CMA backflips, makes groveling apology to forgotten 90s country star Sammy Kershaw after blocking him from walking the red carpet

The Country Music Association (CMA) has walked back its refusal to let 90s country music sensation Sammy Kershaw walk the red carpet at the 2026 CMA Awards.

According to the 68-year-old singer, the association issued him an apology and has now invited him and his wife Mendy to join the upcoming star-studded event. 

It comes after last week the crooner took his frustration public after being denied an invitation to the November 18 awards show. 

On Tuesday evening, Kershaw shared an update via Instagram, telling fans that he and his team ‘had a sincere and meaningful private conversation with CMA leadership.’ 

‘They have acknowledged how this situation was handled and extended a sincere, heartfelt apology, which I have personally accepted,’ he noted in a statement.

The Daily Mail has reached out to the CMA for comment, but has not yet heard back. 

The She Don’t Know She’s Beautiful hitmaker thanked ‘fans, fellow artists, friends, and people throughout the country music community’ for supporting his initial statement.

Elsewhere in his open letter, the music artist said he is ‘grateful’ to the CMA for the invitation and ‘[appreciates] their willingness to listen, acknowledge our concerns, and work toward a positive outcome.’

He added that he ‘wasn’t trying to start a controversy or looking for attention’ with his original outcry.

‘I simply spoke from my heart because I was hurt,’ the star explained. ‘I never imagined the response would reach so many people across America and around the world. 

‘But, something happened that I never expected. As this story continued to unfold, it became clear from many thousands of people that this wasn’t just about me.’

Kershaw declared: ‘This was never about the red carpet. It was about recognizing and respecting those who dedicated their lives to this music and preserving the history and legacy that makes country music so special.’

He emphasized that there is ‘room to celebrate’ all generations of music artists at the CMA Awards, and said he hopes the incident leads to ‘lasting change and an even greater appreciation and recognition of our industry’s legacy artists for many years to come.’

He expressed more gratitude ‘to every fan who stood up and made their voices heard, every artist who spoke up, and supported not only me but the many artists who have dedicated their lives to this music.’

‘I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart,’ the veteran artist said. ‘You were heard, and you reminded me that country music is still more than an industry. It’s a family. God bless you all.’

Last week, the 90s country sensation called out the CMA in an open letter shared with his 40,000 Instagram followers.

The association then hit back at his claims, releasing a statement explaining that rules had been set 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 response read. 

Kershaw wrote that the association ‘denied my request to walk the red carpet for a few minutes at this year’s CMA Awards.’

He said in his correspondence that the organization ‘strung him along for several months’ before ultimately refusing him red carpet access. 

The CMA shared via social media on Monday: ‘Our organization’s mission is 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. It’s not easy to do all of that in just one night, but we are up for the challenge.’

In Tuesday night’s update, Kershaw wrote: ‘While I was disappointed with the time it took for the CMA to publicly respond, and felt their statement fell short of addressing the heart of the issue, I also believe in giving people the opportunity to make things right.’ 

Amid his initial grievance, several country music artists rallied around him, leaving supportive messages under his post. 

Singer Drew Baldridge, 35, generously offered in the comments: ‘This is wild! I’ll give you my spot!! You paved the way for all of us on that carpet.’

And Britnee Kellogg, 41, said: ‘THIS. They pay influencers to come and walk the red carpet. So disappointing.’

Riley Green, 38, weighed in: ‘If you haven’t earned the right to be there then nobody has… disappointing to say the least.’