Pam Tillis Weighs In On Sammy Kershaw & CMA Controversy, “This Happens All The Time”
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Pam Tillis is the latest country star to speak out following the controversy involving Sammy Kershaw and the CMA.
If you’re unfamiliar with the situation, fans and fellow musicians have come together to show their support for Kershaw after the country icon revealed that his request to attend this year’s CMA Awards and walk the red carpet was denied.
Kershaw said he had already booked his flight and rearranged his schedule so he could attend. In a statement exclusively provided to Country Rebel by his manager, Kershaw “didn’t meet their updated criteria,” but was told he could still purchase tickets to the event.
However, tickets can cost more than $800 each, and even if he bought them, there was no guarantee he and his wife would be seated with the other artists at the show.
The entire theme of the 2026 CMA Awards is centered around honoring the legends who shaped country music in the 1990s. That’s why so many fans are upset that Kershaw has been left out of the celebration.
Plenty of people are standing behind the “She Don’t Know She’s Beautiful” singer. Multiple artists have spoken out about the situation, including Riley Green, Carly Pearce, Mark Chesnutt, and more.
Pam Tillis Says Many Artists Have “Felt The Sting” That Sammy Kershaw Is Experiencing
A few days after Kershaw’s statement went viral, Pam Tillis added her own thoughts in a lengthy Facebook post. In it, she said legacy artists are often overlooked.
Tillis began her statement by saying,
“So let’s talk about today’s drama in country music: Sammy Kershaw and the CMAs. I’m not going to single out the CMA, because this happens all the time in our business. It’s the nature of our industry that the rising stars get the spotlight, just as we did at one point.”
Tillis went on to share how the impact of artists in the 90s is still very much alive today.
“Growing up Mel Tillis’s daughter, I learned early that a legacy doesn’t keep itself. Somebody has to stand up and say, “This artist mattered. They made a contribution.” I’ve done that for Daddy most of my life. And I’ll tell you what I’ve seen: the country audience is a multigenerational audience, and ‘90s country is still very viable, even if it isn’t always visible. A lot of us have three generations of fans showing up to our shows, singing, whooping and hollering for our songs. Many of today’s artists are making it big with their own spin on the ‘90s sound.”
The 69-year-old believes established and new artists should both have a place in the music industry. But she feels that when new artists start making it big, they often become the main focus. She says there’s room for both, and the past shouldn’t be forgotten just because someone new comes along.
“I dare say many of us have felt the sting of being passed over for this, that and the other, in order to create an image that’s only part of the picture. I know today’s new artists need all the support they can get in such a crazy, competitive market. But legacy artists who want to show up can be the bridge between where this music came from and where it’s going. Many of us never say anything about these slights. We just keep on doing our thing. As an artist who is a lifetime CMA member, Sammy just spoke out.”
Tillis ended her statement by thanking the singers and songwriters who continue to give the music legends the credit they deserve.
So to wind it up, whether it’s radio, a marquee or the red carpet, don’t shut them out. And thank you to the young artists who show respect and let us know we’ve inspired them. Daddy got to hear some of that before he left us, and I can tell you it meant the world to him.
As of right now, the CMA has not shared a public statement in response to Sammy Kershaw.
