For the second year in a row, Jelly Roll has been the biggest winner at the CMT Music Awards. The singer-songwriter won the trophy for Video of the Year, for “Need a Favor,” his third win of the night. Jelly Roll also won the CMT Music Award for Performance of the Year and Male Video of the Year, both also for “Need a Favor.”
As in his acceptance speech for Male Video of the Year, Jelly Roll also praised his good friend, and fellow nominee, Cody Johnson, along with Kelsea Ballerini, who with Johnson were the other two finalists in the Video of the Year category.
“Cody Johnson, I’m not going to tell you anything up here that I don’t tell you on the phone, but I love you, brother,” Jelly Roll said. “You are my favorite cowboy forever and ever, and one of my best friends in the business. I love you. Kelsea Ballerini, you know what I think of you too, girl. You go, baby.”
Jelly Roll also thanked the people on his team, including his manager, publicist and Stoney Creek record label.
“I want to thank country radio,” he continued. “i want to thank everybody who had anything to do with this … My beautiful wife, Miss Bunnie DeFord, I am blessed to have you as a best friend. I am blessed to have you as a partner. You find beauty in broken things, and I love you.”
During his previous time on stage, Jelly Roll sang the praises of Johnson, who was nominated for “The Painter.”
“I love you,” Jelly Roll said. “Thank you. First of all, my brother, Cody Johnson, ‘The Painter,’ that was one of the best music videos I’ve ever seen in my entire life. That’s my brother in real life. I love you, Cody Johnson. Thank you to CMT. I couldn’t believe you all gave me a chance last year. I came back this year on fire. I’m having one of the greatest nights of my life.”
Closing out the 2024 #CMTAwards with @jellyroll615 delivering a 🔥 performance of "Halfway to Hell!" 👏 pic.twitter.com/ZuddutXZ9l
— CMT (@CMT) April 8, 2024
Jelly Roll, who closed out the night with a performance of “Halfway to Hell,” also used his time on stage earlier in the evening to offer help to those who are incarcerated, as he once was, and feeling hopeless.
“It’s important that I stand up here tonight and represent those that are looking for second chances,” Jelly Roll said. “The kids back in the Metro Davidson County juvenile detention facility, the kids down here in the Austin juvenile detention facility are watching this tonight. I’m cheering you boys on. You can be this guy. You can change. You can turn it around. I promise you can. I once heard a man say that you don’t change until the pain to remain the same is greater than the pain it takes to change, and that’s what it takes. I love you.”
Find all of Jelly Roll’s music and tour dates at JellyRoll615.com.
Read ‘Jelly Roll: 11 Things to Know About the Reformed Singer’ here.
Photo Credit: Getty Images for CMT