Six fan-funded Morgan Wallen billboards have appeared in Nashville on Monday, April 12, just 6 days ahead of the 2021 ACM Awards.
The billboards are located around the downtown Nashville area, including several locations along the highly trafficked streets Broadway and West End Ave.
According to a fan who contacted Music Mayhem and wishes to remain anonymous, a group of Morgan Wallen supporters rallied together to start a social media campaign dubbed “Movement for Morgan” to raise funds for a billboard to support the East Tennessee native following the backlash that he has faced since a video of him using a racial slur surfaced online in early February.
The fans originally set out to purchase a single billboard, but the total funds raised by Wallen fans far exceeded their expectations so they were able to purchase six billboards instead.
The billboards popped up in Nashville just days before the 2021 ACM Awards where organizers previously banned Wallen’s “involvement and eligibility” following his use of the racial slur.
“The Academy does not condone or support intolerance or behavior that doesn’t align with our commitment and dedication to diversity and inclusion,” the organization’s statement read.
“This idea was really our way of trying to ‘right the wrong’ of cancel culture,” the fan shared. “We just wanted to ‘Wallen-Paper’ Nashville during the week of the ACMs to show our support for Morgan!” Later adding, “We LOVE him and his music and we wanted to do the right thing! He is an incredibly talented young man and doesn’t deserve what he’s going through right now!”
The billboards appear to reference the awards ceremony with the text “His Fans Choice Entertainer Of The Year” situated next a mullet silhouette and an acoustic guitar. Wallen’s signature word “GAHT” is also featured on the billboard alongside “Mark 11:25,” which is a bible verse about forgiveness.
A second design reads “Support That Boy From East Tennessee” alongside “His Fans Choice Entertainer Of The Year” and “#GAHT.” Both of the aforementioned designs are on rotation throughout downtown Nashville on all six of the fan-funded digital billboards.
The same group of fans are also planning to fund a billboard that will be built in Wallen’s hometown of Sneedville, Tennessee with the remaining funds that were raised throughout social media. The Sneedville billboard will become a permanent fixture in Wallen’s hometown, marking the first-ever billboard built in the area.
The billboards, which were purchased via Lamar Advertising, will run through April 19, the day after the ACM Awards.
Wallen’s Dangerous: The Double Album notched a record-breaking 10 weeks atop the Billboard 200 chart, despite industry backlash.
Wallen broke his silence on his use of the N-word with a lengthy apology video shared to social media. During his video message, Wallen asked his fans to stop defending him and promised he was ready to face the consequences of his actions.
“I have one favor to ask, I appreciate those who still see something in me and have defended me but for today, please don’t. I was wrong,” he said. “It’s on me to take ownership for this and I fully accept any penalties I’m facing.”
Wallen has faced extensive backlash following his use of the racial slur. On February 3, one day after the TMZ video surfaced, his label, Big Loud, revealed that his recording contract had been suspended indefinitely. Additionally, his music was pulled from hundreds of radio stations across the country and removed from major playlists across various DSPs, including Spotify and Apple Music. Since then, however, his music has been slowly reinstated on some radio and digital platforms.
The Academy of Country Music revealed that he is ineligible for the upcoming ACM Awards and will not be invited to participate in the show. His content and appearances were also removed from CMT and the Country Music Association and Wallen was dropped by his booking agent, William Morris Endeavor Entertainment (WME).
This article was published solely for news purposes only and does not reflect views or opinions of Music Mayhem or its staff.
