After the Nineties hitmaker and his wife were denied access to the red carpet, a slew of artists rallied around him
Earlier this week, Sammy Kershaw, the Nineties hitmaker and a lifetime Country Music Association member, riled up the country music industry after accusing the organization of shutting him and his wife out of the media red carpet before the CMA’s tentpole awards show.
While he was still able to attend the awards as a ticketed guest, as all non-nominated artists are, Kershaw shared his “disappointment with the CMA” in a social media post and claimed that he was “strung along” by the organization for months. He added: “I believe there should be room to recognize the artists who have spent their lives contributing to this organization’s success.”
Outrage over Kershaw’s perceived dismissal spread online as Riley Green, Carly Pearce, Jake Owen, and others artists voiced support for the 68-year-old. By Monday, some content creators were suggesting a boycott of the CMA Awards.
Following the uproar, Kershaw shared a lengthy statement on Tuesday and announced that after a “sincere and meaningful private conversation” with CMA leadership, the organization invited him and his wife to walk the red carpet. “They have acknowledged how this situation was handled and extended a sincere, heartfelt apology, which I have personally accepted,” he wrote.
Kershaw thanked the “thousands of fans, fellow artists, friends, and people throughout the country music community who have spoken up over the past several days.” He continued, “This was never about the red carpet. It was about recognizing and respecting those who dedicated their lives to this music and preserving the history and legacy that makes country music so special.”
While it’s great the Country Music Association has appeared to acknowledge it needs to do better work of recognizing the artists who helped build country music, the same energy has yet to be brought to the numerous issues that still plague the organization beholden to country radio.
