CMA Awards: Top 5 Controversial Moments in Show History

The 2020 CMA Awards were controversial not for what happened at the award ceremony but what didn’t happen. The ceremony failed to recognize the passing of John Prine, Billy Joe Shaver, and Jerry Jeff Walker. All three musicians passed away this year. In contrast, the CMA Awards held tributes for the likes of Charlie Daniels, Kenny Rogers, Mac Davis and Joe Diffie.

Several musicians protested the omission including Sturgill Simpson and Jason Isbell. In response, Isbell and his wife returned their CMA membership cards in protest.

“Two seconds, that’s all it would’ve took. Two seconds,” Simpson said. “Literally two syllables. John Prine. That’s it. Nope. Got all the time in the world for this s–t.”

Last year’s CMA Awards weren’t without their controversies either. Fans were livid when Carrie Underwood didn’t take home country music’s top prize. Instead, Garth Brooks won the award for the seventh time in his career. Underwood’s victory would have been the first time a woman has won the award since 2011. The controversy partially inspired Brooks to retract his name from contention for both this year’s nomination and future nominations.

Miranda Lambert still hasn’t forgiven the CMA for their transgression.

“I think last year was bulls–t and that Carrie Underwood should have taken it,” Lambert told the LA Times. “I’m still a little bit grudge-y about it. Although I love Garth—he was my first concert when I was ten years old—there’s times and places for things, and I just felt like it was the wrong thing. But this year, I’m excited because I feel like it’s the way that it should be. And maybe that’s because he pulled out of it; I don’t know. But I think everyone in the category deserves to be there.”

This year’s CMA Awards wasn’t the first time country music defended their legends at the ceremony. In 1999, Alan Jackson came to the rescue of George Jones when he felt Jones wasn’t given enough recognition at the awards show. The CMA gave Jones only a minute of stage time to play his song “Choices,” which had been nominated that year.

In defense, Jackson changed from his own song “Pop a Top” to Jones’ tune during the middle of his performance. Jackson’s performance had the whole audience standing in awe.

Sometimes fashion choices can be controversial. Reba McEntire found out first hand at the 1993 CMA Awards when she wore a revealing red dress. The singer wore the outfit while performing her duet “Does He Love You” with Linda Davis. The crowd gasped at the outfit. But McEntire, never to let a good hit lay, wore the dress again to the 2018 ACM Awards.

“It was very revealing, and I didn’t know that! I had only had two fittings with [designer] Sandy Spika — one was at our office, and I said, ‘I think you need to fill some more stuff in!’” McEntire told People. “When I put it on in the dressing room at the Grand Ole Opry for the show, I thought, ‘Maybe it’s just the lighting in here.’ And when I walked out on the stage, I heard the audience go ‘Oooooh!’ And I thought, ‘Dang, I look good!’”

Charlie Rich was so outraged that John Denver won CMA’s biggest title Entertainer of the Year that he set fire to the nomination card. He was upset with Denver, who was considered pop-country, winning.

On stage, Rich reached into his pocket, produced a cigarette lighter, and burned the card in protest. Denver, who couldn’t attend, wasn’t even aware the incident occurred at the time. For his actions, Rich was barred from attending future CMA Awards.