playing the biggest shows of his career, consistently earning No. 1 hits, and bringing new fans to country music, be overlooked repeatedly. Despite releasing music since 2015, Brown has only received four CMA nominations — none of which are for his solo work. Three were for his collaboration with Chris Young on “Famous Friends,” and the other was for “Thank God” with his wife, Katelyn.

Scotty McCreery 

Another surprising omission from the list of CMA Awards nominees is Scotty McCreery. Despite the release of his album, Rise & Fall, in May and a string of hits, including his latest chart-topper “Cab In A Solo,” McCreery has yet again been overlooked by CMA voters. Since his rise to fame on American Idol, the North Carolina native has repeatedly been ignored by CMA voters, even after delivering a standout album during the voting period. 

HARDY 

HARDY has become a fan favorite in recent years, so it was quite surprising to see his name missing from the list of CMA Awards nominees. Last year, he claimed three trophies for “Wait in the Truck,” but this year, things will play out differently for the singer/songwriter. After releasing his third studio album this summer, HARDY, known for blending country and rock influences, seems to have been overlooked by the CMA voters this time around. Despite his continued success and genre-defying releases, he won’t be taking home any trophies this year.

Carrie Underwood 

Carrie Underwood, who earned a nod for CMA Entertainer of the Year in 2023, is notably absent from the list of CMA Awards nominees this year. Underwood has earned a CMA nomination every year since 2006 and is a seven-time CMA Awards winner. In some ways, her omission from the list is surprising as she maintains a huge presence in Las Vegas, however, in other ways, this is a sign of the changing tides in country music. Additionally, Underwood has not released new music since the deluxe edition of Denim & Rhinestones in fall 2023, and her most recent single fell short of the Top 10 at country radio.

Miranda Lambert 

Another artist fans may notice is missing from the list is Miranda Lambert. Lambert has earned at least one CMA Awards nomination every year since 2005 and is a 14-time CMA Awards winner. This was a bit of a transition year for Lambert, so in some ways, it’s not that shocking to see her name omitted from the list of nominees. She left her longtime label in the spring of 2023 and enjoyed some time as an independent artist. Earlier this year, it was announced that she found a new label home at Republic Records with support from Nashville’s Big Loud. Her new musical era began with the release of “Wranglers” in May and continues with the release of her new album, Postcards From Texas, this week. We’ll likely see Lambert’s name back on the list of nominees next year. 

Jordan Davis 

Following back-to-back Song of the Year nominations in 2022 and 2023, it was surprising to see Jordan Davis not included in this year’s CMA Awards nominations. “Tucson Too Late” was a big hit for him this year, and he’s consistently upping his touring game each year. With new music on the horizon, Davis will likely return to the ballot in 2025. 

Kameron Marlowe 

We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again, Kameron Marlowe’s sophomore album, Keepin’ The Lights On, is undoubtedly one of the year’s top country albums. At the very least, it deserved a nomination for Album of the Year. Additionally, Marlowe’s outstanding vocals make him a strong contender for New Artist of the Year or Male Vocalist. It’s becoming increasingly difficult for newer artists to break through into these categories and this is a prime example of someone who deserves to be there, but was overlooked. 

Luke Bryan 

Luke Bryan has missed out on a CMA Awards nomination for the second consecutive year. Despite being a prominent ambassador for country music through his role on American Idol, his constant touring, and his notable charitable efforts, it wasn’t enough to secure a nomination this year.

Thomas Rhett

Thomas Rhett has not received single CMA Award nomination since 2021, and unfortunately, his streak continues into 2024. While his newest album, About A Woman, was released just after the cutoff date for this year’s eligibility period, Rhett has earned plenty of other accomplishments in that time that should have earned him some recognition in the upcoming awards show, including two No. 1 singles with “Angels (Don’t Always Have Wings)” and “Mamaw’s House” featuring Morgan Wallen. Thomas Rhett also hit the ground running with his 40-city HOME TEAM TOUR 23, bringing his lively energy and love-filled tunes to fans everywhere. 

Beyoncé

Beyoncé has never received a CMA Awards nomination, as her music has typically been associated with pop, R&B, and hip-hop. However, it’s surprising that her name didn’t appear in any of the 2024 categories, especially after she made waves earlier this year with her historic eighth studio album, Cowboy Carter. The country-influenced project gained widespread recognition as it featured some of the most iconic names in country music history, such as Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson and Linda Martell, and also highlighted several rising stars and their efforts in redefining the country music sound. With all these star-studded tracks, the project should have an easy candidate for Musical Event or Album of the Year. 

Carly Pearce 

There’s no doubt that Carly Pearce is a force to be reckoned with, so it was certainly unexpected to see that her name has been left off the nominations list for the 58^th annual CMA Awards. She received recognition at this year’s GRAMMY Awards, but when it came time to be honored in a category that solely aims to celebrate those within the country music genre, Pearce was once again skipped over. The female songstress gained her first CMA nomination in 2019 and has been nominated every year since but has only walked away with three wins in that time. 

Kenny Chesney 

Kenny Chesney is without a doubt a standout act in country music, and that is proven by his ability to sell out stadiums and create the ultimate summertime anthems that regularly see success on the charts. Despite his long-standing impact on the genre and decade’s worth of dedication to his No Shoes Nation fanbase, the CMAs have overlooked him this year. Chesney has been honored at the annual award show many times throughout his career, but this will be his second consecutive year with no nods under his belt. 

Tigirlily Gold 

Sisters Kendra and Krista Slaubaugh of the duo Tigirlily Gold have been working tirelessly to showcase their undeniable talent through their authentic music and powerful girl group energy that is redefining the genre. They further emphasized their dedication across their debut album, Blonde, which was released at the end of July and serves as the perfect introduction to the mission of their career. With all they have accomplished this year, the sister duo would have been an easy set of names to land in the Vocal Duo of the Year category. This year’s competition was clearly tough, but it’s safe to say that fans will not be happy to see that Tigirlily Gold has been excluded. 

Dasha

If there’s anyone who should be in the New Artist of the Year category for the 58^th CMA Awards, it’s Dasha. Earlier this year, she took the industry by storm with her wildly successful tune, “Austin (Boots Stop Workin’),” which peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs Chart and claimed a spot in the Top 20 of the Billboard Hot 100. This addictive track has already opened so many doors for the female songstress, quickly making her a well-known name within the country music community. As a result, she got the chance to make her late-night TV debut, her Grand Ole Opry debut, and most recently kicked off her extensive global tour, Dashville, U.S.A, in Stockholm, SE, where she delivered her first sold-out headlining show. 

Ashley Cooke 

Ashley Cooke has been crossing off milestone after milestone within the past year, making her absence from nominations a noticeable snub. This could have easily been the year she gained her first nomination as her success kicked into high gear with the release of her 24-song debut album, shot in the dark. This collection inspired the name of her first full-length headlining tour in 2023, which saw Cooke performing over 33 shows nationwide and spawned her first No. 1 hit at Country radio, “Your Place.” The powerful breakup anthem rapidly rose to the top of the chart and earned Cooke the title of the second-fastest-growing solo female debut single on Country Aircheck/MediaBase in the last decade. On top of her success on country radio, Ashley Cooke has been excelling on stages across the world while opening for superstars like Jordan Davis and Luke Bryan.