Machine Gun Kelly Calls Out "People in the Rock Community" Who Labeled Him a "Tourist" at AMAs

Machine Gun Kelly took the opportunity to call out his past detractors during his acceptance speech at the 2022 American Music Awards. The artist — who accepted the award for favorite rock artist from Meghan Trainor at the Nov. 20 event — began his speech by announcing he was "petitioning for a larger mic stand" after the one provided was far too short for him.

He then described his spiked purple suit as "uncomfortable" and went on to deliver a clear message for his haters. "Speaking of uncomfortable, there have been some people in the rock community who have called me a tourist," he said. "They're wrong. I'm a rocket man." He then described his last two rock albums as "going to the moon" and added, "I'm not done exploring the universe yet, and I am all genres."

MGK released his "Mainstream Sellout" album in March, which was a follow-up to 2020's "Tickets to My Downfall." In between, he's released a documentary about his life and struggles with addiction and mental health called "Life in Pink" and starred in the movie "Taurus," which chronicles a rock star whose life seems to mirror MGK's, among other creative projects. He's also made many public appearances with his fiancée, Megan Fox, who appeared to be absent from the night's show.

Watch his acceptance speech (and check out his quite literally sharp-looking suit) above.