At the 2025 American Music Awards, Shaboozey gave Megan Moroney a shady side-eye after she claimed that the Carter Family “basically invented” country music.
During Monday’s live broadcast, the two singers took the stage together to present the award for favorite country duo or group.
“Country music has been an important part of AMA history,” Shaboozey, whose real name is Collins Obinna Chibuez, read from the teleprompter.
“The very first year of this show, the award for favorite male country artist went to the great Charley Pride.”
Moroney, 27, then read, “That same year, the favorite female artist award went to Lynn Anderson, and this award went to the Carter Family, who basically invented country music.”
Shaboozey, 30, appeared caught off guard by Moroney’s statement, giving her a side-eye before pausing to process the comment.
The “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” singer then laughed and added that the nominees in the category were “very impressive.”
Page Six has reached out to representatives for both Shaboozey and Moroney but has not yet received a response.
The “Drink Don’t Need No Mix” singer then laughed and went on to say that the nominees in the category were “very impressive.”However, Shaboozey took to X to encourage people to do their research when exploring the origins of country music.
“When you uncover the true history of country music, you find a story so powerful that it cannot be erased,” he tweeted on Tuesday.
“The real history of country music is about people coming together despite their differences, embracing and celebrating the things that make us alike,” the “Cowboy Carter” collaborator added.
Shaboozey also stood up for Moroney, defending her against the “hateful comments” she has received.
Shaboozey took to X to encourage fans to dig deeper and do their research when exploring the origins of country music.
“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,” Shaboozey wrote in the comments section of Moroney’s Instagram post.
“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!”
According to the Country Music Hall of Fame, the Carter Family — consisting of P. Carter, Sara Carter, and Maybelle Carter — earned the nickname “The First Family of Country Music.”
The late trio was also the first vocal group to become country music stars and among the earliest to record commercially produced country music.
However, the Carter Family was heavily influenced by relatively unknown African-American musicians such as Lesley Riddle and Duford Black, the first Black American to perform on the Grand Ole Opry stage.
Riddle met the Carter Family in 1928 and composed or passed along several of their hit songs, including “Cannonball Blues,” “Hello Stranger,” “I Know What It Means To Be Lonesome,” “March Winds Goin’ Blow My Blues Away,” and “Lonesome For You.”
Maybelle Carter even incorporated elements of Riddle’s guitar technique into her own playing.
