In case you missed it...
Perhaps this is the equivalent of a mic drop. Chris Stapleton was a guest with Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s "Dirty Mo Media" podcast when the subject of National Anthem performances came up. Two years ago, Stapleton delivered what many consider one of the greatest performances of the "Star Spangled Banner" in Super Bowl history. While discussing what it takes for him to perform such a legendary song on such a huge stage, Stapleton admitted that he often got invites to perform it at other functions, but jokingly turned them down, saying he was waiting for the Super Bowl to call...and then they did. After crushing it, the singer realizes there's no point in doing it again. "And I do say now that I have officially retired from it as well," he said of the anthem. See Stapleton's visit with Dale Jr. below...
For those that feel there are too many awards shows, we have good news. For the rest of you that love seeing country music celebrated with great live performances, the news is not so good. Friday, a note to the staff of Paramount+ informed them that certain events, including the CMT Music Awards, wouldn’t happen in 2025. The note states that the company is "pausing a few events for 2025 as we look to reimagine and optimize our events slate going forward. These include the MTV EMAs, MTV MIAWs, Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards in Mexico, and CMT Music Awards." Apparently the pause does not impact the VMAs or the Kids’ Choice Awards in the US. No word why the CMT Music Awards was chosen to be paused, or if or when it would return.