Here we go again. The 2024 CMA Awards just served up another glaring example of how country music continues to sideline Black artists. Shaboozey, the genre-blending sensation behind “A Bar Song (Tipsy)”—a track that dominated charts and sparked TikTok dance trends—was nominated in multiple categories, including New Artist of the Year and Single of the Year. And yet, when the night was over, he didn’t take home a single award. For a breakout artist who’s redefining country music, this snub feels less like an oversight and more like a systemic problem.

And let’s not forget: Shaboozey isn’t the first to experience this. Black artists have been pushing boundaries in country music for decades, only to be ignored, erased, or outright dismissed by the industry.

Let’s talk about Lil Nas X for a second. When “Old Town Road” dropped in 2019, it became the longest-running No. 1 song in Billboard history. It was a cultural phenomenon—country kids, rap fans, and everyone in between couldn’t get enough. But instead of celebrating Lil Nas X for bringing fresh energy to the genre, Billboard removed the song from its country charts, claiming it didn’t meet the genre’s standards.

Translation? It was too Black for country. It wasn’t until Billy Ray Cyrus jumped on the remix that the industry begrudgingly accepted the track. Even then, Lil Nas X got zero love from the CMA Awards, despite the song breaking records and being the moment.

And that’s just the recent history. The Grand Ole Opry, the so-called heart of country music, has a troubling legacy of excluding Black artists. In the 1920s, DeFord Bailey, a harmonica genius and one of the first Black performers on the Opry stage, was eventually pushed out and erased from its narrative.

Even Charley Pride, a country legend who broke barriers in the 1960s, faced constant racism throughout his career. Fans would write letters asking how a Black man could sing “their” music. And while Pride achieved massive success, the industry’s treatment of him as a one-off novelty rather than a trailblazer speaks volumes.

Fast forward to today, and the CMA Awards still have a diversity problem. Mickey Guyton, the first Black woman to perform at the Academy of Country Music Awards, gave us “Black Like Me”—a raw, emotional anthem about her experiences as a Black woman in America. The song earned her a Grammy nomination but didn’t win her a CMA Award.

Then there’s Beyoncé. When she performed “Daddy Lessons” with the Dixie Chicks at the 2016 CMAs, the backlash was loud and unapologetic. Many country fans argued she didn’t belong in the genre, despite the song being steeped in southern, country roots. And her country-inspired album “Cowboy Carter”? Completely ignored by the CMAs.

Now, Shaboozey’s snub feels like history repeating itself. His ability to fuse hip-hop and country isn’t just innovative—it’s what the genre needs to stay relevant. Yet the CMA’s failure to honor him shows they’re more comfortable upholding outdated traditions than embracing what country music is becoming.

Awards are more than shiny trophies. They’re a way of saying, You belong here. Your work matters. When Black artists are consistently overlooked, the CMA Awards send a clear message: country music isn’t for you.

But here’s the truth: country music doesn’t exist without Black influence. The banjo? Its roots are African. The storytelling traditions that make country music so compelling? Those came from Black and southern folk music. Artists like Lil Nas X, Mickey Guyton, Shaboozey, and Beyoncé aren’t outsiders trying to break into country—they’re reclaiming what’s always been theirs.

The industry’s reluctance to fully embrace them isn’t just unfair—it’s bad for business. Younger audiences want diversity. They want genres to mix and evolve. Ignoring artists like Shaboozey and Lil Nas X doesn’t protect country music’s legacy; it shrinks its future.

The CMA Awards—and the country music industry as a whole—need to wake up. Black artists have been part of country’s story from the beginning, and they’re shaping its future. Recognizing that isn’t radical; it’s overdue.

So, here’s the challenge: Stop treating diversity as a box to check. Start treating Black artists like the trailblazers and innovators they are. Because country music doesn’t just belong to them—it’s better because of them.