With the 2020 CMA Awards less than two months away, Garth Brooks predicts it is Carrie Underwood‘s year to win. After winning seven times, most recently in 2019, the 58-year-old famously announced several weeks ago that he was removing his name from the list of contenders for the night’s highest honor, after receiving backlash for taking a trophy that many said belonged to Carrie.
“I’m expecting to give a standing ovation to Carrie,” Garth told People. “I mean, this is her night … And when they said my name, then I was like, I’m lost here because I don’t know what to say.”
Carrie was nominated last year, along with Eric Church, Chris Stapleton and Keith Urban. After winning the Entertainer of the Year trophy, Garth saw a tweet from someone, which said that it was time he step aside and let other people win.
“We got killed pretty bad last time we won here,” Garth said of his 2019 win. “There’s one I particular [tweet] that I loved that said, I love you to death but don’t you just think it’s time that…'”
For Garth, the idea made sense.
I don’t think it hurts at all. They’re not saying they don’t love ya, they’re saying ‘Hey, don’t you think it’s time?'” Garth explained. “Say it’s time. Love everybody, hug everybody and be known as ‘the guy who got to win it this many times.'”
“I’m very grateful for the time that I’ve got to go [win],” he added. “[Now] somebody else needs to hold that.”
Garth may have removed his name from contention for Entertainer of the Year, but it’s only to start a new, and for him more exciting, chapter of his lengthy career.
“I really feel like the walls have come down. Now the real entertaining and the real big thing to me is getting ready to happen I just feel freedom,” Garth said during his weekly Inside Studio G Facebook series. “Now you just feel like whatever you choose is up to you. That’s a fun thing. I don’t know why i didn’t feel that before, but it’s cool.”
Carrie shares the Entertainer of the Year category with Miranda Lambert, Luke Combs, Eric Church and Keith Urban. The 2020 CMA Awards will air live form Nashville on Wednesday, November 11, at 8:00 PM ET on ABC.
