Toby Keith is a big player in country music, but you won't find him at the CMA Awards -- and it's by choice.

Keith took home Music Video of the Year in 2012 and 2005, and Male Vocalist of the Year in 2001, but for the past decade-plus, the singer-songwriter has not attended Country Music's Biggest Night.

“I just, years ago, decided that it wasn’t my bag,” Keith tells Taste of Country Nights. “I think in three years, I had 24 nominations. I was 0 for 24, and I went, ‘I can’t beat the politics of this deal.'

"I was a No. 1 ticket seller, a No. 1 album seller, and I spent 51 weeks at No. 1 on Billboard in a four-year span, and I went 0 for 24?" he adds. "I was like, ‘This isn’t worth my time.'"

Keith is not nominated at the upcoming 2020 CMA Awards. His last CMAs nomination came in 2012, when he won Music Video of of the Year, for "Red Solo Cup."

The 2020 CMA Awards are scheduled to take place on Nov. 11 and will air live from Nashville on ABC beginning at 8PM ET. Due to the novel coronavirus pandemic, the show will be hosted at Nashville's Music City Center, not Bridgestone Arena as is customary, and there will be no live audience.

The Boot will be staying up late covering the most buzzed-about winners, fashion and moments at the 2020 CMA Awards. Readers can watch along with us by checking back to TheBoot.com for the latest CMAs headlines, liking The Boot on Facebook and following The Boot on Twitter.

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