Billy Ray Cyrus Uses Muhammad Ali's Quote To Slam Beyoncé's CMA Snub

Country singer Billy Ray Cyrus comes to superstar Beyoncé's defense after her big snub.

The music legend took to Instagram to celebrate the nominees and left a few words on the marble addressing the body's decision to snub the R&B singer.

Billy Ray Cyrus's comments come months after Beyoncé failed to snatch a win at the People's Choice Country Awards despite 17 whopping nominations.

The icon uploaded a short clip featuring a collage of him and rapper Lil Nas X at the 2019 edition of the award. The post was accompanied by a lengthy caption which began:

"Congratulations to ALL @cma nominees! I'm so happy and proud to see country music opening their doors and format to be inclusive to all people, all styles. @lilnasx and I won this award in 2019 for Event Of The Year... but you wouldn't have seen it because they didn't air it in the show."

He then expressed his surprise at their decision to ignore Beyoncé's project despite breaking so many records and her single ruling the year. "But she knows that. She doesn't need a trophy from the CMA... or permission.... or approval from any of their judges," Cyrus wrote.

The catchy part of the caption that got some fans talking was when he used a famous quote from the legendary boxer Muhammad Ali, writing:

"When ya knock em out.... Ya don't need no judge."

The 58th edition of the CMA will be held on Wednesday, November 20, 2024, at the Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, Tennessee, and will be hosted by Luke Bryan, Peyton Manning, and Lainey Wilson.

The singer's post got multiple reactions from music lovers in the comments, who praised him for being a voice of reason and lending his perspective to the issue. This fan wrote:

"I appreciate you cheering on the others. You have a kind spirit."

Another user gave him his props, noting that no one has had a greater impact on the country genre than the star since he "debuted hot on the Nashville scene back in 1992."

"Billie thanks for giving honor but Truth to the Country awards. When you knock out, you don't need a judge," another music fan echoed his Ali sentiment. More commenters congratulated the talented songwriter for his previous feat and the nominees for their possible win tonight.

The year 2024 has been a tumultuous year for the "Cowboy Carter" hitmaker regarding awards, and Cyrus' observation is absolutely valid at least according to many music fans.

The Blast shared that the star's first attempt at a country album with "Cowboy Carter" was poorly rewarded by the People's Choice Country Awards despite an initial nod with 17 nominations.

Beyoncé lost out in major categories, including People's Artist, Album of the Year, Song of the Year, and Female Artist. The album's loss was a huge shock as it had huge financial gains and brushed shoulders with projects from stars like Taylor Swift and Billie Eilish. 

Despite the snub, the star got her flowers during the show from country music newbie Shaboozey gave her a special shout-out during his acceptance speech for Best New Artist.

The "A Bar Song (Tipsy)" singer thanked the singer for being "amazing." He also featured alongside Beyoncé on her first country album.

Cyrus' Muhammad Ali's quote perfectly described the sterling performance of the album on the charts despite being a newcomer on the scene. The singer became the first Black woman to snag the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart.

She reacted to the news in a statement extending her gratitude to all her fans and those who gave her first country project a chance. "Thank you from the bottom of my heart to all of the supporters of 'Texas Hold' Em' and '16 Carriages.'" She began.

The star noted that she felt "honored to be the first Black woman with the number one single on the Hot Country Songs chart." In her concluding sentence, Beyoncé admitted that:

"It feels good to see how music can unite so many people around the world while also amplifying the voices of some of the people who have dedicated so much of their lives educating on our musical history."

The "Jolene" singer stands on the other side of the divide regarding CMA's action as The Blast noted that she saw it as the award show simply choosing to honor veteran singers over breakout artists. In her words:

"Well, you never know.There's so many wonderful country artists that, I guess, probably the country music field, they probably thought, well, we can't really leave out some of the ones that spend their whole life doing that."

However, the actress noted that Beyoncé did an excellent job with her album and should be "very very proud" of the highly acclaimed project. Parton shared that nearly everyone in the genre welcomed Beyoncé with open arms, meaning the CMA meant no malice with their decision.

"I think it was just more of what the country charts and the country artists were doing, that do that all the time, not just a specialty album," she concluded.