From Morgan Wallen to Beyonce- 10 country singers who did not attend the 2024 CMA Awards
The 2024 Country Music Association CMA Awards saw a star-studded lineup, with country music's brightest stars gracing the stage, with some notable celebrities missed at the event.
On November 20, 2024, the 58th Annual Country Music Association Awards were hosted at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee. The ceremony, broadcast live on ABC, saw many artists gracing the event, including Luke Bryan, Peyton Manning, Lainey Wilson, and more.
The evening also featured notable performances by top artists, including Kelsea Ballerini, Dierks Bentley, Brooks & Dunn, Luke Bryan, Eric Church, Luke Combs, Post Malone, Thomas Rhett, Shaboozey, Chris Stapleton, Teddy Swims, Molly Tuttle, Lainey Wilson, and Bailey Zimmerman.
From chart-topping hits to longstanding careers, the absence of stars like Morgan Wallen, Beyoncé, Kane Brown, and others caught the attention of fans and industry insiders.
While the ceremony celebrated excellence in country music, ten prominent artists chose to skip the festivities, and this article will explore them.
Beyoncé, Jason Aldean, Brad Paisley, and other artists who did not attend the 2024 CMA Awards
1) Morgan Wallen
The most surprising absence of the evening was Morgan Wallen, who was notably awarded Entertainer of the Year at the 2024 CMA Awards but did not attend the event.
News outlet Taste of Country further noted that Wallen has maintained relatively less activity since concluding his One Night At A Time Tour in October 2024.
2) Beyoncé
Beyoncé was another notable absence from the event, despite her recent release of the critically acclaimed country album Cowboy Carter. According to E! Online, the album achieved the biggest debut of the year for a country record and spent several weeks atop Billboard's Top Country Albums chart.
However, it was not nominated at the CMA Awards, leading to speculation that this omission may have influenced Beyoncé's decision not to attend.
3) Kane Brown
Kane Brown was also absent from the 2024 CMA Awards, as he is currently on The High Road Tour in Australia. On the same night as the Country Music Association Awards, Brown performed at Australia's ARIA Awards, aligning with his ongoing international commitments.
4) Jason Aldean
Jason Aldean did not attend the 2024 CMA Awards, and according to Taste of Country, his decision to skip the event may have been influenced by the fact that he did not receive any nominations this year. In 2019, Aldean won the Musical Event of the Year for Drowns the Whiskey.
5) Zach Bryan
Zach Bryan was notably absent from the 2024 CMA Awards despite being nominated for Musical Event of the Year for his collaboration with Kacey Musgraves on I Remember Everything. The artist has not publicly commented on the reason for his absence.
6) Brad Paisley
Brad Paisley has been closely associated with the Country Music Association Awards for many years. However, he has not attended the event since 2018. The reason for his absence remains unknown.
7) Hardy
In 2023, Hardy won two major CMA Awards: Song of the Year for Wait in the Truck, a collaboration with Lainey Wilson, and Musical Event of the Year for the same song, recognizing its impactful storytelling and the powerful duet with Wilson.
However, in 2024, Hardy was not nominated for a CMA Award, which may have contributed to his decision not to attend the event.
8) Lady A
Lady A was nominated for Vocal Group of the Year at the 2024 CMA Awards, but they chose not to attend the event. The reason for their absence has yet to be disclosed.
9) Zac Brown
The reason for Zac Brown's absence from the 2024 Country Music Association Awards remains unknown. However, it is notable that they were nominated for Vocal Group of the Year, a category that Old Dominion ultimately won.
10) Tim McGraw
McGraw chose not to attend, and the reasons for his absence are not specified. Notably, he was also not nominated in any of the categories. However, as per Taste Of Country, his current single, One Bad Habit, is charting in the Top 5.
None of the artists have publicly commented on their absence from the 2024 CMA Awards.
