For the second year in a row, Entertainer of the Year nominee Morgan Wallen chose not to attend the CMA Awards.

The I’m the Problem singer was nowhere to be found as the 2025 ceremony kicked off. He wasn’t scheduled to perform or present, but still earned three nominations.

Before the show, Wallen’s close friend and frequent collaborator Ernest gave a glimpse into why the singer continues to skip awards ceremonies.

During a conversation with Taste of Country, Ernest named Lainey Wilson as his choice for Entertainer of the Year — adding that Wallen wouldn’t mind him saying so.

“He don’t give a st. Since when is Morgan giving a st?” Ernest said.

“Who’s making more money doing this than Morgan Wallen?” he continued. “He doesn’t give a f**k about this award. I wouldn’t either, if I was Morgan Wallen.”

Earlier this month, Wallen appeared as a surprise guest during Ella Langley’s show at the Ryman Auditorium in downtown Nashville. He joked about skipping the CMAs, saying it “takes a lot more than an awards show to get me out to Broadway these days.”

Wallen also skipped last year’s ceremony. He was absent from the 2021 CMAs as well, following a temporary ban after being caught in a racial slur controversy.

“I’m embarrassed and sorry. I used an unacceptable and inappropriate racial slur that I wish I could take back,” Wallen said in a statement shared with ET at the time. “There are no excuses to use this type of language, ever. I want to sincerely apologise for using the word. I promise to do better.”