Maren Morris Jabs ‘Unemployed’ Tucker Carlson During GLAAD Acceptance Speech [Watch]
Maren Morris became the first country artist to ever win the GLAAD Excellence in Media Award on Saturday night (May 13), and she accepted her trophy in person at the GLAAD Media Awards ceremony in New York, N.Y.
During her time onstage, Morris tipped her hat to a skirmish that took place last year between herself and Fox News' Tucker Carlson, whose show once described her as a "lunatic country music person."
"I felt a little bada-- taking Tucker Carlson's calling me a lunatic for standing up to transphobia, turning it into a t-shirt and raising $150,000 for LGBTQ+ charities. Yeah. That made me feel a little cool," the singer said from the stage.
"But I don't wanna gloat. I would never insult the recently unemployed," she added, to raucous cheers from the audience.
Fox News Media abruptly announced Carlson's departure from the network in late April, and Morris did a little bit of gloating at the time -- "Happy Monday, MotherTucker," she wrote in an Instagram slide. Morris' history with Carlson started in September 2022, when Jason Aldean's wife Brittany appeared on an episode of his show to discuss her perspective on trans rights and gender-affirming care for youth.
The topic came up in large part because of a social media feud between Brittany and Morris, as well as another singer, Cassadee Pope, with both Morris and Pope criticizing transphobic comments Brittany made in an Instagram reel. During Brittany's spot on the talk show, Carlson described Morris as a "fake country music singer" as well as a "lunatic," inspiring the launch of Morris' line of Lunatic Country Music Person tees, whose proceeds benefited trans youth.
Elsewhere during her GLAAD Awards acceptance speech, Morris spoke about how the LGBTQ+ community made her feel accepted in high school, as a "shy" theater kid who loved country music. She also made mention of the fact that she has been described as "brave" for speaking out in support of the LGBTQ+ community, and denied that descriptor, saying, "Making the right decision shouldn't take bravery or courage."
Morris also had a message to share for the country music community during her speech.
"I want my fellow country music artists, and artists in general, to understand that inclusivity is not only the right thing, but it's good for business," the singer pointed out towards the end of her speech.
"You open yourself up, and your sound, to a much larger audience, even if you lose some along the way," Morris continued. "The crowds at my shows are a sea of diversity, from race, identity, to age. It is a loving, safe space for my band, my crew, venue staff and, most notably, my fans. This community stood up for me and made me feel safe when I felt alone, and I will never be able to repay you, but I hope I get to spend the rest of my life and career settling up."