Carrie Underwood leads list of ACM Awards nominees

Carrie Underwood is in good company. Of course, a reigning ACM Artist of the Year has already been kicked out of a gender-specific artist category, but you have to go a long way back to find that instance, and even then there were extenuating circumstances.

While Underwood, ACM Artist of the Year 2020, has a nomination for the 2021 ACM Awards, it’s not in one of the main categories. His fans noticed:

The last time Underwood didn’t get a nod, Gretchen Wilson brought the gear back – it never happened in the superstar’s 15-year career. One could argue that Underwood was in between studio albums (at least country studio albums), and that she only had one Top 20 hit with “Drinking Alone”.

But we won’t make that argument – Underwood has been snubbed like few have been before. Maybe she shouldn’t get any bonus points for her legacy, but that would go against the previous 55 years of country music awards. She’s one of the biggest stars on the planet, and with a Christmas album, book, documentary and a win on the 2020 show, she deserved to be nominated.

She is not alone either. Here are eight more snubs and surprises among the 2021 ACM Awards nominations. They include artists like Dan + Shay and Chris Stapleton, as well as songs and albums.