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ACM Awards: Fan Voting Hits Sour Note with Chesney

Kenny Chesney, after being named entertainer of the year for a fourth straight time at Sunday's Academy of Country Music Awards, criticized the change in rules which for the first time in 43 years put the highest honor in the hands of fans and online voting. "[Entertainer of the year] is supposed to represent heart and passion and an amazing amount of sacrifice, commitment and focus," said Chesney, who tied Garth Brooks with the fourth win and now trails only five-timer Alabama. "That's the way Garth won it... the way [George] Strait won it, Reba, Alabama....." Now, he said, it's no more than a "sweepstakes to see who can push people's buttons the hardest on the Internet."The ACM has not yet responded to Chesney's comments. — MWM

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Kenny Chesney, after being named entertainer of the year for a fourth straight time at Sunday's Academy of Country Music Awards, criticized the change in rules which for the first time in 43 years put the highest honor in the hands of fans and online voting. "[Entertainer of the year] is supposed to represent heart and passion and an amazing amount of sacrifice, commitment and focus," said Chesney, who tied Garth Brooks with the fourth win and now trails only five-timer Alabama. "That's the way Garth won it... the way [George] Strait won it, Reba, Alabama....." Now, he said, it's no more than a "sweepstakes to see who can push people's buttons the hardest on the Internet."
The ACM has not yet responded to Chesney's comments. - MWM