ACM Awards: Reba McEntire Calls out Lack of Female Artists Nominated for Entertainer of the Year

During her opening monologue at the Academy of Country Music Awards Sunday night, Reba McEntire called out the academy for once again failing to nominate any female artist for Entertainer of the Year.

"It froze us women out of entertainer of the year," McEntire said of the academy. "But you know what that didn't bother Kacey Musgraves because she's been too busy carrying all her Grammys around."

This was the second consecutive year without a female artist in the Entertainer of the Year field. Instead, the nominees are Jason Aldean, Chris Stapleton, Keith Urban, Kenny Chesney and Luke Bryan.

No woman has been nominated since Carrie Underwood earned a nod at the 2016 ACM Awards. It has been even longer since two women were nominated in the same field. The last time that happened was in 2013, when Miranda Lambert and Taylor Swift lost to George Strait.

The last time a female artist won the award was at the 2011 ACMs, when Swift won for a second consecutive year.

Musgraves not earning a nomination was particularly shocking since the singer released her acclaimed album Golden Hour in 2018. The album earned Musgraves an armful of Grammy Awards in February, including Album of the Year and Best Country Album. Golden Hour was also nominated for Album of the Year at the ACM Awards, and "Space Cowboy" was up for Song of the Year.

Musgraves not being nominated for Entertainer of the Year was not lost on fans at home.

"How can Kacey Musgraves win a Grammy for Album of the Year (yes, Grammy) and NOT be an Entertainer of the Year nominee at tonight's #ACMAwards (yes, country music awards)? There are 0 female nominees," one viewer wrote.

"The lack of female representation at this year's ACM Entertainer of the Year award category is quite disturbing. Like Kacey Musgraves just won tons of grammys including Album of the Year. Women are making equally good music but still," another added.

"Finally, for Entertainer of the Year, Kacey Musgraves at a minimum should have gotten a nod," another wrote. "I would drop Luke Bryan from the list and add her. The other artists on the list had big years, but I would have thought hard about including Ashley McBryde as well."

As for McEntire, this is her 16th time hosting the awards. She joked about it to open the show.

"This is my 16th time hosting the show. People always ask me, 'Do you ever get tired of doing it?' And I [say], 'Tired of celebrating great artists of music...tired of being in charge of the biggest night in country music?" she told the crowd. "My name is Reba McEntire and I haven't been tired in 53 years. I'm a woman in the music biz and we don't have time for tired."

Photo credit: Jeff Kravitz/ACMA2019/FilmMagic for ACM