One day after Sammy Kershaw revealed he had been denied red-carpet access to the 2026 CMA Awards, Rodney Atkins shared a video on social media Saturday (Nov. 7) saying the same thing happened to him.

According to Taste of Country, Atkins said he learned he had not made the cut to walk the carpet, and as a result he and his wife, singer-songwriter Rose Falcon, have decided not to attend this year's ceremony.

In a statement quoted by KALB, Atkins 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. So we've decided not to attend this year's CMA Awards."

Atkins made his announcement in a video posted to his social media, and the clip carries the emotional weight of the dispute.

Taste of Country quotes him saying that when he heard about Sammy Kershaw, he thought "What a shame. He's a great guy. Sweetheart of a dude. Singing dude, spent his life representing country music" — and then found out the same thing had happened to him.

KALB notes Kershaw's own post on Thursday drew an outpouring of support from fans and fellow musicians, and that Kershaw's manager has hinted at new developments in the dispute. The Country Music Association has not yet publicly responded to either Kershaw's or Atkins' comments, according to KALB.

The surprise, as Taste of Country reports, is that Atkins says this has been one of the best touring years of his career — yet that success is not translating into a place on country music's biggest red carpet.

He told fans he has a new single, "The Years Are Short," climbing the charts, which could give him charting songs in three different decades.

He also cited Country Aircheck's list of the 100 most-played songs of the last 20 years, saying he had three songs in the Top 50, with "Watching You" at No. 11. Atkins has twice been nominated for CMA Awards, in 2007 and 2008, making the denial of access to a longtime member all the more striking.

The stakes are amplified by timing. Taste of Country quotes Atkins saying artists who helped build the foundation of country music, like Sammy Kershaw, deserve a place in its celebrations, adding "Country music should never get above its raisin'."

Lainey Wilson will host, with top nominees including Ella Langley, Miranda Lambert, Kacey Musgraves and Luke Combs. With the CMA silent so far, per KALB, the question now is whether more artists speak up before show night.