[WATCH] Macklemore Honors Trayvon Martin, Talks Racial Profiling During ‘American Music Awards’ Speech

Aside from the red carpet fashion and awkward bloopers, one of our favorite moments are when artists give touching, heartfelt speeches. Over the weekend, the 2013 American Music Awards aired, with an overwhelming amount of performances and winners. Rap duo Macklemore and Ryan Lewis snagged the ‘Favorite Album Rap/Hip Hop‘ award, accepting it via satellite from Miami. In addition to thanking their die-hard fans, Macklemore took a moment to acknowledge Trayvon Martin’s death, along with racial profiling and injustice in Florida. He said:

I was talking to my friend… before the show and he reminded me of a great Martin Luther King quote. ‘Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.’ And due to the fact that we are in Florida tonight accepting this award, I want to acknowledge Trayvon Martin and the hundreds and hundreds of kids that are dying due to racial profiling and the violence that follows it. This is really happening. Our friends, our neighbors, our peers, our fans, and it’s time that we look out for the youth, and fight against racism and the laws that protect it.

They ended their speech with a performance streamed from their Miami show.