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Shaboozey spoke up for Megan Moroney after he went viral for side-eyeing her on stage at the 2025 American Music Awards on Monday evening (May 26). The “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” superstar said he’s “seen some hateful comments directed at” Moroney, and took a moment to defend her.
“Just want to clear something up,” Shaboozey wrote in a comment on Moroney’s Instagram post on Tuesday (May 27). “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.
“I’ve seen some hateful comments directed at her today, and that’s not what this moment was about,” he continued. “Let’s not twist the message - she is amazing and someone who represents the country community in the highest light!”
Shaboozey and Moroney presented the award for Favorite Country Duo or Group at the AMAs in Las Vegas, Nevada. The pair read from a teleprompter before listing the nominees and revealing the winner. Shaboozey noted that country legend Charley Pride previously earned the Favorite Male Country Artist award, and Moroney spotlighted Lynn Anderson for her Favorite Female Artist victory. The Am I Okay? artist added the award for Favorite Country Duo or Group “went to the Carter family, who basically invented country music.”
Shaboozey reacted with a side-eye and a laugh before he moved on with the category.
“When you uncover the true history of country music, you find a story so powerful that it cannot be erased,” Shaboozey wrote in posts on X, formerly Twitter, the following morning. “The real history of country music is about people coming together despite their differences, and embracing and celebrating the things that make us alike.”