Photo: Getty Images North America
Machine Gun Kelly had some choice words for haters in the "rock community" when he took home the "Favorite Rock Artist" award at the American Music Awards Sunday night (November 20), beating out heavy hitters like Imagine Dragons, Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Lumineers, and Måneskin. Decked out in a spiked purple suit, the rapper-turned-rocker called out critics as he accepted the award for the second year in a row.
“There have been some people in the rock community who called me a tourist, but they’re wrong – I’m a rocket man,” MGK said during his speech. “We weren’t born on the moon but we looked at it and we were curious and then we went there…supposedly, and these two rock albums were me going to the moon."
“But I’m not done exploring the universe yet," he added, "and I am all genres.”
He shared the same sentiment in an Instagram post celebrating the win. "im not a tourist, im a rocket man…see you on mars motherfxckersss 🚀🥹💜🙏🏻" he wrote alongside a carousel of photos from the night. "@amas THANK YOU TO MY LOYAL FAMILY WHO VOTED US 'FAVORITE ROCK ARTIST'”
MGK's latest rock album Mainstream Sellout also garnered him a Grammy nomination. See his AMAs speech and Instagram post below.