Another Country Star Opts to Skip 2026 CMA Awards After Being Denied Red Carpet Access Like Sammy Kershaw

Another country star is opting out of the 2026 CMA Awards. In the wake of news that Sammy Kershaw was denied access to walk the red carpet at the upcoming event, Rodney Atkins took to Instagram to reveal that the same thing happened to him.

“Well, apparently Sammy Kershaw and I got something in common this year. Neither one of us got approved to walk the CMA Awards red carpet,” Atkins said. “When I heard about Sammy, I thought, ‘What a shame. He’s a great guy. Sweetheart of a dude. Singing dude spent his life representing country music.’ Then I found out the same thing happened to me.”

Atkins said that, in a way, he understands the decision as he’s always been “kind of an outsider.” However, he thinks his accomplishments should speak for themselves.

“Here’s what I find interesting—thanks to you guys, I’m having the best touring year of my career. I’ve got a new single called ‘The Years Are Short’ making its way onto the charts, which could give me charting songs in three different decades. Crazy!” he said. “And Country Air Check just released the hundred most played country songs of the last 20 years. Thanks to you, I had three songs in the Top 50, ‘Watching You’ being at No. 11.”

On top of that, Atkins and his wife, Rose Falcon, “are both CMA voting members, been involved with CMA for over 20 years.”

Rodney Atkins Reveals He’s Skipping the 2026 CMA Awards

In a written statement that accompanied his video, Atkins noted that he’s “incredibly grateful to the fans who’ve made this career possible.”

“You’ve always made me feel welcome in country music, and that’s what matters most,” Atkins wrote, before reiterating some of the points he made in his video.

“I’m having the best touring year of my career. My latest album, True South, made it to the second round of CMA voting for Album of the Year, and my new single, ‘Years Are Short,’ could give me charting songs in three different decades,” he wrote. “After more than 20 years as a CMA member and countless CMA Fests I’ve played for free, Rose and I were denied red-carpet clearance, just like Sammy Kershaw.”

Because of that, Atkins said that he and Falcon have decided not to attend this year’s ceremony.

“I also believe the artists who helped build the foundation of country music, like Sammy Kershaw, deserve a place in its celebrations,” he wrote. “Country music should never get above its raisin’.”

In the caption of his post, Atkins added, “Country music has given me more than I could ever ask for, and I’ll never take that for granted. I love this music, the people who built it, and the fans who keep it alive.”

“Just a few thoughts from my heart,” he continued of his video and written statements. “Country music should never get above its raisin’.”

The CMA Awards will take place Wednesday, Nov. 18, in Nashville, Tennessee.

Photo by Taylor Hill/FilmMagic