Close Menu
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram YouTube TikTok Spotify
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram YouTube TikTok Spotify
    Country Chord – More Than Just 3 ChordsCountry Chord – More Than Just 3 Chords
    Shop
    • News

      “All I Need Is The Opportunity; I Can Do The Rest” – New Country Music Hall of Fame Exhibit Features Lainey Wilson’s Letter To Tim McGraw At 18 Years Old

      August 19, 2025

      “I Want To Be Fully Present For All The Months Ahead, And I Know I Can’t Do That Without First Taking Care Of Myself” – Ella Langley Cancels Upcoming Tour Dates To Focus On Health

      August 11, 2025

      Chris Young Gets Fans In The Holiday Spirit Early With Announcement Of First-Ever Christmas Tour, “It Must Be Christmas – An Evening With Chris Young”

      August 4, 2025

      “So I Should Skip My Botox” – Riley Green Dedicates Performance Of His Steamy Hit ‘Worst Way’ To A Grandma In The Crowd And The Internet Is Lovin’ It

      August 2, 2025

      “America’s Heartland Rejects This Elitist” – The Internet Reacts to Beyonce’s ‘Cowboy Carter Tour’ Becoming The Highest-Grossing Tour In Country Music History

      July 29, 2025
    • Rankings

      Ranking All 27 Songs From Post Malone’s “F-1 Trillion (Long Bed)”

      August 21, 2024

      Ranking All 26 Megan Moroney Songs From “Worst” To Best

      April 1, 2024

      Top 5 Songs From Every Zach Bryan Album Ranked

      March 11, 2024

      Ranking All 63 Chris Stapleton Songs From “Worst” To Best

      February 23, 2024

      Top 10 Brad Paisley Singles Ranked

      February 16, 2024
    • Music

      From “Embarrassingly Bad” To “Incredible” – The Internet Reacts To Morgan Wallen’s “Miami” Remix Featuring Lil Wayne And Rick Ross

      July 25, 2025

      Watch Hulk Hogan Walk Out With Morgan Wallen and Baker Mayfield In Tampa Just Nine Months Before His Death

      July 24, 2025

      “Toby Has Gotta Be Rolling Over In His Grave” – An EDM Remix Of “Should’ve Been a Cowboy” Is Getting Released And Country Fans Are NOT Thrilled

      July 23, 2025

      Watch a Young Zach Top Cover Billy Currington’s 2010 #1 Hit, “Pretty Good At Drinkin’ Beer”

      July 22, 2025

      Gavin Adcock & Afroman Perform “Crazy Rap (Colt 45 & 2 Zig Zags)” At Rock The Country And It Might Be The Most Insane Crossover Of 2025

      July 21, 2025
    • Tours

      Jason Aldean Announces ‘Full Throttle World Tour,’ Extends Dates To Australia And New Zealand In 2026 With Corey Kent

      June 30, 2025

      “We’re Heading To A Bunch of Places We Ain’t Been Yet” – Treaty Oak Revival Announces ‘Bad State Of Mind Part 2’ Tour Dates

      June 24, 2025

      Zach Top Announces 2025 ‘Cold Beer & Country Music’ Tour Dates With Jake Worthington

      June 20, 2025

      Dylan Gossett Announces ‘The Westward Tour’ With Willow Avalon, Drayton Farley And More

      May 19, 2025

      Turnpike Troubadours Announce 2025 ‘Wild America Tour’

      May 13, 2025
    • Entertainment

      Throwback To When Garth Brooks Shockingly Refused The ‘Artist of The Year’ Award At The 1996 AMAs

      September 6, 2025

      “So I Should Skip My Botox” – Riley Green Dedicates Performance Of His Steamy Hit ‘Worst Way’ To A Grandma In The Crowd And The Internet Is Lovin’ It

      August 2, 2025

      From Morgan Wallen Getting Grabbed By A Drunk Woman To Koe Wetzel Getting Nailed By A Beer, Here Are All The WILD Moments From Country Concerts This Week

      July 21, 2025

      Fans Throw Food And Cell Phones At Back-To-Back Jason Aldean Concerts Over The Weekend & Can We PLEASE Stop Throwing Things At Artists On Stage Already?

      July 21, 2025

      “The F*ck?!” – Drunk Woman Grabs Morgan Wallen During Night 1 Concert In Arizona And He Was NOT Having It

      July 21, 2025
    • Playlists
      • Spotify
      • Apple Music
    • Shop
    Country Chord – More Than Just 3 ChordsCountry Chord – More Than Just 3 Chords
    Home » News » Throwback To When Garth Brooks Shockingly Refused The ‘Artist of The Year’ Award At The 1996 AMAs

    Throwback To When Garth Brooks Shockingly Refused The ‘Artist of The Year’ Award At The 1996 AMAs

    Casey NymanBy Casey NymanSeptember 6, 2025 Entertainment
    Facebook Twitter Copy Link Pinterest LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit Tumblr Email
    Share
    Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email

    Award shows are almost guaranteed to spark heated debates among passionate fans. No matter the genre, viewers are quick to weigh in on whether a win was deserved or if their favorite artist was unfairly robbed.

    Most of the time, artists graciously accept their awards, even if the win feels like a surprise (minus the 2009 Taylor Swift-Kanye West VMA debacle, of course). But in 1996, Garth Brooks, one of country music’s biggest stars at the time, broke that norm in a major way. 

    Back in late January of 1996, the country powerhouse of the decade, Garth Brooks, broke this pattern at the 23rd annual American Music Awards, which recognized music wins across genres throughout the previous year. Given his undeniable prominence at the time, Brooks won Favorite Artist of the Year. 

    Standing on stage at the Shrine Auditorium, with the glossy prism trophy in hand and a live ABC audience watching, Brooks started his acceptance speech with a quiet, reserved thank you, before dropping the bombshell that he refused to accept the award.

    “So you’ll know right off the bat, um, I cannot agree with this. Music is made up of a lot of people, and if we’re one artist short, then we all become a lesser music, so without any disrespect to the American Music Awards and without any disrespect to any fans who voted, for all the people who should be honored with this award. I’m gonna leave it right here. Thank you very much.”

    Following this absolute mic drop, Garth tipped his hat to the crowd and promptly left the podium and trophy behind. Cheers erupted throughout the crowd, showing an initial appreciative response to the bold gesture. 

    This award is not only one of the most significant prizes of the night but also a pretty diverse category given that the other nominees included groups like Boyz II Men, Hootie and the Blowfish, Green Day, and TLC (who ultimately ended up accepting the award following Brook’s refusal). While these nominations are based upon airplay, sales, and more recently streaming factors, the actual winners are decided by fan votes. 

    It was later revealed that Brooks, given his lack of participation in the previous year with no tours or new music, felt that the award was undeserved. Despite his absence, his fan base had clearly remained loyal, which was a testament to his lasting impact. Many praised the decision as humble and honorable, with fans and critics alike calling it a rare and commendable act of self-awareness in the industry.

    In fact, the “Friends in Low Places” singer later spoke out and noted that his personal pick would have been Hootie & the Blowfish, led by Darius Rucker at the time. He told the media, “Maybe a year or two ago when we had a really good year. But I’ve been around talking to retailers…and every one of them credits Hootie for keeping them alive in 1995, and I couldn’t agree more. So I thought that’s who shoulda won.”

    Despite turning down the biggest award of the night, Brooks didn’t go home empty-handed. He tied with the Eagles as the night’s top winner, taking home three awards, including Favorite Male Country Artist and Favorite Country Album for his 1994 greatest hits compilation, The Hits (which is another insane testament to just how massive he was in the ’90s).

    Looking back, the moment remains one of the most respected in Brooks’ career. Even with the various controversies, streaming platform disputes, and public criticisms he’s faced over the years, that night in 1996 continues to stand out as a bold act of humility and integrity.

    Watch the Clip Here:

    garth brooks
    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit Tumblr Email

    Comments are closed.

    “All I Need Is The Opportunity; I Can Do The Rest” – New Country Music Hall of Fame Exhibit Features Lainey Wilson’s Letter To Tim McGraw At 18 Years Old

    August 19, 2025

    “I Want To Be Fully Present For All The Months Ahead, And I Know I Can’t Do That Without First Taking Care Of Myself” – Ella Langley Cancels Upcoming Tour Dates To Focus On Health

    August 11, 2025

    Chris Young Gets Fans In The Holiday Spirit Early With Announcement Of First-Ever Christmas Tour, “It Must Be Christmas – An Evening With Chris Young”

    August 4, 2025

    “So I Should Skip My Botox” – Riley Green Dedicates Performance Of His Steamy Hit ‘Worst Way’ To A Grandma In The Crowd And The Internet Is Lovin’ It

    August 2, 2025

    Country Chord – More Than Just 3 Chords
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram TikTok YouTube Spotify
    • Spotify
    • Apple Music
    • Contribute
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact
    © 2025 Copyright Country Chord

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

    Ad Blocker Enabled!
    Ad Blocker Enabled!
    Our website is made possible by displaying online advertisements to our visitors. Please support us by disabling your Ad Blocker.