As Cody Johnson was accepting the award for Album of the Year for his 2023 project Leather, he turned the microphone over to his producer Trent Willmon, who appeared to throw shade at New Artist of the Year nominee Shaboozey:

Cody Johnson’s producer Trent Willmon seemingly shaded Shaboozey at the 2024 CMA Awards. Keep watching to see what he said, how Shaboozey responded and more.

It wasn’t the only awkward moment of the night involving Shaboozey either. Earlier in the show, hosts Lainey Wilson, Luke Bryan and Peyton Manning delivered a half-assed tribute to Toby Keith, holding up red solo cups while reading a few words from a teleprompter before quickly using it to segue into an introduction to Shaboozey’s performance:

During the awards show earlier this week, as Cody Johnson accepted the Album of the Year trophy for his record Leather, Willmon, who produced the LP, appeared to play off the the

Shortly after the 2024 CMA Awards ended, Shaboozey, whose real name is Collins Obinna Chibueze, appeared to respond to the joke. He shared a photo of himself sitting in a sprinter van wearing an all-black outfit with rings on his hands and a chain around his neck.

At the CMAs, Shaboozey was also nominated for New Artist of the Year and Single of the Year for “A Bar Song (Tipsy),” which dominated the Billboard Hot 100 for 18 non-consecutive weeks. He even performed at the ceremony, proving once again that he belongs in the spotlight and has earned his place in the country and rap music scene.