There are endless possibilities and combinations just in the Country genre alone. Some prefer the good ol’ classic, or perhaps mixing classic with a soulful tempo or even both! But among these differences, one organization seeks to unite the large diversity of country artists and fans alike, the CMA Entertainer of the Year award.
Success Comes with a Price
This year, the seven-time winner of the CMA Entertainer of the Year award Garth Brooks, humbly requested to not be nominated for the award. Apparently, this was due to his snagging the award in 2019 where he received backlash from Carrie Underwood’s fans. They said that he ‘stole the spotlight’ from their idol. The series of events eventually led him into realizing not to participate in winning the award for the succeeding years.
“It made winning CMA Entertainer of the Year not that much fun,” stated Garth Brooks as he refers to his 2019 ordeal. He received a ton of negative comments on how he stole the award which they say Carrie Underwood ‘deserves’ better.
For Brooks, he revealed that he was pretty shocked himself as he already planned that night to give a standing ovation for Underwood. He thought things through the past eight months and henceforth decided that maybe, it’s best that he be not included to participate in the following years.
Loretta Lynn Backs Garth Brooks
While everyone respects Garth Brooks’ decision, CMA Entertainer winner of 1973 Loretta Lynn urged him not to throw in the towel. In Brooks’ defense, Lynn said that the seven-win streak that he won is simply not about the title. Rather, he got the award because he earned it.
She posted on her Twitter that she hoped that CMA would ignore and decline the counter-nomination request made by Brooks. She said further to let him get the awards he is still about to receive rather than lingering in the hate and ad hominem attacks from Carrie Underwood’s fans.
No More Hate
We, country folks, enjoy the same love for country music though we differ in our tastes. While it’s true that ‘everything is competition here in the south,’ let’s not forget that it’s also our launchpad in staying true to our title as the ‘friendship state.’ We may compete in the variety of our preferences, but as we commence, let us not forget about sportsmanship. Let’s wish all the luck for the upcoming CMA awards nominees this 2020.
