18 Weeks at No. 1, No Awards: Shaboozey’s CMA Snub Sparks Backlash

Shaboozey fans are reeling after his viral hit “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” failed to take home Single of the Year at the 2024 CMA Awards. But despite an astonishing 18 weeks spent at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100- just one week shy of dethroning Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road” as the longest-running No. 1 single in the 29-year-old artist walked away empty-handed.

The prestigious award instead went to Chris Stapleton for his song “White Horse,” which conquered the tightly contested category ahead of Shaboozey, Cody Johnson, Post Malone, and Lainey Wilson. To add salt to the wound, Shaboozey was also up for Best New Artist but failed to secure that honor as well.

Fans took to social media to voice their frustration, with many calling the CMA snub a blatant oversight.

You mean to tell me that a young black man like Shaboozey who dropped the biggest country single of the decade didn't win any awards at the Country Music Awards?

Shocking! I'm shocked! pic.twitter.com/92srohp4sW

— Sisa (@TheTitanBaddie) November 21, 2024

And that's why all those comments dolly, tierra and the like made didn't mean shit. Shaboozey played their little game, went to Nashville, has the biggest song of the year & they still played him. It's not about how well you submit to them, you are BLACK at the end of the day. https://t.co/YghdYLubG2

— POC? Bitch, I'm Black (@StopLaughinHoe) November 21, 2024

They told Beyoncé to come to Nashville. Come hang with us. Make your presence felt. Shaboozey played the game. Did what was encouraged to get “welcomed” in Country music and despite having the number one record in the country, breaking the record, they gave him ZERO awards. LOL https://t.co/l0bgMbOW8U

— MONIE.🌹 (@xmonielove) November 21, 2024

Shaboozey’s night wasn’t without its highlights. The singer delivered a show-stopping performance of “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” during the ceremony, which had the audience on their feet. He also surprised fans with the debut of a brand-new track titled “Highway,” hinting that more hits are on the horizon.

Despite “A Bar Song’s” critical success and its strong commercial output, many feel CMAs failed to fully embrace the groundbreaking artist. To his credit, Shaboozey has been able to dissolve boundaries between genres, incorporating country, hip-hop, and pop into one, eloquently meshing styles for a widespread appeal.

This isn’t Shaboozey’s first snub to make headlines. The rising star appeared on Beyoncé’s “Cowboy Carter” earlier this year, which he said was “one of the most innovative country albums of all time.” Though that album was critically lauded, it too didn’t take home any CMAs, putting a wider scrutiny on what the industry does-or recognizes in terms of genre-bending projects.

While the CMAs may not have shown him love, Shaboozey’s year is far from over. The artist is up for six Grammy Awards in 2025, including Record of the Year and Song of the Year for “A Bar Song (Tipsy).” Fans are hopeful the Recording Academy will give him the recognition they believe he deserves.

Meanwhile, Shaboozey remains on top of his wave. With an ever-growing fanbase and genre-bending style, not to mention new music coming down the pipeline, it’s obvious his career is just getting underway- regardless of what the CMA Awards said.

As one fan so succinctly phrased it: “The CMAs might have snubbed Shaboozey, but they can’t take away what he’s achieved. Grammy season is about to be a whole different story.”