Shaboozey has gone viral for his reaction to fellow country artist Megan Moroney, who credited the Carter family as the inventors of country music.
The memetic moment occurred at the 2025 American Music Awards, which took place on Monday night at Fontainebleau Las Vegas. Read on for more about his viral reaction.
Shaboozey looks confused after Moroney shouts out the Carter family
The “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” artist joined Moroney to present the Favorite Country Duo or Group category. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Shaboozey kicked things off by sharing the role country music has played at the American Music Awards over the years.
“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,” he read from the teleprompter.
Moroney followed, and that’s when things got uncomfortable.
“That same year, Favorite Female Artist went to Lynn Anderson, and this award [Favorite Country Duo or Group] went to the Carter family, who basically invented country music,” she said.
After Moroney mentioned the tidbit about the Carter family, Shaboozey gave her a side-eye, looked confused and laughed before continuing to present the nominees. Pop duo Dan + Shay won the award.
Viewers spotted Shaboozey’s seeming disdain and blew it up on social media.
Who was the Carter family?
Considered “the first family of country music,” according to the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, the Carter family “essentially invented the kind of harmony singing used for years in the music, and popularized numerous songs that became country standards,” including “Wabash Cannonball,” “Keep on the Sunny Side” and “Can the Circle Be Unbroken.”
June Carter, the American country singer who married Johnny Cash, was a second-generation member of the group. Her career and relationship with Cash was detailed in 2005’s Walk the Line. Reese Witherspoon played Carter in the film.
