Brooks, a seven-times recipient of the top country music honor, said Wednesday that "it's time for somebody else to hold that award."
He last won CMA "Entertainer of the Year" in 2019, when some in country music fandom argued passionately for Carrie Underwood or Eric Church to earn the annual trophy.
'There's one tweet in there that really stuck in my head," Brooks said in a virtual press conference Wednesday. "It said, 'Hey, man. This guy, why doesn't he just step down (and leave) the entertainer for the next generation?' 100% agree."