Whoopi Goldberg Weighs in on Beyoncé’s CMA Snub: ‘It Wasn’t For Them’

Whoopi Goldberg weighed in on the conversation surrounding Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter album and its lack of nominations at the 2024 CMA Awards, offering a pragmatic take.

While many have expressed disappointment over the “snub”, Goldberg believes it wasn’t a case of being overlooked. “A lot of people are surprised — I don’t know why — that it didn’t receive a single CMA Award nomination,” Goldberg stated on The View.

“I don’t think she was snubbed, I think they just didn’t… it wasn’t for them.”

Goldberg’s perspective comes as part of a larger conversation sparked by the Cowboy Carter album, which marks Beyoncé’s foray into country music. Released in March, the album has performed remarkably well, peaking at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 – her eighth record to do so – and staying on the Top Country Albums chart for an entire month.

Despite the album’s commercial success, the country music industry has been slow to embrace it fully, a sentiment echoed by some of Goldberg’s cohosts.

Sunny Hostin expressed her surprise at the lack of recognition for two tracks in particular: Beyoncé’s reimagining of Dolly Parton’s classic “Jolene” and the original song “Texas Hold ‘Em.”

“I thought she would at least get nominated for those two,” Hostin said, referencing how even Parton herself had given Beyoncé her blessing to cover “Jolene,” even appearing on the track to introduce it.

“But, my mother always told me, ‘Find the audience that’s looking for you.’ This audience isn’t looking for her,” Hostin concluded.

Alyssa Farah Griffin chimed in, pointing out that while industry insiders might not have been supportive, fans certainly were. “The Country Billboard charts do not lie,” she added. However, Goldberg reminded her that fans and voters don’t always see eye to eye.

Sara Haines rounded out the discussion by pointing out that awards aren’t necessarily the ultimate validation, remarking, “The best revenge is success.”

The conversation on The View follows comments made by Beyoncé’s father, Mathew Knowles, who has been vocal about his disappointment with the CMA Awards.

In an interview with TMZ, Knowles said, “There’s more white people in America and unfortunately they don’t vote based on ability and achievements. It’s still sometimes a white and Black thing.”

Knowles also referenced Beyoncé’s controversial performance with the Dixie Chicks at the 2016 CMAs, noting that the show never properly acknowledged her contribution.

Though the Cowboy Carter snub left many puzzled, the album’s chart performance speaks volumes. It dominated the Billboard 200 for two weeks and made Beyoncé the first Black woman to top the Hot Country Songs chart with “Texas Hold ‘Em.”

The album boasts a diverse lineup of billed guest artists, including Tanner Adell, Beyoncé’s daughter Rumi Carter, Miley Cyrus, Willie Jones, Tiera Kennedy, Linda Martell, Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton, Post Malone, Reyna Roberts, Shaboozey and Brittney Spencer.

Among the many additional players on the album: 070 Shake, Jon Batiste, Ryan Beatty, Gary Clark Jr., The-Dream, Rhiannon Giddens, Paul McCartney, Pharrell, Robert Randolph, Nile Rodgers, Raphael Saadiq, Sara Watkins and Stevie Wonder.