Cody Johnson’s Producer Responds to CMAs Shaboozey Backlash

Producer and songwriter Trent Willmon addressed his CMA Awards comment about Shaboozey over the weekend, though he stopped short of offering an apology.

“Shout out to Shaboozey for your response to my fumble and having a great sense of humor,” Willmon’s statement reads in part, “Congrats on that 17-Week #1 song!”

The comment in question took place while Willmon was onstage with Johnson accepting the Album of the Year trophy for Leather, which Willmon produced. During his speech, in the midst of praising Johnson’s music-making efforts, Willmon said, “This is for the cowboy that’s been kicking Shaboozey for a lot of years.”

It was an apparent pun on the phrase “kicking booty,” but Willmon’s words still drew backlash, especially during a show where Shaboozey’s stage name was a punchline on a couple different occasions.

After the show, Shaboozey laughed off the moment in a social media post, sharing a photo of himself shrugging his shoulders and writing, “Ain’t nobody kicking me!”

Read More: How Shaboozey Got His Name + More Wild Facts About Him

Elsewhere in his statement, Willmon said that he simply chose the wrong way to express his feelings while he was onstage.

“What I meant to express in my overly-shocked and excited state was that I am very proud of [Cody Johnson.] He has worked his BOOTY off the last 15 years putting out and performing great music and it’s not an overnight success,” Willmon wrote. “I was so proud he’s finally getting recognized!”

The 2024 CMA Awards took place last Wednesday. In addition to his Album of the Year win, Johnson was nominated in two other categories. He also performed, bringing Carrie Underwood out as a surprise guest.

Shaboozey was a performer too, as well as a two-time nominee. He didn’t ultimately bring home the win in either category.