When the Country Music Association presents the 58th annual CMA Awards on Nov. 20, it will mark the last date on the calendar that the organization's trophy event has ever been held.
The late date set a precedent when the Recording Academy revealed the nominees for the 67th Grammy Awards on Nov. 8, the first announcement date in the show's history. It's the first time the Grammys and CMAs have lined up at the same time: Each has announced its final vote, but neither has revealed any of its winners.
As a result, the differences in the approaches of the two institutions to the country are even more pronounced than in previous years. Houston native Beyonce is the clearest example of the dichotomy. Her country-hybrid album, Cowboy Carterand seven of its tracks garnered 11 Grammy nominations, making her the top finalist in the entire competition. Her portfolio includes entries in each of four categories for each country: Best Country Song (“Texas Hold'Em”), Best Country album (Cowboy Carter), Best Country Solo Performance (“16 Carriages”) and Best Country Duo/Group Performance (“II Most Wanted,” featuring Miley Cyrus).
But Beyoncè's crossover material was completely absent from the CMA ballot.
Cody Johnson I Contributor: Chris Douglas
On the contrary, fellow Texan Cody Johnson tied for second at the CMA hardware royale with five nominations, including nominations among the finalists for Male Vocalist and album of the Year (Skin). But his great traditional voice was left off the Grammy list.
The differences between the two award shows were built into their missions. The CMA is a Nashville-based trade organization dedicated to promoting the country format and includes many marketers, media and executives among its members. Its origins date back to the late 1950s, when Music City leaders were united in fear that the emergence of young rock'n'roll could destroy the country's very existence.
The Recording Academy is a multi-genre institution based in Santa Monica, California, focused primarily on the creative side of the business.
The academy and the CMA share many common values and goals, which means they share many candidates. This year, 10 artists appear on the CMA list and Grammy country field, among them Laney Wilson, Morgan Wallen, Shaboozey, Jelly roll and Chris Stapleton.
But the histories and structures of the organizations also create some specific differences, and the ways in which they diverge have the greatest influence on the oppositions on their ballots. CMA voters, representing a single figure with a large bloc of members in the genre's homeland, operate with an air of protectionism. They tend to reward artists and works that preserve the country's identity, even as they help advance the genre. They also tend to honor people they see on a regular basis, meaning candidates mostly live in Music City or visit and socialize often. As a result, Megan Moroney, Parker McCollum, Mrs. A, Maddie & Tae, Brooks & Dunn and Old Dominion they're all CMA nominees, though they didn't quite make the Grammy ballot.
Grammy voters, following the dictates of creativity, are more likely to celebrate songs and artists who color outside the lines. The academy tends to champion certain artists for long periods of time, but even those Grammy favorites with strong traditional roots — such as Willie Nelson and Kacey Musgraveswho both appear on the current ballot — arrived as rebel spirits. Similarly, the CMA has often celebrated country acts whose style transcends mainstream commercialism and left-of-center sounds, such as the eclectic red-dirt artist Lyle Lovettpopular Mary Chapin Carpenter and jomba Dwight Yoakam.
Traditional country icons George Strait and Alan Jackson further highlight the differences between the Grammys and the CMAs. They rank third and fourth on the all-time CMA winners list, with 17 and 16 wins, respectively. But they've only won three Grammys between them.
Much has been made of Beyoncè's absence from this year's CMAs, with several critics suggesting the embarrassment was cold-blooded racism in action. No doubt it played a role in some voting, but if that was the only factor, it's likely that neither Shaboozey — who is up for New Artist and Single of the Year with “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” — nor the nominees for vocal duet The War and the Treaty would be on the ballot at the Nov. 20 ceremony.
Certainly, the country has made more of an effort to support black artists and executives in recent years. And many in the field were excited about Beyoncè's prospects of entering the realm of country and perhaps expanding the genre's audience.
But he announced it very strongly Cowboy Carter was a Beyoncè album, not just a country release, and to many insiders, it feels more like an artist playing with sound than immersing herself in it. Given the choice, CMA voters—in their interest in preserving country's identity—have always been likely to choose talent who seems committed to country over an artist dipping their toe in the water for an album. And in the fields where he seemed most likely to have a shot – album, single, song, music event or female singer – it's not like there's anyone who doesn't belong on the ballot.
On the contrary, Post Malone spent plenty of time with country creatives while making F-1 Trisinvesting himself in the culture and nabbing four CMA nods in the process.
Ultimately, with CMA and Grammy nominees both awaiting final results, the different views of the awards show seem to embody the crossover between tradition and progressiveness. The desire to protect the shape's sound is valid, as is the artistic interest in pushing its boundaries and mixing it with other sounds and traditions.
The two awards, taken together, validate both views of the genre. Both performances and both approaches to music are essential. And welcome.
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