ABC/CMAWe don’t know whether it was entirely his doing, but Brad Paisley no doubt was a big factor in the Country Music Association rescinding its policy banning the media from asking questions about the mass shooting in Las Vegas at next Wednesday’s CMA Awards.
“I’m sure the CMA will do the right thing and rescind these ridiculous and unfair press guidelines,” the CMA host tweeted Friday morning, adding “In 3… 2…. 1 …..”
What he was referring to was the guidelines for the 51st Annual CMA Awards, emailed to reporters Thursday. They read, in part:
“In light of recent events, and out of respect for the artists directly or indirectly involved, please refrain from focusing your coverage of the CMA Awards Red Carpet and Backstage Media Center on the Las Vegas tragedy, gun rights, political affiliations or topics of the like. It’s vital, more so this year than in years past due to the sensitivities at hand, that the CMA Awards be a celebration of Country Music and the artist that make this genre so great… If you are reported as straying from these guidelines, your credential will be reviewed and potentially revoked via security escort.”
Two hours after Brad’s tweet, the Country Music Association released a statement that declared: “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.”
Brad Paisley will host the CMA Awards for the tenth time this year with co-host Carrie Underwood. You can watch the show live from Nashville starting at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.
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