Garth Brooks retired from Artist of the Year career at this year’s Country Music Association Awards and it’s all due to a tweet.
The country music superstar announced Wednesday in a virtual press conference that a tweet caused him to make a magnanimous decision.
“There’s a tweet there that really stuck with me,” Brooks explained, according to the Tennessean. “It said, ‘Hi man. Why doesn’t this guy drop out (and leave) the artist for the next generation? 100% agree.”
He continued: “With all the love in the world, we are officially retiring Artist of the Year.”
So the “Friends in Low Places” warbler, which has garnered the prestigious honor seven times, more than any other artist, is out of the running indefinitely. Brooks, 58, first earned the CMA honor in 1991 and most recently in 2019.
Brooks would like to start with the “Actor Emeritus of the Year” award and even proposed the idea to the CMA, but noted that the association “can’t just create a title and give it to someone because they want to treat everyone fairly.”
His decision clears the way for Carrie Underwood or Eric Church to become first-time recipients of the award.
The ceremony is scheduled to air in September.
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