Sam Hunt No Longer Performing at NASCAR Awards After DUI Arrest

Sam Hunt has backed out of his upcoming performance at the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Awards in Nashville after a DUI arrest in Nashville last week, Rolling Stone reports. Hunt’s rep confirmed that the singer will no longer be performing at the show.

It was announced earlier this month that Hunt would be one of the performers at the upcoming awards, which are set to take place on Dec. 5 at Nashville’s Music City Center. The 34-year-old was likely planning to perform his recent single “Kinfolks,” which was released in October. This will be the first time the awards are held in Nashville and will cap off several days of events during the inaugural NASCAR Champion’s Week.

On Nov. 21, Hunt was arrested early in the morning and charged with driving under the influence and having an open container. Police received multiple calls notifying them that a driver was allegedly traveling the wrong way on a road in East Nashville, and when officers arrived, they found the vehicle swerving in and out of its lane.

Officers initiated a traffic stop at which the driver, identified as Hunt, reportedly had trouble giving his Tennessee license and attempted to hand over his credit card and passport. A field sobriety test was given and the warrant states that Hunt had a blood alcohol content of .173, more than twice the legal limit of .08.

The singer was described as smelling of alcohol and having bloodshot eyes and investigators said that there were two empty beers next to him. Hunt admitted to drinking alcohol “recently” and was the only person in the car. He was booked into the Metro jail around 6:30 a.m. and was later released around 9 a.m. on a $2,500 bond.

On Nov. 22, Hunt released a statement on Twitter in which he wrote that he made a “poor and selfish decision.”

“Wednesday night I decided to drive myself home after drinking at a friend’s show in downtown Nashville,” he wrote. “It was a poor and selfish decision and I apologize to everyone who was unknowingly put at risk and let down by it. It won’t happen again.”

A court date for Hunt has been set for Jan. 17, 2020.

Photo Credit: Getty / Scott Dudelson