Rascal Flatts Motivated to Win Back CMA Award

When Rascal Flatts' six-year reign as CMA Group of the Year was usurped by Lady Antebellum last November, they were stunned. Stunned enough to flat out admit they want the award back -- and that losing to Lady A has driven them to work even harder in 2010 to earn it again.

"Lady Antebellum had a great year," Jay DeMarcus tells Nashville's Tennessean newspaper. "But honestly, losing lit a fire under our [butts] to say, 'You know what, this has been our award for the last six years, and we need to go take it back ... and we are going to work our tails off to try and do that very thing. We're not that old yet."

Not being nominated for the second year in a row for Entertainer of the Year -- despite selling more than one million concert tickets this past year -- only twisted the screw of disappointment tighter.

"Nobody is going to sit here and not be honest and say that it isn't disappointing to not get recognized for your hard work," Jay continues. "We've been able to do so many incredible things. We've had so many great tours, and to look at those ballots and think you can't be nominated for entertainer of the year is disappointing. But we absolutely do not begrudge anyone else from being in those categories. We just feel like we've worked very hard too, and it's nice to be recognized for that hard work."

Although not included on the ballot, screaming fans nevertheless made it loud and clear to the guys as they left the show that night how much they're loved and appreciated.

"Walking out after the group thing, fans were yelling, 'Hey, they didn't sell out Wrigley Field!' Joe Don remembers, referring to 2009, when the trio sold 38,000 tickets to become the only country act ever to sell out the park. "People were screaming from the seats. But they don't have a voice."

To which Gary adds, "I think every awards show should be fan voted."

Rascal Flatts' 10-year anniversary tour will launch in 2010. They're also planning to release a new CD in the fall.