Key Takeaways:
- Shaboozey clarified that his viral AMAs reaction wasn’t aimed at Megan Moroney and defended her publicly.
- The moment reignited conversations about the erasure of Black contributions to country music.
- Lesley Riddle’s influence on the Carter Family’s legacy remains largely unrecognized in mainstream narratives.
At the 2025 American Music Awards, an unexpected moment between co-presenters Shaboozey and Megan Moroney sparked a wave of social media chatter — and a viral meme. While announcing the Favorite Country Duo or Group award together on stage at the Fontainebleau Las Vegas, Moroney read from the teleprompter that “the Carter Family… basically invented country music.” Her co-presenter responded with a brief but noticeable side-eye and laugh, a gesture that quickly lit up timelines with speculation about whether he was throwing shade.
On Tuesday (May 27), Shaboozey made it clear that there was no ill will between the two country stars. In a comment under one of Moroney’s Instagram posts, he addressed the moment directly.
“Just want to clear something up: My reaction at the AMAs had nothing to do with Megan Moroney,” he wrote. “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.” The Where I’ve Been, Isn't Where I’m Going star added, “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 represented the country community in the highest light.”
Country music’s Black roots continue to be erased on mainstream stages
The moment also reignited ongoing conversations about the roots of country music and how its history is often misrepresented during major televised events. Shaboozey followed up his viral appearance by posting to X (formerly Twitter): “When you uncover the true history of country music, you find a story so powerful that it cannot be erased… The real history of country music is about people coming together despite their differences and embracing and celebrating the things that make us alike.”
Lesley Riddle’s contributions to the Carter Family remain largely unknown to fans
Though the Carter Family — consisting of A.P. Carter, Sara Carter and Maybelle Carter — is often described as country music’s founding group, their legacy was shaped in part by Lesley Riddle, a Black musician who worked closely with A.P. Carter in the early 1900s. Riddle played a pivotal role in helping the family gather and arrange the songs that would define their sound, yet his name remains absent from most award show narratives. By spotlighting this context, Shaboozey added important context to what could have been dismissed as a moment of awkward stage banter.