Artists Rally for Sammy Kershaw Amid CMA Snub. CMA Remains Silent

The CMA Awards are actively trying to titillate the public into tuning in on Wednesday, November 18th for their annual event by releasing lists of initial performers and other programming notes. But throughout country music, all that anyone wants to talk about at the moment is who won’t be there, namely ’90s country star and beloved performer Sammy Kershaw.

On Thursday night (11-5), Kershaw released a statement saying that the CMA denied his request to walk the red carpet with his wife this year.

“After more than 50 years in this business, many millions of records and singles streamed and sold, more than two dozen Billboard charted hits, a CMA Horizon Award nomination, being a lifetime CMA member, that they presented to me in 1992, and being asked to donate my time to play CMA Fest, I would hope I’ve earned the opportunity to walk the red carpet alongside my wife, as we’ve done before.”

But that request was denied, and allegedly after stringing him out for multiple months before telling him less than two weeks before the ceremony. Later, Kershaw’s management also released a statement to the press, giving more details into the situation.

“Sammy was denied red carpet access because they received an overwhelming number of artist requests for the red carpet and awards show. He didn’t meet their updated criteria, BUT he could purchase tickets for the CMA Awards,” the statement says. “However, they couldn’t guarantee that he and his wife would be seated with the other artists if he purchased the tickets, which are roughly $800+ apiece. As of right now, Sammy is now not planning to attend.”

After Kershaw went public with his experience, artists young and old, current and legendary, independent and mainstream, they all have been coming out in support of Kershaw, and see the situation as the CMA turning its back on a country legend, and the genre’s roots.

“If you haven’t earned the right to be there then nobody has… disappointing to say the least,” was the response by Riley Green.

Carly Pearce added, “many of us wouldn’t be here without artists like you…”

Jake Owen, Meghan Patrick, Ty Herndon, Trey Lewis, Jake Owen, and dozens of other performers have come out publicly siding with Sammy Kershaw. Drew Baldridge said, “I’ll give my spot up for you. If you don’t deserve to be there then I definitely don’t.”

Long-time running buddy Mark Chesnutt also chimed in saying,

So Sammy Kershaw won’t be allowed to walk the red carpet at the the big CMA Awards. Well that’s about right. The CMA doesn’t care about us old 90s guys any more. It’s a shame they don’t respect the stars that dominated the charts in the past thirty years or before that but they sure roll out the welcome mat for pop stars and Hollywood movie stars and even hip hop artists.

Anything but country music gets the performance spots on the show. Rock n Roll honors its history and respects its legends while country music industry executives seem to ignore its rich history and its legends. Thank God there’s still a lot of people that love traditional country music. They keep coming to our shows and showing their love and respect for the music we’ve made for nearly forty years now and we’ll keep working for them and not for those who don’t matter to US! -MC”

Doug Stone also spoke up saying,

Sammy Kershaw being denied walking the red carpet at this years CMA Country Music Association Awards seems pretty par for the course. They’ve long forgotten many of us in the 90’s class, despite all of the many millions of records we’ve sold over the years. It doesn’t matter how much success you’ve had, how many times you’ve topped the charts, how many arenas you’ve sold out, etc- they’re always on to the next new thing.

There’s been a big resurgence of 90s country the past 10 years or so, and they are quick to profit from it all while ignoring those of us who made the music. I know that things change over the years, but it’s certainly not right that the executives over today’s “country music” find a way to snub those who paved the way at every turn. When I was at the top, I had so much respect and admiration for the guys and gals who had come before me. It’s a shame that hasn’t carried through.. Surely there is someone on that red carpet list who could be bumped to make way for SK. Maybe one of these internet influencers or rappers? We all know there are many undeserving.

Like Sammy said, the next time you see my name on the CMA Awards stage it will most likely read “in memoriam”… IF I’m lucky! At least I won’t have to buy a ticket.

Thank God the fans kept me going all these years and stuck by me after being dumped by Nashville. Yall are who we did it for!! I thank you.

But as this situation has become the biggest story in country music at the moment, the one entity that has remained silent is the CMA itself. It’s issued no clarification, no apology, no explanation—nothing, while it’s social media properties get bombarded by traditional country fans demanding Sammy Kershaw is shown the respect he deserves. At this point, it probably won’t be enough for the CMAs to just reverse course and allow Sammy Kershaw on the red carpet to resolve the issue. He might need to make an appearance on the show itself.

The CMAs could be in a very precarious position. If they bend to public pressure and let Sammy Kershaw walk the red carpet, that might mean they have to open the floodgates and allow all the artists who made similar requests and were denied to do the same, creating a logistical nightmare they’re not ready to address. Organizations like the Grammy Awards and Oscars solved this problem years ago by making the “red carpet” a massive, multi-tier multi-line affair so virtually anyone who has any reason to participate can. The CMAs have been precious about it, and now it’s costing them in a PR nightmare.

One potential dynamic to all of this is the fact that Taylor Swift is likely to be at the 2026 CMA Awards. That’s probably one of the reasons the CMA is claiming they have a massive amount of demand this year, because a lot of folks want to be there the same year Swift makes her return. She’s up for Single of the Year, and said after the nomination, “Looks like I haven’t yee’d my last haw. Thank you CMA! See you there Nov 18.”

Perhaps the CMAs are betting on the weekend to have the passion for the matter fade, or hoping President Trump bombs Iran, or some other calamity pushes this matter out of people’s information feeds. And these days, that might not be a bad bet to make. But this incident has already become one of those moments that will be cited for many years to come to illustrate the callous nature of how the CMA and the country music industry at large deal with aging artists.

Current performers see what’s happening to Sammy Kershaw, and know if they stop minting hits, they’ll be next. Meanwhile, major independent artists with critically-acclaimed records like the Turnpike Troubadours don’t even get a seat in the process at all.

The CMA has addressed public criticism in the past. In 2020 amid the pandemic and BLM turmoil, the CMA put out an advertising blurb saying, “No Drama, Just Music. It’s been a year, y’all. But for three hours next Wednesday on ABC, this is a no drama zone. More than 20 one-of-a-kind performances will help you forget the weight of the world for just a little while.”

Maybe the statement was tone deaf in the moment, but it was mostly harmless. Nonetheless, activist opportunists and political apparatchiks seized upon the statement to say that the CMAs were looking to censor any political speech at the show. Saving Country Music confirmed nothing of the sort was afoot, and the CMA released a statement saying,

“We look forward to an evening of incredible music and celebration at next week’s CMA Awards. While our intentions with our social campaign was to communicate to our fans that the show will offer a brief escape, we recognize that our phrasing did not convey that message. We welcome every artist’s right to express themselves.”

The CMA statement helped clear up any misconception. With this Sammy Kershaw situation, the radio silence from the CMA is only making it dramatically worse. And as they go to announce more performers, presenters, and special features in the coming days, country fans are going to be waiting in the wings to bombard these posts with support for Sammy Kershaw. Forget Taylor Swift’s appearance, there is a chance this Sammy Kershaw situation becomes the backdrop for the 2026 CMA Awards.

The CMAs can’t nominate everyone, let everybody perform, or even allow for anyone who wants to walk the red carpet. But this situation feels like it’s touching a deeper nerve. The Country Music Association is supposed to represent everybody in country music, not just a select few. As CMA Member and publicist Jason W. Ashcraft said in an op/ed,

There is something profoundly discouraging about watching artists who helped build this industry publicly question whether they still have a place within it. It is equally discouraging for independent professionals to invest years in the business, maintain voting memberships, contribute to the genre’s growth, and still struggle to understand how to access opportunities within our own professional association.

Going into what is supposed to be the “biggest night in country music,” the CMAs have created a nightmare for itself, not just from denying Sammy Kershaws simple red carpet request, but by going silent, while the rest of the country music population speaks up and says they don’t want the country stars of the past forgotten. They want their legacies preserved. They want them equally represented. And they want the CMA to stop putting shortsighted commercial interests in front of the will of the people of country music.

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