In the wake of the controversy surrounding his win for Entertainer of the Year at the American Country Music Awards on Sunday, Kenny Chesney has just written this (long ass) letter to his fans.

He says:

"Dear Friends…

I want to thank each of you personally for your part in this 4th Entertainer of the Year Award… You are not just the reason we do this, you are a lot of what makes us Entertainer of the Year. Beyond even your votes - which were critical - but the way you inspire me and the guys. We are more because you give so much… and I want to make sure you know how much I appreciate you, and how much a part of this you guys are.

Just hearing the sounds from the parking lot when everyone's out grilling and hanging with their friends makes me wanna get out there and rock. To be part of that kind of a good time is the reason I started going to shows, and it's absolutely why I live to do this.

Which is part of the confusion over my response to the change in the awards criteria. There's a lot more to being Entertainer of the Year than what we show you… and that's because I want the music to just be your music, your songs, your life - the way it was for me. I've always been a bit uncomfortable with the amount of information that gets out there about how many trucks, how we do the effects, those sorts of things… because I don't want it to be about semis, I want what we do to be about that moment when you hear the music and we hear you.

To me, Entertainer of the Year is about the work that goes into it."

CLICK HERE to read the rest of Kenny's letter!

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On Sunday night, Kenny Chesney criticized the American Country Music Awards (despite his win) for allowing fans to vote for the Entertainer of the Year award.

Chesney told reporters backstage, "I don't think it's right that they pick the one award that means the most, that all the artists sacrifice the most for."

According to reports, Chesney made clear Sunday night that his criticism was an industry complaint about the process for one award — not a dig at his fans or at the awards show overall.

It was the first time in the show's 43 years that the top prize was decided by a fan vote.

BUT, it's been revealed that Chesney played along with the industry and prodded his fans to pick him for the win!!!

Chesney's MySpace page still carried a large banner Monday urging fans to "bring it home for KC," with links to the academy's online page and messages from fans lower on the page.

Kinda hypocritical, dontcha think?

[Image via WENN.]

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Forget a wardrobe malfunction. That's so early millennium!

Kenny Chesney suffered a serious technical malfunction during the start of his new tour in Columbia, S.C., on Saturday night.

The country singer's foot got STUCK between the stage and a lift that was taking him up from below.

The injury was serious enough that Chesney was seen limping throughout the entire show. A team physician from the University of South Carolina waited nearby while Renee Zellweger's ex completed his performance.

Upon leaving the stage, Chesney's boot was cut off, and the doctor treated the injury to minimize damage.

The exact severity is not known at this time, but Kenny had released the following statement:

"I took one look at those fans, and there was no way I wasn't going on. Sometimes the energy and the adrenalin pull you through. They had come to rock, and there was no way I was sending them home with anything less than the best of what me and my guys came to do — put it all out there and give them back at least as good as they gave us. … Honestly, through the pain, through all of it, Columbia, S.C., totally got me through."

Like any good gay, Kenny knows….

The show MUST go on!

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