CMA Voters Consider Whether to Nominate “Old Town Road”

While Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road” has proved to be the song of the summer, the track is facing an uphill battle when it comes to the CMA Awards. According to the AP, ballots for nominations have gone out, but many voters can’t decided if the country/hip-hop crossover should be considered.

Billboard decided early on that “Old Town Road” wasn’t a country song and pulled it off country charts, but the song made enough of an impact to become eligible for a number of CMA categories this year–including single of the year and song of the year.

While the song already failed to get enough votes in the major song categories, it earned enough to be considered in the musical event category on the second ballot, which went out Monday. “I just think country people do not see that as a country song,” songwriter Shane McAnally admits. “Pop listeners think it’s a country song.” He adds that he “would be shocked” if it makes the final ballot.

The final nominations are typically announced in late August or early September, with the award show set to air November 13.