From one CMA Entertainer of the Year to another . . . Loretta Lynn shared her thoughts regarding Garth Brooks respectfully trying to withdraw his name from future nominations for the CMA Entertainer of the Year Award.

Loretta, who won CMA Entertainer of the Year in 1972, noted on Instagram that she thinks Garth should vie for the award every year he is in contention.

“I’ve thought a lot about @garthbrooks stepping down from being considered for CMA Entertainer of the Year,” said Loretta. “That’s classic, humble Garth but I think he’s wrong on this one! He’s won it 7 times because he earned it! In my book, he’s earned it 20 times over and deserves to win it anytime they count the votes up and he’s on top. He’s worked his heart out and you can mark it down that I’m his biggest fan. I hope CMA ignores his request! Love you, honey. #hesgarthbrooks #entertaineroftheyear #8timesisokbyme #itsnotaparticipationaward #notsorry #callemhowiseeem #hardtruth #88isgreat #gettingthehangofhashtags.”

Garth won his record-setting seventh CMA Entertainer of the Year Award in 2019. Garth held a virtual press conference on July 29 to announce that he is respectfully withdrawing his name from future nominations for the CMA Entertainer of the Year Award.

“It made winning CMA Entertainer of the Year not that much fun,” said Garth, referring to his 2019 win in which he received backlash for winning the award many fans thought Carrie Underwood deserved.

“I’m expecting to give a standing ovation to Carrie,” says Garth. “I mean, this is her night. And when they said my name, then I was like, ‘I’m lost here ’cause I don’t know what to say, so I’m just gonna recap the night of what I loved.’ I think that was a big jolt of [the backlash]. No matter what the start of it was, the result of the millions of tweets, it was one little tweet that caught my eye that made me go . . . ‘I need to fix that,’ so for eight months it has bothered me, but I gotta tell you, there is a freeing feeling about me right now when I walk out of this building that I’m going to really, really, really enjoy where we stand as a band and crew, because it’s not going to change anything in our perspective, but I really love the fact that someone else . . . is going to get to experience that Entertainer of the Year nod. That’s a wonderful thing. Carrie’s might just be a year later. It might be her year this year.”