Another Chart-Topping Country Artist Denied CMA Red Carpet Access After Sammy Kershaw Snub

Getty

Rodney Atkins

The 2026 CMA Awards are set to air on Wednesday, November 18, and Country singer Rodney Atkins, who has scored six number-one hits on the country Billboard chart, spoke out about being denied an invitation to walk the red carpet this year.

This year’s event will be an unusually high-profile show, as Dolly Parton is set to be honored after passing away in August, and Taylor Swift is slated to attend for the first time in a decade.

The news comes a few days after ’90s country star Sammy Kershaw, who had 11 top 10 country hits including a number one, spoke out in a Facebook statement about also being excluded from the list. Both he and Atkins have said they will steer clear of the event due to not being granted red carpet access.

The red carpet is a chance for stars to show off their outfits, be photographed and interviewed, and bump into their fellow musicians. Kershaw’s reported exclusion drew outrage from fans, who saw the snub as a sign of disrespect for a ’90s country mainstay who has inspired numerous artist that came after him. Both he and Atkins have announced they’ve decided to skip the event entirely due to the situation.

Atkins is known for several major radio hits, including his 2006 song “If You’re Going Through Hell (Before the Devil Even Knows)” and “Cleaning This Gun (Come On in Boy)” from the same album, which was released as a single in 2007.

His 2011 song “Take a Back Road” is certified 3x platinum.

Rodney Atkins Speaks Out About Being Excluded from CMA Red Carpet Guest List

Atkins told his followers in a video clip, “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. He said hearing about Kershaw’s snub made him think, “What a shame. He’s a great guy. Sweetheart of a dude.” He also called the 68-year-old a “singing dude” who “spent his life representing country music.”

Atkins says he “found out the same thing happened to me” shortly after the Kershaw news. He then said, “In a way, I get it. I’ve always been kind of an outsider. Maybe a shrub in the landscape of country music. But 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.”

“Caught Up in the Country” was Atkins’ most recent charting single, which peaked at No. 20 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart.

The 57-year-old also pointed out that three of his songs made the top 50 of Country Air Check’s roundup of the 100 most-played country songs of the last 20 years. His 2006 song “Watching You” was placed at number 11.

Atkins also shared that he and his wife Rose are both CMA voting members, and have been involved with the Country Music Academy for over 20 years.

Rodney Atkins Says ‘Country Music Should Never Get Above Its Raisin’

Alongside his video statement, Atkins shared a written post sharing some of his thoughts. He emphasized his gratitude for his fans, crediting them with making his career possible. The singer wrote towards the end that “the artists who helped build the foundation of country music, like Sammy Kershaw, deserve a place in its celebrations. Country music should never get above it’s raisin’.”