Sammy Kershaw Confirms CMA Awards Attendance After Public Backlash
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Sammy Kershaw is going to the CMA Awards after all.
Legendary country artist Sammy Kershaw shared an update with fans on Thursday (Nov. 12), saying that he and his wife, Mendy, will walk the red carpet and attend the 60th Annual CMA Awards on November 18 at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena.
In a post shared to social media, Kershaw wrote that he and Mendy made the decision after “a lot of thought and prayer.” He also revealed the reason behind his decision.
“I think about Dolly, Loretta, George Jones, Charley Pride, and so many others who gave their hearts, voices, and lives to country music,” he wrote. “I’d like to believe they would want us to be there, honoring their legacy and those who came before us.”
Read Sammy Kershaw’s full statement below:
The news comes less than a week after Kershaw revealed that his request to walk the carpet had been denied.
Sammy Kershaw Calls Out The CMA
On November 5, Kershaw posted on social media that the Country Music Association had denied his request to walk the red carpet. He explained that he had changed his touring schedule and booked flights and a hotel for the trip, and said he had been “strung along for several months” before he got the news. He called the decision “extremely hurtful, embarrassing and very disappointing.”
The post struck a nerve, and fans and Kershaw’s fellow artists spoke out in support or the singer. His post comments were filled with support, from artists including Riley Green, Jake Owen, Carly Pearce, Terri Clark, John Rich and Mark Chesnutt. Drew Baldridge even offered Kershaw his own spot on the carpet.
On Monday, November 9, the CMA released a statement explaining that the red carpet has criteria in place to manage limited space and security. The organization apologized to anyone who felt left out and confirmed it was in contact with Kershaw’s team.
RELATED: SAMMY KERSHAW SONGS RETURN TO THE CHARTS FOLLOWING CMA CONTROVERSY
Those talks seem to have been successful. In a new statement issued on Tuesday, (Nov. 10), Kershaw said he had a “sincere and meaningful private conversation” with CMA leadership. He shared that the organization acknowledged how the situation was handled and apologized, and that he has personally accepted the apology. He admitted he was disappointed by how long the CMA took to respond publicly, but said he believes in giving people a chance to make things right.
The “She Don’t Know She’s Beautiful” singer also made it clear that his frustration was about more than a few minutes on the carpet.
“This was never about the red carpet,” he wrote.
He said it was about honoring the generations of artists who built country music, and he hopes the conversation leads to lasting respect for the genre’s legends. The timing of the controversy that unfolded coincided with this year’s milestone ceremony. Not only will the CMA be celebrating the 60th anniversary of the awards show, but it is also set to celebrate the music and artists of the 1990s. That’s the decade that made Kershaw a household name with hits like “She Don’t Know She’s Beautiful,” “Cadillac Style,” and “Queen of My Double-Wide Trailer.”
He ended his statement by thanking fans for standing behind him and letting them know their voices were heard.
What other legacy artists will be attending the CMA Awards?
In the wake of the reaction around Sammy Kershaw’s original statement, other country artists shared that they had received similar responses from the CMA. Artists such at Little Texas’s Tim Rushlow and Mark Chesnutt had harsh words for the organization and their treatment of legendary artists. Others like Pam Tillis took a gentler approach, saying that “it’s the nature of our business.”
Rodney Atkins followed up on Sammy’s post by sharing that he had also been denied red-carpet clearance. But in an update from Atkins on Thursday (Nov. 12), he shared that his team had also had some “good discussions” with the CMA. Those discussions led to Rodney and his wife making the decision to attend and walk the red carpet at the upcoming CMA Awards.
“I definitely don’t want to be stuck on this. Life’s too short, and the days are long, but the years are short,” he wrote. “Looking forward to a great night celebrating country music with old friends and new ones.”
