You don’t get these kinds of fireworks from the CMA Awards anymore.
With the 2025 CMA Awards coming up this week, we pretty much know what we’re going to expect this week: A sanitized, pop-infused ceremony featuring all of the usual suspects from the major labels, while leaving out some of the ACTUAL biggest names in country music. Guys like Tyler Childers, Zach Bryan…even Muscadine Bloodline, who opened for Post Malone on his recent tour but aren’t signed to a label, so they’ll never get the recognition they deserve from these label-driven awards shows. Old Dominion will somehow beat the Red Clay Strays for what seems like their 57th straight Group of the Year award… it’
Of course that’s really nothing new. Even back in 1975, there was quite a bit of controversy over the awards being too “pop” and leaving out actual country artists – and Charlie Rich decided to make quite the statement.
Rich had his first number one in 1973, “Behind Closed Doors,” followed by “The Most Beautiful Girl,” which also took the top spot on the country charts. Those two hit singles landed him three CMA Awards in 1973: Best Male Vocalist, Album of the Year, and Single of the Year. He followed that up with 5 more number one’s the next year and took home the 1974 CMA Entertainer of the Year. But after a rough 1975 that contained many off-stage incidents due to his excessive drinking, Rich was left out of the CMA Awards nominations, instead being asked to present the award for Entertainer of the Year.
The problem was that, by the time they got to the final award of the evening, Rich was hammered. As he took to the stage visibly intoxicated, Rich slurred his way through the nominees for the night’s biggest prize: Waylon Jennings, Loretta Lynn, Ronnie Milsap, Conway Twitty, and John Denver.
Then, as he announced the award was going to “my friend, Mr. John Denver,” Rich pulled out a lighter and set the piece of paper containing Denver’s name on fire, right there on the stage. A jaw-dropping moment no doubt about it.
Now, Denver wasn’t at the awards show and accepted the prize remotely, so he didn’t have any idea what was going on. But many saw the move by Rich as a bold and defiant middle finger to the Country Music Association for the night’s top prize going to an artist like Denver, who was often considered too “pop” for the country genre.
The former director of the CMA Awards, Jo Walker-Meador, had a different theory, and thought that Rich was upset about being left out of the Entertainer of the Year category after winning the award the year before. She argued that it had nothing to do with Denver, and was simply about Rich feeling like he was snubbed. It may have been a little of both…
Charlie’s Son Gives Explanation
However, Rich’s son said there was a simpler explanation… he just thought it would be funny.
Charlie Rich’s son said that his father was simple trying to be funny, and in his intoxication, both on prescription drugs and alcohol, probably didn’t give as much thought to the ramifications. He added that his father felt bad that other people thought he was making a statement on Denver, who he called a “friend” during the announcement.
Here’s what he said:
“I’ll tell you why I thought he did it.
Number one, he thought it would be funny. He set it up by talking about how the potential winners were probably nervous, as he had been the previous year.
Number two, bad judgement. He had recently broken his foot in a freak accident at his home in Memphis. It sounds funny, but he got his foot caught in an awkward position while getting out of a reclining chair. He cracked several bones in his foot. So, due to the pain, he took pain medication the night of the show: Bad idea!
Secondly, he and another country star got to drinking gin and tonics while waiting in the dressing room. The show was long, so by the time Dad was supposed to go on, the drinks on top of the medication got him buzzed. So, there ya’ go. That’s why I think he did it. Primarily he thought it would be funny.
I know the last thing my father would have wanted to do was set himself up as judge of another musician. He felt badly that people thought it was a statement against John Denver.”
The incident caused Rich’s career to take a hit, and though he released a few singles that cracked the top 10, he was never able to recapture the success he had earlier in his career.
Waylon Jennings Responds
Regardless, it seems that at least one of the Entertainer of the Year nominees got a laugh out of it, with Waylon Jennings writing in his autobiography that he enjoyed that moment more than he did winning Male Vocalist of the Year.
Waylon was never one for awards shows, and even had his own complicated relationship with the CMA Awards, but he famously recalled the night saying:
“I was happier watching Charlie Rich get drunk and burn up the Entertainer of the Year award, holding a cigarette lighter to the envelope, please. They went to grab him, but when Charlie was drunk, it was best to stay out of his way… Oh, yeah. John Denver won Entertainer of the Year. Now that’s what I call country.”
Rich passed away in 1995 at the age of 62, leaving behind some classic country music and an iconic moment in CMA Awards history.
The 2025 CMA Awards will air live from the Bridgestone Arena on November 19 at 7 p.m. CT on ABC with Lainey Wilson taking over as solo host this year.
You can view the full list of nominees below.
2025 CMA Awards Nominees
Entertainer of the Year
- Morgan Wallen
- Luke Combs
- Lainey Wilson
- Cody Johnson
- Chris Stapleton
Album of the Year
- Am I Okay? – Megan Moroney
- Producer: Kristian Bush
- Mix Engineer: Justin Niebank
- Cold Beer & Country Music – Zach Top
- Producer: Carson Chamberlain
- Mix Engineer: Matt Rovey
- F-1 Trillon – Post Malone
- Producers: Louis Bell, Charlie Handsome, Hoskins
- Mix Engineer: Ryan Gore
- I’m The Problem – Morgan Wallen
- Producers: Jacob Durrett, Charlie Handsome, Joey Moi
- Mix Engineers: Charlie Handsome, Joey Moi
- Whirlwind – Lainey Wilson
- Producer: Jay Joyce
- Mix Engineers: Jason Hall, Jay Joyce
Male Vocalist of the Year
- Chris Stapleton
- Morgan Wallen
- Luke Combs
- Cody Johnson
- Zach Top
Female Vocalist of the Year
- Lainey Wilson
- Ella Langley
- Megan Moroney
- Kelsea Ballerini
- Miranda Lambert
Vocal Group of the Year
- Old Dominion
- The Red Clay Strays
- Little Big Town
- Lady A
- Rascal Flatts
Vocal Duo of the Year
- Brooks & Dunn
- Dan + Shay
- Brothers Osborne
- The War and Treaty
- Maddie & Tae
Single of the Year
- “4X4XU” – Lainey Wilson
- Producer: Jay Joyce
- Mix Engineers: Jason Hall, Jay Joyce
- “Ain’t No Love In Oklahoma” – Luke Combs
- Producers: Luke Combs, Chip Matthews, Jonathan Singleton
- Mix Engineer: Chip Matthews
- “Am I Okay?” – Megan Moroney
- Producer: Kristian Bush
- Mix Engineer: Justin Niebank
- “I Never Lie” – Zach Top
- Producer: Carson Chamberlain
- Mix Engineer: Mat Rovey
- “You Look Like You Love Me” – Ella Langley ft. Riley Green
- Producer: Will Bundy
- Mix Engineer: Jim Cooley
Song of the Year
- “4X4XU” – Lainey Wilson
- Songwriters: Jon Decious, Aaron Raitiere, Lainey Wilson
- “Am I Okay? – Megan Moroney
- Songwriters: Jessie Jo Dillon, Luke Laird, Megan Moroney
- “I Never Lie” – Zach Top
- Songwriters: Carson Chamberlain, Tim Nichols, Zach Top
- “Texas” – Blake Shelton
- Songwriters: Johnny Clawson, Josh Dorr, Lalo Guzman, Kyle Sturrock
- “You Look Like You Love Me” – Ella Langley ft. Riley Green
- Songwriters: Riley Green, Ella Langley, Aaron Raitiere
New Artist of the Year
- Zach Top
- Ella Langley
- Stephen Wilson Jr.
- Tucker Wetmore
- Shaboozey
Musician of the Year
- Jenee Fleenor (Fiddle)
- Paul Franklin (Steel Guitar)
- Brett Mason (Guitar)
- Rob McNelley (Guitar)
- Derek Wells (Guitar)
Music Video of the Year
- “Am I Okay?” – Megan Moroney
- Directors: Alexander Gavillet, Megan Moroney
- “I’m Gonna Love You” – Cody Johnson & Carrie Underwood
- “Somewhere Over Laredo” – Lainey Wilson
- “Think I’m In Love With You” – Chris Stapleton
- “You Look Like You Love Me” – Ella Langley & Riley Green
- Directors: Ella Langley, John Park, Wales Toney
Musical Event of the Year
- “Don’t Mind If I Do” – Riley Green ft. Ella Langley
- Producers: Scott Borchetta, Jimmy Harnen, Dann Huff
- “Hard Fought Hallelujah” – Brandon Lake w/ Jelly Roll
- “I’m Gonna Love You” – Cody Johnson w/ Carrie Underwood
- “Pour Me A Drink” – Post Malone ft. Blake Shelton
- Producers: Louis Bell, Charlie Handsome
- “You Had to Be There” – Megan Moroney ft. Kenny Chesney