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Shaboozey shared a statement on Tuesday (February 3) following his first Grammy Award win over the weekend.
Shaboozey, 30, won the Best Country Duo/Group Performance category for “Amen,” a collaboration with Jelly Roll, at the 2026 Grammy Awards on Sunday (February 1). He said in a new statement posted to X, formerly Twitter, that “first and foremost, I want to express my deep gratitude to everyone who has supported and celebrated my journey as an artist. I also want to acknowledge the conversation surrounding my acceptance speech.
“To be clear, I know and believe that we — Black people, have also built this country. My words were never intended to dismiss that truth,” he continued. “I am both a Black man and the son of Nigerian immigrants and in the overwhelming moment of winning my first Grammy my focus was on honoring the sacrifices my parents made by coming to this country to give me and my siblings opportunities they never had.
“At the same time, winning this award on the first day of Black History Month and becoming the first Black man to win Best Country Duo is Black history,” Shaboozey said. “It stands on the foundation laid by generations of Black people who fought, sacrificed, and succeeded long before me. This moment belongs to all of us.
“My entire career has been rooted in lifting people up, honoring where we come from, and expanding what’s possible. I am proud to be part of this legacy, and I intend to continue doing that work for the rest of my life. With Love, Chibueze.”
“Dear God, I just want to say thank you. Nothing is possible without you. Your love and will preserves me through it all,” Shaboozey, whose real name is Collins Obinna Chibueze, said during his acceptance speech. “I want to also thank my mother, who as of today, has retired from her job after 30 years, working in the medical field as a registered nurse in a psych ward. She worked three to four jobs just to provide for me and my four siblings as an immigrant in this country. Thank you, mom. …I have the greatest team in the world. Thank you so much. And again, the last thing I want to say, immigrants built this country. Literally. Actually. So, this is for them, for all children of immigrants. This is also for those who came to this country in search of better opportunity, to be a part of a nation that promised freedom for all and equal opportunity to everyone willing to work for it. Thank you for bringing your culture, your music, your stories and your traditions here. You give America color. I love y’all so much. Thank you.”
Shaboozey is among the country artists nominated at the 2026 iHeartRadio Music Awards, returning this spring to Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, California. See the list of country artists nominated here.
Like in years past, iHeartRadio is letting the fans choose the winners in several new and established categories. Fan voting will determine this year’s Favorite Broadway Debut, Favorite TikTok Dance, Favorite Debut Album, Best Lyrics, Best Music Video, Favorite On Screen, Favorite Tour Photographer, Favorite Soundtrack, Favorite Tour Style, Favorite Tour Tradition and Favorite K-pop Collab. Social voting begins on January 8th, and will close on March 19th at 11:59pm PT for all categories. Fans can vote by visiting iHeartRadio.com/awards.
Tune in to see which artists will take home an iHeartRadio Music Award on Thursday, March 26th at 8pm ET live (PT tape-delayed) on FOX. The show will also be broadcast on iHeartRadio stations across the country and on the iHeartRadio app.
Shaboozey is also part of the 2026 iHeartCountry Festival lineup, along with Luke Bryan, Kane Brown, Parker McCollum, Riley Green, Dylan Scott, Russell Dickerson, Gretchen Wilson, Chase Matthew and Lauren Alaina. iHeartRadio's Bobby Bones is returning as the event’s host. The show will take place on May 2 at Moody Center in Austin, Texas. Tickets to the show are available as of January 23. Fans across the country will be able to catch all the action as the 2026 iHeartCountry Festival will be broadcast live across iHeartCountry stations nationwide and the free iHeartRadio app on Saturday, May 2nd at 8pm ET/5pm PT (7pm CT).