The 60th Annual CMA Awards nominee slate features zero nominations for people of color across all 12 categories, marking a stark regression for Nashville’s premier institutional night.
As The Tennessean reported, the complete absence spans 63 individuals and 11 groups or duos within an eligibility window stretching from July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2026.
The Reality of CMA Balloting
- The nomination field covers 12 categories spanning 63 individuals and 11 groups, with zero people of color included for the first time since 2017.
- Industry experts point to voting structures tied to traditional metrics, major label backing, and country radio airplay as structural bottlenecks.
- Incoming CMA CEO Brittany Schaffer highlighted multiple programs the organization has created to help broaden membership and input from diverse communities.
CMA Members Vote Through Three Rounds Amid Institutional Barriers
The field of nominees for the CMA Awards is chosen by CMA members through three distinct voting rounds. The organization currently counts over 7,000 voting members across 17 professional categories, including artists, musicians, publishers, and talent buyers.
Two industry veterans with record label experience confirmed that company leadership often influences how employees cast their votes. Organizations can coordinate voting when multiple companies share a stake in a specific track, creating high hurdles for independent acts.
Country artist Breland noted the commercial reality of these barriers. Only a couple of Black artists and artists of color in the country music genre still have a record deal,
Breland said, according to The Tennessean. Major labels may encourage internal support for alternative rosters even when artists secure major backing.
Singer-songwriter Rissi Palmer described the reliance on traditional metrics as a primary hurdle. In order to be nominated for a CMA [award], there are certain metrics that you have to hit,
Palmer told The Tennessean, noting that exclusions from country radio block artists from meeting threshold requirements.
Major Projects and Artists Miss the Eligibility Window
Several major projects and artists fell within the July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2026 eligibility window without securing a nod. Shaboozey, whose platinum No. 1 collaboration “Amen” with Jelly Roll won the 2026 Grammy Award for best country duo/group performance in February, was left off the ballot.
Additional artists with strong commercial profiles included previous nominees Kane Brown and The War and Treaty. Emerging talents like Kashus Culpepper, represented by Big Loud Records, also missed out alongside artists such as Pynk Beard, 2’Live Bre, Madelyn Roberts, Maurice the Music, K. Michelle, Sunny Black, and Latina artist Moriah Smallbone.
| Category Metric / Milestone | Historical Context | Current CMA Field (2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Female Representation Share | Historically low representation across songwriting and artist categories | 29% of the field grabbed by female artists and writers |
| Total Voting Members | Expanded since 2023 to include students and diverse professionals | Over 7,000 members across 17 professional categories |
Brittany Schaffer Emphasizes Outreach as Advocates Call for Reform
Incoming CMA CEO Brittany Schaffer emphasized the organization’s ongoing outreach initiatives. Schaffer noted that performers at CMA Fest displayed far greater diversity than the award nominee pool.
The Country Music Association exists to serve the entire country music community, and we want every artist, songwriter and industry professional who calls this genre home to know there’s a place for them here,
Schaffer stated, according to The Tennessean.
Advocates argue that broader structural changes remain necessary. Black Opry co-founder Holly G questioned the reliance on legacy criteria. If we see that the way that we’re nominating is leaving people out, why don’t we just change the nomination?
she asked.
Black Music Action Coalition CEO Willie “Prophet” Stiggers framed the broader institutional question for Music Row. The real issue is who gets invested in, who gets played, who gets marketed, who gets celebrated and ultimately who gets the opportunity to build a lasting career in country music,
Stiggers said.
