Country music star Sammy Kershaw has confirmed that he will attend the 2026 CMA Awards despite his dispute with organizers over access to the red carpet.
“It’s been a week since so many of you began making your voices heard, and the outpouring of love and support has meant more to me than you’ll ever know,” the “She Don’t Know She’s Beautiful” singer, 68, announced via a Thursday, November 12 Instagram post. “After a lot of thought and prayer, [wife] Mendy [Kershaw] and I have decided to accept the CMA’s invitation to walk the red carpet and attend the awards.”
He continued, “I think about Dolly [Parton], Loretta [Lynn], George Jones, Charley Pride, and so many others who gave their hearts, voices, and lives to country music. I’d like to believe they would want us to be there, honoring their legacy and those who came before us. To the thousands of fans and fellow artists who stood beside us, please know that YOU helped make this happen.”
The CMA Awards’ major reversal comes one week after Kershaw shared “disappointing news” about his involvement in the annual ceremony.
“I have to share my disappointment with the CMA as they have denied my request to walk the red carpet for a few minutes at this year’s CMA Awards, and I have to say I’m pretty sad about it,” he wrote via Facebook on November 5. “My wife, Mendy, and I don’t get to attend these events very often, due to touring and schedule conflicts.”
Kershaw revealed, “After adjusting my touring schedule, booking our flights and hotels, she was really looking forward to us sharing a special evening together celebrating country music. Then, to find out I was denied the red carpet two weeks before the show, after being strung along for several months and expecting we would be attending, WTF?”
The Louisiana Music Hall of Fame inductee expressed shock at being excluded by the Country Music Association considering he was made a “lifetime CMA member” and received a CMA Horizon Award nomination in the past.
“I’m blessed to still be out on tour every year, performing for the greatest fans in the world and doing what I love,” Kershaw wrote. “I believe there should be room to recognize the artists who have spent their lives contributing to this organization’s success.”
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He went on to say, “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.”
When contemporary country music stars such as Riley Green and Carley Pearce publicly supported Kershaw, a CMA spokesperson addressed the matter with a statement.
“In recent days, several artists and their fans have spoken out about this year’s CMA Awards red carpet guidelines,” a statement shared via the official CMA Instagram read.“Like any major televised event, the red carpet has criteria that exists to help manage limited space and the security needs for both the artists and the media. We are deeply sorry anyone felt excluded by those decisions.”
The organization stressed that its primary goal is always “to honor the history and celebrate the excellence of Country Music.”
“With this 60th anniversary year, we are working extra hard to simultaneously spotlight the last six decades, while also celebrating what has been a tremendous year in 2026,” the statement read. “It’s not easy to do all of that in just one night, but we are up for the challenge.”
The CMA statement concluded, “We also know this is about more than a red carpet, and we are committed to keep listening and keep finding ways to make sure all artists feel welcome and at home here. To that point, we are in touch with Sammy Kershaw’s team and look forward to continuing that conversation.”
The 60th Annual CMA Awards will air live on ABC and Disney+ Wednesday, November 18.
