Delaney Hibbits
Arts and Entertainment Editor
Morgan Wallen is one of the biggest names in country music. Wallen shot up in popularity with the release of his double album Dangerous and stayed on top with his latest album, One Thing At A Time.
Despite his success, Wallen faced immense controversy two years ago when he was caught on video using a racial slur while drunk with friends. He dealt with the consequences and used this as an opportunity to apologize and give back to the community he offended. Based on articles and social media pages, Wallen has been forgiven by millions and continues to be a top artist.
However, Wallen has yet to be forgiven by those in charge of music award shows, including the Grammys. The CMAs, CMTs, and ACMs refused to let Wallen be nominated for quite some time. His album and songs may have reached No. 1 on the charts, but his controversy kept him from victory.
It’s been almost three years since Wallen’s situation reached the news, and most individuals have moved on. With the CMA’s occurring on November 8th, it was clear those in charge cannot separate the past from the present. Wallen was nominated for Male Vocalist of the Year, Album of the Year, and Entertainer of the Year, which happens to be the most anticipated category.
Each category was introduced, and the winners were announced. Wallen was not named. Fans were outraged and proceeded to express their frustration on social media. They called it robbery and claimed Wallen was still being snubbed for no reason. This is not the first time Wallen has gone home empty-handed because of the country music politics involved in these shows.
To make matters worse, Wallen was also not included in the list of 2023 Grammy nominees for all categories. He has one of the best-selling albums and the most No. 1 songs on the Billboard 100, but he spends another year being excluded from this recognition.
Fans continue to spiral on platforms like Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. The CMA Instagram page received thousands of comments regarding how the awards are “rigged” and “unfair.” The Grammy’s have been in the entertainment news as a result.
Despite being snubbed, excluded, and almost banned from winning any award on these shows, Wallen continues to be an incredibly successful artist. To start, Wallen has surpassed Drake as the artist with the most singles on the Billboard 100 chart at once. One Thing At A Time debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and held that spot for fifteen weeks.
Wallen is currently on tour for this album and has sold out every show he put together. Fans even begged for more dates when they could not purchase tickets at the original time of sale. If anyone is still stuck on his past, it’s not his fans.
Even though the classic country award shows refuse to give Wallen a win, Billboard has no problem letting him take home a few trophies. The Billboard Music Awards happened on Nov. 19, where Wallen walked away with 11 victories, including Top Country Tour, Top Male Artist, and Top Country Song.
Cancel culture is real and lately has affected all areas of life, including politics and entertainment. Wallen did make a huge mistake but apologized and tried to make up for it. With time, most of society forgave him and let him continue his musical journey. Award shows have yet to see past his controversy.
Morgan Wallen may continue to face such barriers as the months pass, but other platforms will still see him as a success. Billboard, iHeartRadio, and American Music continue to include him in nominations for a chance to walk away with a new award for his resume.
