Garth Brooks wasn't hurt by backlash following his seventh Country Music Association (CMA) award win for Entertainer of the Year, acknowledging that it's "time" for someone else to take home the gong.
The Friends in Low Places hitmaker claimed his latest prize in November, marking the third time in four years he has walked away with the accolade. Following the victory, Brooks made the decision to ask CMA officials to drop him from consideration for the 2020 prize, and reflected on what prompted him to withdraw from the race during an interview on People TV.
On the response he received from fans, Garth said: "There’s one in particular that I loved that said, 'I love you to death but don't you just think it's time that…'"
And the 58-year-old wasn't worried about the criticism, as he explained: "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?' Say it's time. Love everybody, hug everybody and be known as 'the guy who got to win it this many times.'"
Brooks won the award in 1991, 1992, 1997, 1998, 2016, 2017 and 2019.
