Nothing new…other than artists speaking out about it.
The 60th Annual CMA Awards are taking place on November 18, but they’ve got quite the controversy on their hands the week before the show after ’90s country legend Sammy Kershaw took to social media late last week to reveal that the Country Music Association had denied his request to walk the red carpet with his wife.
In his statement, Kershaw expressed his disappointment with their decision:
“I love country music, but never in a million years would I think that a successful country music entertainer (and I’m not the only one) would not be able to walk the red carpet. It’s extremely hurtful, embarrassing and very disappointing. I guess the next time I attend the CMA’s, it will be in tribute after I’m gone, if I’m lucky.”
Well as Sammy alluded to, he’s not the only artist who was turned away by the CMA Awards this year, because on Saturday hitmaker Rodney Atkins revealed that he too had been denied the opportunity to attend, while also delivering a stark warning for the decision makers who are turning away country music legends:
“After more than 20 years as a CMA member and countless CMA Fests I’ve played for free, Rose and I were denied red-carpet clearance, just like Sammy Kershaw. So we’ve decided not to attend this year’s CMA Awards.
I also believe the artists who helped build the foundation of country music, like Sammy Kershaw, deserve a place in its celebrations.
Country music should never get above its raisin’.”
Good advice.
Obviously the snubs have caused a lot of outrage among country music fans, who are accusing the CMAs of forgetting where they came from and those who have made country music successful along the way. And there have been plenty of artists who have spoken out about the snubs so far, with some expressing frustration that the awards show welcomes influencers and celebrities from outside country music while turning away country music legends.
But according to Stella Parton, this is nothing new in the industry.
The sister of Dolly Parton, who is an artist herself, took to social media to give her opinion on the current controversy, expressing her surprise that it’s taken this long to come to light:
“I’m surprised it’s only now coming to light, it is nothing new.
The same treatment has been happening for years at the CMA Fest as well! Artists like myself who helped to establish the festival when it was first introduced as “Fan Fair” back in the seventies. We’re no longer welcome or given space to appear on any stage or have a booth where we can visit with the fans.
We were never paid, it was an opportunity for artists to meet and thank the fans in person. But that was when Country Music was for the fans and not about corporate sponsorships and the bottom line for the Country Music Association. However, as newer artists appear on the scene, older artists are relegated to the back of the line.”
Stella chalks up the current situation to a business decision by an organization more worried about making money than honoring and promoting country music:
“It’s about selling tickets and insuring views and ratings for the award show and the sponsors. They can’t include everyone, and certainly if we’re not in demand with the younger fans in the current market place.
Sometimes you have to realize you’ve had your turn in the spotlight and accept it’s not personal it’s only business.”
Of course she’s right that the CMAs are, at the end of the day, a business that wants to make money. But what I think they’re missing in this latest controversy is that the best way to attract country music fans is by…honoring country music.
It’s a lesson that’s seemed to have gone over their heads for years now, as the awards show brought on more and more athletes, actors and actresses, and artists from outside country music in a misguided attempt to “grow the genre” and attract new viewers. The problem with that thinking, though, is that it alienates actual country music fans and artists, the ones who actually buy music and tune into awards shows, in an attempt to possibly bring in these hypothetical new fans.
Based on the ratings of the CMA Awards, it’s clear that this line of thinking hasn’t paid off, and over the past couple of years it seems that organizers have finally been moving the opposite direction and highlighting country music instead of…everything else.
Behind the scenes on the red carpet though, it seems like it’s the same old worn out tune.
So far the CMAs haven’t issued a response to the controversy, which is a little surprising because you’d think they would want to make things right and get the focus back on the awards show next week. But I know how things go: They’re probably panicking and having a million meetings behind the scenes to craft a carefully worded statement apologizing and admitting they missed the mark. Or maybe they double down and say that they simply don’t have the space to accommodate everybody while professing their commitment to honor country music yet simultaneously giving a spot to some TikTok influencer over Sammy Kershaw.
