Eric Church Calls On Country Music to Unify Nation
"Politicians are about division, music is about unity."
One of the biggest moments at the 54th Annual CMA Awards had to be Eric Church winning his first ever Entertainer of the Year award. And with all of country music’s attention on him, he used his acceptance speech to make a point.
Church has long been celebrated for speaking his mind, but his message Wednesday night (November 11) seemed to come more from his heart. With the nation caught in the grips of a pandemic that’s worse now than it was when concert touring and everyday life screeched to a halt in March, and the fallout from a deeply divisive presidential election unclear, the North Carolina native said he and his fellow country stars have a big job to do.
“If there was ever a year not to win this award,” he said as he accepted the night’s top trophy. “This award this year, at least for me, has been about the loss of this year. Loss of life, loss of playing shows, loss of freedom, loss of kids being in school.
“You know what the win is? The win is we were all here tonight together as country music in person, live, not on zoom,” he went on. “It’s going to be music that brings us out of this. That is the one thing that is going to save the entire world. Politicians are about division, music is about unity. And I promise you, it’s going to take everyone in this room to unite.”
Church wrapped his remarks up by saying he’s got a lot more to say, so we’ll stay tuned. Country musicians typically do their best to avoid making any kind of political statement — even one that literally calls for moving beyond politics — but Church is in good company historically. Icons like Johnny Cash and Willie Nelson have used their platform to advocate for change over the years, so what do you think of Church’s point of view?
Eric Church also delivered a passionate performance of his new single on the show, invoking outlaw romance in a live rendition of “Hell of a View.”
