Zach Bryan doesn’t want to be a part of the system.
This week, the “Something in the Orange” singer took to Twitter to announce that he wants nothing to do with the CMA Awards, which were broadcast live on Wednesday night.
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“Guys, I don’t and will never want to be considered at the CMAs,” he wrote. “My pride is fine and I appreciate all the love and support,” he added, “and I say it with every ounce of respect to other country artists. Establishments will always be weird.”
guys I don’t and will never want to be considered at the CMA’s. My pride is fine and I appreciate all the love and support and I say it with every ounce of respect to other country artists
establishments will always be weird
— Zach Bryan (@zachlanebryan) November 10, 2022
Bryan was not nominated at the CMAs this year, and did not perform or present at the ceremony, though it is not clear whether he submitted material for consideration in the first place, Variety reported.
In a second tweet, though, he seemed to imply that he was snubbed by the Country Music Association, saying of his body of work, “In five years all of these strange outdated systems will claim it was right in front of them the entire time. Truly more fun to laugh at than be butt hurt over.”
in five years all of these strange outdated systems will claim it was right in front of them the entire time.
truly more fun to laugh at than be butt hurt over.
if these shows and companies wanted to be honest they would have gotten into songwriting and not award giving— Zach Bryan (@zachlanebryan) November 10, 2022
He also criticized artists who do work in order to win awards, but added in response to one Twitter user that “there are so many talents artists” who do deserve to be awarded.
any man or woman doing a task -solely- to be awarded for it shouldn’t be doing the task at all
— Zach Bryan (@zachlanebryan) November 10, 2022
no I do not think this. I think there are so many talented artist that deserve awarded and will be awarded, and some just don’t care enough about a silly tv program to need an award in the first place https://t.co/HaTyX4EhTu
— Zach Bryan (@zachlanebryan) November 10, 2022
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He then clarified that he was “not trying to insult the validity” of a CMA award, adding, “I’m just saying on a personal level it is not one of my priorities to have awards on a shelf in my home.”
To be clear, I’m not trying to insult the validity of a CMA, I respect any artist who receives one and the existence of them; I’m just saying on a personal level it is not one of my priorities to have awards on a shelf in my home. there’s room for more important things there
— Zach Bryan (@zachlanebryan) November 10, 2022
someone gets it https://t.co/YXmUDq70tM
— Zach Bryan (@zachlanebryan) November 10, 2022
In 2020, Bryan released his third studio album, American Heartbreak, which went to No. 1 on the U.S. Country chart, and No. 5 on the Billboard album chart.