Morgan Wallen Scores Huge Win After N-Word Scandal

One year after he was targeted by cancel culture for saying the n-word, the country music star Morgan Wallen won the award for top country male artist at the 2022 Billboard Music Awards on Sunday night. 

‘I Got The Best D*** Fans’

“I got the best d— fans,” Wallen said as he accepted the award, according to Fox News. “Thank you to my momma for being my date tonight. I wouldn’t be here without you. Thank you to the Billboards for inviting me here.”

Wallen then thanked his family, friends and his baby son Indigo for always inspiring him. Wallen made no mention of his n-word controversy, which resulted in him not being invited to the Billboard Music Awards last year despite being up for three awards. 

Check out his speech for yourself below. 

Backstory: Racial Slur Gets Chart-Topping Country Music Star Morgan Wallen Banned From Radio

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Defends Wallen

Prior to the Billboard Music Awards, host Sean “Diddy” Combs defended Wallen publicly.

“People make mistakes,” he told Billboard. “Now we’re moving on with love and respect for everybody that was hurt or affected. It’s time to forgive.”

Combs also referenced Travis Scott, who performed at the awards show last night after the deaths of 12 people at his Astroworld festival in November. 

“To have Morgan and Travis be able to come back and touch the stage again with the mindset of getting a second chance at life,” he added. “Everybody in the room is getting a second chance at life, you know, because we’re back inside with no masks on. We need love and I’m excited about celebrating that.”

Related: Jason Aldean Reveals Why He Stands By Morgan Wallen

Wallen was in danger of permanently being “cancelled” after he was caught on camera drunkenly saying the n-word following a night out with friends. He addressed the controversy months later in an interview with Michael Strahan. 

“I was around some of my friends and we just, we say dumb stuff together. In our minds it’s playful. It sounds ignorant but that’s really where it came from, and it’s wrong,” Wallen said.

“We were all clearly drunk and I was asking his girlfriend to take care of him because he was drunk and he was leaving,” he added. “I didn’t mean it in any derogatory manner at all.”

Wallen Performs ‘Don’t Think Jesus’

During the awards show, Wallen performed his song “Don’t Think Jesus,” which he says was inspired by his experiences the past few years. 

“I think that kind of just speaks for my story — 10 years but especially the past couple. I feel like that song is really a big representation of a lot of things that I’ve been through and the attitude that I’ve approached it with,” Wallen told Entertainment Tonight. “So, I hope that comes across.”

While it was wrong for Wallen to say the n-word, he has been apologetic from the beginning, and he deserves a second chance. We’re glad to see that based on his win last night, it seems like he’s being given the second shot at success that he deserves!