Shaboozey has broken his silence on the moment he appeared to give Megan Moroney some serious side eye during the 2025 AMA Awards. Apparently, the side eye was never intended at her, and he's urging people to leave her alone.
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On May 26, Shaboozey and Megan Moroney were on stage to present the award for favorite country duo or group. There, the "A Bar Song (Tipsy)" singer announced, "Country music has been an important part of AMA history. The very first year of this show, the award for favorite male country artist went to the great Charlie Pride."
Moroney then stepped in, "That same year, favorite female artist went to Lynn Anderson, and the award went to the Carter Family, who basically invented country music."
That last line has generated a lot of backlash for Megan Moroney and earned a cutting side eye and short laugh from Shaboozey, as though he was in disbelief at what she said.
The history of country music is far more nuanced than most appreciate. The genre has stemmed from numerous different groups from many different places. To say that the Carter family "invented" country music is erasing its true roots. However, it's likely Megan Moroney was simply exaggerating their impact rather than making a genuine claim.
Either way, Moroney has been slammed with hate comments since, and Shaboozey has stepped in to defend her.
Shaboozey Calls On Country Fans To Stop Hating On Megan Moroney
In the comments of Moroney's latest post, Shaboozey piped up in her defence. He wrote, "Just want to clear something up: my reaction at the AMAs had nothing to do with Megan Moroney!"
"She's an incredibly talented, hard-working artist who's doing amazing things for country music and I've got nothing but respect for her," he continued.
"I've seen some hateful comments directed at her today, and that's not what this moment was about. Let's not twist the message - she is amazing and someone who represents the country community in the highest light!"
No one can say for certain, but what Moroney said also likely wasn't her own words either, but a scripted line that she had to read aloud.
In this instance, Shaboozey's disapproving look would be directed to whoever wrote the line, not Moroney herself.
He has taken to X to share his thoughts on the origin of country music, "The real history of country music is about people coming together despite their differences, and embracing and celebrating the things that make us alike." Which rings true and is a beautiful take on the history of this genre we enjoy so much.
