ST.“It’s contempt” — Carrie Underwood slams Morgan Wallen’s 2nd CMA snub to defend the integrity of the CMA, demanding he respect the CMA’s decisions
The Unforgivable Pattern of Absence
The shadow cast over the 2025 CMA Awards was the conspicuous absence of Morgan Wallen, marking the second time in as many years that the genre’s biggest streaming star chose not to attend the ceremony. While his loss of the Entertainer of the Year (EOTY) award to Lainey Wilson was widely discussed, the greater controversy lay in his deliberate distance from the institution.
It took the moral authority of Carrie Underwood, a CMA loyalist and multi-time winner, to articulate the industry’s simmering frustration. Underwood did not mince words, delivering a sharp critique that transcended mere celebrity gossip and focused instead on professional ethics.
Her definitive judgment was chilling: “It’s contempt.”
Underwood asserted that Wallen’s repeated refusal to show up was not an artistic choice or a scheduling conflict; it was a profound sign of contempt for the very body that validates the careers of every artist in the genre.
Defending the Integrity of the Institution
The crux of Underwood’s argument lay in her fierce defense of the CMA’s integrity. Wallen’s non-attendance, coupled with the fan outcry over his EOTY loss, created a narrative that the CMA was either flawed, biased, or irrelevant. Underwood refuted this by demanding respect for the thousands of artists, producers, and executives who make up the voting body.
“When you win an award, you show up and accept it with gratitude,” Underwood stated. “When you are nominated, you show up and support your peers. When you refuse to participate, especially when you are the biggest name in the genre, you are telling every single voter, songwriter, and musician that their judgment means nothing.”
She argued that Wallen’s snub wasn’t just personal; it undermined the entire foundation of the Country music ecosystem. By boycotting the ceremony, he was devaluing the EOTY award itself—a trophy Lainey Wilson had just earned through years of hard work.
The Demand: Respect the Decisions
The veteran icon took her defense one step further by directly addressing the fan-fueled anger surrounding the awards’ outcomes. Carrie Underwood made a powerful demand: “He must respect the CMA’s decisions.”
This demand was aimed squarely at silencing the narrative that Wallen had been “punished” for his absence. Underwood flipped the script, implying that Wallen’s detachment justified the outcome. EOTY is given to an entertainer who fully commits to the genre, and Wallen’s deliberate distancing was the antithesis of commitment.
Underwood underscored the fact that every artist, from the biggest star to the newest nominee, must ultimately submit to the peer-voted system. By casting doubt on the CMA’s decision-making process through his visible disdain, Wallen risked alienating the very people who elevated him.
The Cost of Contempt
Underwood’s critique paints a clear picture: Wallen’s fame grants him freedom, but his freedom comes at the cost of the industry’s respect. She warned that no amount of streaming success can buy back the goodwill lost through his actions.
His 2nd CMA Snub moves beyond political protest and into professional arrogance. Underwood’s voice, respected by both old guard and new stars, serves as a harsh reality check. She reminded Wallen, and his millions of fans, that the CMA is more than a television show; it is a community, and repeated contempt for that community is a betrayal.
By so fiercely defending the CMA’s integrity and its decisions, Carrie Underwood established herself as the unyielding voice of the Country music establishment, holding even the genre’s biggest star accountable for his actions. The question now remains whether Morgan Wallen will heed the veteran’s stern warning and return to the fold, or if his perceived contempt will define his legacy within the industry he dominates.
