The Country Music Awards are coming up on November 8, 2017, but the Country Music Association is finding itself in the headlines over less-positive developments. According to Spin, CMA was initially requiring that any credentialed media not ask questions about the massacre that hit a country music festival in Las Vegas in October. The association also asked that members of the media avoid asking questions that involved “gun rights” or “political affiliations.”
If a credentialed member of the media did ask a question along the lines of those topics, they were told they would face credential revocation “via security escort.”
You know when Brad Paisley, one of the biggest stars in Nashville and the co-host (along with Carrie Underwood) of the upcoming awards show, calls you out that you probably made the wrong choice:
I'm sure the CMA will do the right thing and rescind these ridiculous and unfair press guidelines. In 3…2….1…..
— Brad Paisley (@BradPaisley) November 3, 2017
Bravo CMA awards for doing the right thing & apologizing for this mistake. All are welcome, let's have a great show.
— Brad Paisley (@BradPaisley) November 3, 2017
CMA defended its actions by stating the guidelines were put into place to protect the artists that were attending the awards show. In a statement to the AP given after the organization had changed the media policy at its award show, they said “CMA apologizes for the recently distributed restrictions in the CMA Awards media guidelines, which have since been lifted. “The sentiment was not to infringe and was created with the best of intentions to honor and celebrate Country Music.”