Charisma Madarang
Contact Charisma Madarang on X Contact Charisma Madarang by Email View all posts by Charisma Madarang November 10, 2026 Add us as a Google Preferred Source
Add us as a Google Preferred Source 
Sammy Kershaw performing on Oct. 11, 2024. Adam Bettcher/Getty Images 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.
