Maren Morris showed up to the 2022 Country Music Association Awards on Nov. 9 looking absolutely stunning. The country singer, who was nominated for Album of the Year at the event, skipped the red carpet at the event. However, she was inside the arena for the awards ceremony. Although she didn’t win in her category — the award went to Luke Combs — she was there to celebrate the singer and watch the performances throughout the night. Maren sparkled in a stunning plunging brown sequin gown and glowed in her makeup by Emily Gray, using Milk Makeup products!
@marenmorris BYOB CMA 🥂 #CMAawards
Maren’s appearance at the CMA Awards was not publicly confirmed before the show. In fact, back in September, she admitted she was even thinking about skipping the event altogether. The consideration came following her public feud with fellow country singer, Jason Aldean’s, wife, Brittany Aldean, which started when Brittany made a transphobic comment on Instagram. Maren clapped back at the former American Idol contestant, tweeting, “It’s so easy to, like, not be a scumbag human? Sell your clip-ins and zip it, Insurrection Barbie.”
In her September interview with the Los Angeles Times, Maren explained why the feud left her feeling unsure about going to the CMAs. “I’m very honored that my record is nominated, but I don’t know if I feel at home there right now,” she admitted. “So many people I love will be in that room, and maybe I’ll make a game-time decision and go. But as of right now, I don’t feel comfortable going.”
Brittany has stood by her ignorant Instagram post, which was a video of herself doing her makeup with the caption, “I’d really like to thank my parents for not changing my gender when I went through my tomboy phase. I love this girly life.” She appeared on Tucker Carlson’s Fox News talk show in September to defend herself. “I’m advocating for children,” she insisted. “I think that children should not be allowed to make these life-changing decisions at such a young age. They are not mature enough; they should have parents who love and advocate for them, regardless.” She also said that she “never thought there was anything wrong” with the statement she made.
During the interview, Maren was branded as a “Lunatic Country Music Person” on-screen. The country singer decided to use this diss to her advantage, though, by creating t-shirts with the slogan emblazoned on the front. She then sold the shirts to fans, with proceeds going to GLAAD’s Transgender Media Program and the Trans Lifeline.