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Country Music’s Unfinished Business: Why the CMA Awards Keep Snubbing Black Artists

Shaboozey’s CMA shutout is the latest example of country music ignoring Black artists who are helping to advance the genre.

Black artists have been pushing boundaries in country music for decades, only to be ignored, erased, or outright dismissed by the industry. When Black artists are consistently overlooked, the CMA Awards send a clear message: country music isn’t for you. Ignoring artists like Shaboozey and Lil Nas X doesn’t protect country music’s legacy; it shrinks its future.

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