Morgan Wallen was shut out of any wins at the 2026 Academy of Country Music Awards (ACMs), and fans are outraged. Many of them believed that the “Chasin’ You” crooner’s 2025 album, I’m the Problem, warranted some recognition, but Morgan has been notably snubbed from quite a few award shows over the years.
From the Academy of Country Music Awards to the Grammys, Morgan’s relationship with awards organizations has been complicated, especially after his 2021 controversy involving a racial slur, which led to temporary industry backlash and restrictions from certain ceremonies. Even after his comeback with albums such as One Thing at a Time and I’m the Problem, fans continue to question why his success has not provided automatic awards in return.
Here, we break down some of the biggest snubs Morgan has faced from award shows.
Morgan Wallen was nominated for four ACM awards (Entertainer, Album, Artist-songwriter and Music Video) but walked away empty handed. pic.twitter.com/90XWbHIbfG
— Country Chord (@CountryChord) May 18, 2026
Academy of Country Music Awards (ACMs)
Fans were outraged after the 2026 ACM Awards after Morgan walked out with no awards in all of the categories he was nominated in. He’s been nominated for Entertainer of the Year and Male Artist of the Year several times.
In 2023, Morgan was nominated for Entertainer of the Year following the massive success of One Thing at a Time, but he lost the category. At the time, fans pointed out that he’s been dominating country music sales.
The same thing happened again in 2024, when Morgan entered the ceremony with multiple nominations but failed to take home Entertainer of the Year.
Throughout 2025 and 2026, frustration among fans intensified. Morgan once again lost in the big categories, including Entertainer of the Year and Album of the Year. Many viewers criticized the ACMs for repeatedly overlooking Morgan while rewarding the artists who are more favored in mainstream media.
Country Music Association Awards (CMAs)
The CMAs have also faced criticism over its treatment of Morgan. In 2021, despite the enormous success of Dangerous: The Double Album, Morgan was ruled ineligible for individual CMA nominations after a video in which he used a racial slur leaked to the public.
The decision became one of the most debated moments in country music because Morgan remained one of the genre’s biggest commercial stars.
As Morgan returned to awards shows in later years, fans continued accusing the CMAs of underrating him in major categories.
American Music Awards
The American Music Awards became another source of controversy during Morgan’s brief fallout in 2021. Although he continued performing strongly on the charts and maintained his massive fanbase, reports surfaced at the time that he was not permitted to attend the ceremony. Yet, he was nominated in several categories.
Billboard Music Awards
Unlike several other major ceremonies, the Billboard Music Awards have generally embraced Morgan’s commercial success.
Since the Billboard awards are largely based on measurable chart performance, streaming numbers and sales, Morgan has performed well at the ceremony. In 2023, he dominated the Billboard Music Awards with major wins due to the success of One Thing at a Time.
Grammy Awards
The Grammy Awards may arguably be Morgan’s most controversial relationship with any major awards organization. Despite becoming one of the biggest-selling artists in the U.S., Wallen has received limited recognition from the Recording Academy, which fans have questioned for years.
The tension appeared to escalate even further when reports emerged that Morgan chose not to submit I’m the Problem for Grammy consideration ahead of the 2026 ceremony.
