Just my personal opinion…
Year-after-year, award-show-after-award-show, Kenny Chesney seemingly does not get the attention he so deserves when it comes to Entertainer of the Year.
This has nothing to do with the other artists nominated. They’re all great artists and entertainers. But how does Kenny get left out?
We’re talking about a guy who spends his summers playing in stadiums across the country (on top of amphitheaters and festivals), including 13 MLB and NFL stadiums last summer alone. Our calculations show that he played for over 1,000,000 fans in 2016. The only ACM Entertainer of the Year nominee who played for more fans in 2016 than Kenny was Luke Bryan… who also played 40+ more shows than Chesney in 2016.
One could argue Garth Brooks is also an artist who has gotten snubbed but Garth has been nominated and won the award for Entertainer of the Year recently- at the 2016 CMA Awards. The last time that Chesney was nominated for an Entertainer of the Year award by the ACM was 2011. The last time he won an ACM Entertainer of the Year was 2007. His last CMA Entertainer of the Year nomination was 2015 and the last time he won that award was 2008. Since his last win, he’s charted eleven Number One songs and five Number One albums. And yes, we know being the Entertainer of the Year isn’t just about chart success, it’s the entertainment factor. But Kenny Chesney is one of the all time greatest entertainers, and not just in country music. He’s one of the few artists who can consistently sell out major sports stadiums year-after-year and he always leaves the stage drenched in sweat and out of breath. Because he runs around the stage for 75-90 minutes every night putting on a show that his fans will never forget. Kenny is also one of the few major acts that doesn’t rely on crazy pyrotechnic effects. His performance speaks for itself. He doesn’t need those effects. Once in awhile, maybe. But it’s not a major part of his show.
So why the disconnect? Is it because he’s not playing as many show as the other artists? That’s the only thing we can really think of. All of the nominees for the 52nd Annual ACM’s Entertainer of the Year category played anywhere from 25+ to 40+ more shows than Chesney last year. But that shouldn’t be the case. Quantity doesn’t always mean quality and it definitely shouldn’t define someone as Entertainer of the Year.
The fact is, Kenny Chesney is country music’s greatest entertainer. Plain and simple. The fact that he isn’t nominated for Entertainer of the Year by these major award platform is a travesty. Yes, we have some other great entertainers in the genre who are deserving of the nomination but there’s no way you can leave Chesney out of the picture.