Carrie Underwood Leads List of ACM Awards Nomination Snubs

Carrie Underwood is in good company. Sure, a reigning ACM Entertainer of the Year has been shut out of a gender-specific artist category before, but you have to go back a long time to find that instance, and even then, there were extenuating circumstances.

While Underwood, the 2020 ACM Entertainer of the Year, has one nomination for the 2021 ACM Awards, it's not in one of the primary categories. Her fans noticed, too:

The last time Underwood didn't get a nod, Gretchen Wilson took home the hardware — in other words, it has never happened during the superstar's 15-year career. An argument could be made that Underwood was between studio albums (country studio albums, at least), and she only had a single Top 20 hit with "Drinking Alone."

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

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

2021 ACM Nomination Snubs and Surprises:

Carrie Underwood is a snub, while Kane Brown is a surprise. An argument could be made for an overhaul to Song or Single of the Year categories, while one country male must have woken up on Friday morning (Feb. 26) and thought, "Well, isn't that something?"

Here is a list of nine ACM snubs and surprises, based on fan response and Taste of Country staff opinion.

After relocating from Las Vegas to Nashville in 2020 out of necessity during the COVID-19 pandemic, the ACM Awards are back in Music City in 2021. As showrunners did last year, they're spreading this year's event out across iconic venues (the Grand Ole Opry House, the Ryman Auditorium and the Bluebird Cafe), though a few performances will take place elsewhere. They'll be following local guidelines related to the pandemic, as well as additional, self-imposed safety measures.

The 2021 ACM Awards are set for Sunday (April 18) and will begin at 8PM ET. They will air live on CBS and be available to stream on Paramount+; sign up for the streaming service here.

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2021 ACM Awards Nominees: The Full List

Maren Morris and Chris Stapleton lead all 2021 ACM Awards nominees with six each and Miranda Lambert has five, including Female Artist of the Year. Thomas Rhett and Ashley McBryde will be up for four ACM awards on April 18. The CBS broadcast will award trophies for Entertainer, Song and Album of the Year, in addition to Duo and Group of the Year. This is a list of all ACM Awards nominations for 2021.