Carrie Underwood’s fans are upset. Country music legend Garth Brooks beat her to take home the highly coveted Entertainer of the Year Award at the 53rd Annual Country Music Association (CMA) Awards that took place last night at Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, Tennessee.
Carrie Underwood and Garth Brooks were two of five nominees for Entertainer of the Year award at the 2019 CMAs. The other three nominees were Eric Church, Chris Stapleton, and Keith Urban.
Brooks won the prestigious Entertainer of the Year award last night for a record-setting seventh time. Although Brooks certainly did deserve the award, many of Underwood’s fans had hoped she would win the award, especially after the organizers declared that the night was for “celebrating legendary women in country music.”
Lauren Jo Black was one of many fans who had hoped that Underwood would win the award. Writing on Country Now, Black insisted that the award should have gone to Underwood. She wrote that Underwood met all the requirements listed on the official CMA website, including “competence in all aspects of the entertainment field… recorded performance…. in-person performance, staging, public acceptance, attitude, leadership, and overall contribution to the Country Music image.”
Many fans also took to Twitter to voice their displeasure and disappointment. Some fans were quite bitter about it.
Don’t get me wrong, I love Garth Brooks. But I don’t think he should have gotten EOTY. My personal opinion is that Carrie should have won & got robbed yet again. One day Carrie will get the award that she deserved to win tonight. ❤️ #CMAawards
— Robin (@wannabe21) November 14, 2019
@CountryMusic just proved that it was, is now and will forever be a "boys club" with Garth Brooks winning Entertainer of the Year.
Carrie Underwood was much more deserving.— Leda #chercrew ❤️ (@Leda1967) November 14, 2019
ONE comment on Carrie Underwood and the #CMAawards: if she couldn't get votes for EOTY after the massive numbers, stats + mainstream reach that she has then no woman will ever be able to win EOTY again. Sad precedent. That Cry Pretty tour looked kinda epic. And Garth Brooks? LOL.
— Fabian_Lemuel (@Fabian_Lemuel) November 14, 2019
How tone deaf was the entire #CMAawards to celebrate women in country music just to give Entertainer of the Year to Garth Brooks for the 7th damn time. Why do you hate Carrie Underwood @CountryMusic?
— Matty (@Matty_9889) November 14, 2019
Some fans also panned Brooks for not acknowledging Underwood during his acceptance speech, despite giving shout-outs to other singers, such as Reba McEntire, Kelsea Ballerini, and Luke Combs, who won Male Vocalist of the Year.
She will never be able to do enough. And Garth's acceptance speech made me ill.
— kctexan (@kctexan) November 14, 2019
Carrie Underwood shot to stardom after she won American Idol Season 4 in 2005. She released her debut studio album Some Hearts in 2005. The album included hits such as Jesus Take the Wheel, Don’t Forget to Remember Me, Before He Cheats, and Wasted.
Her debut single Inside Your Heaven, released in June 2005, debuted at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
She has won multiple Grammys, including Best New Artist and Best Female Country Vocal Performance.