Beyoncé’s Surprising VMAs 2024 Absence: Why She Missed the Event Despite Her 3 Nominations

Many of the music industry’s brightest stars stepped out to attend this year’s Video Music Awards (VMAs) in Elmont, New York. Several famous artists shone brightly in their eye-catching outfits while posing for pictures on the carpet. Noticeably absent, however, was music mogul Beyoncé, who missed the event, despite receiving three nominations.

The “Countdown” singer was nominated for Song of the Year, Best Trending Video, and VMAs Most Iconic Performance — the last two of which are fan-voted social categories.

She received the first two nominations for her popular song “Texas Hold ‘Em,” the first single from her most recent album, “Cowboy Carter,” which has been making waves around the globe.

The third nomination (for Most Iconic Performance) was for her beloved classic “Love on Top.” Beyoncé managed to achieve such impressive award nominations even though the music icon has yet to release official visual components for “Cowboy Carter.”

However, Beyoncé has released an official lyric video for “Texas Hold ‘Em,” although there is only footage showing the words of the song in big, capitalized red letters against a backdrop of a building, barbed wire, and a satellite dish.

At the VMAs, “Texas Hold ‘Em” was up against other critically acclaimed tracks by fellow heavy hitters in the entertainment industry.

Joining Beyoncé as nominees for the Song of the Year Award were stars Taylor Swift for her and Post Malone’s song “Fortnight,” Kendrick Lamar for his song, “Not Like Us,” Teddy Swims for “Lose Control,” and Jack Harlow for “Lovin On Me.” Sabrina Carpenter was also nominated for her song “Espresso.”

While Beyoncé was not there to bask in the glow of her award nominations, which were won by other artists, this is not the first time she has been absent from the VMAs. The last time she attended the music video event was back in 2016.

Before the 2024 VMAs took place, Beyoncé sat down for an interview with GQ in which she shared revelations about her career and her experience being, arguably, one of the world’s biggest stars.

During the conversation, the “Halo” artist was asked about her “reputation as a perfectionist,” which is often seen in the incredible works she produces like her songs and documentaries like “Homecoming” and “Renaissance.”

Beyoncé was asked if she ever feels burdened by such a reputation to the point where she feels like she is in some sort of prison or has a huge weight on her shoulders.

In response, she disclosed, “Working on the music for ‘Cowboy Carter’ and launching this exciting new project feel nothing like prison, nor a burden. In fact, I only work on what liberates me.”

However, she did admit that fame is what can feel like a prison, adding, “So, when you don’t see me on red carpets, and when I disappear until I have art to share, that’s why.”

The beloved singer, who previously held the Guinness World record for having the most wins (30) at the MTV Video Music Awards between 2000 and 2021, also spoke about how she creates her work at her own pace.

She shared how it is her hope that through her music, listeners will be moved to self-introspect and hone their own resilience, strength, and creativity.

“I focus on storytelling, growth, and quality. I’m not focused on perfectionism. I focus on evolution, innovation, and shifting perception,” divulged Beyoncé in the same interview.