Jelly Roll is receiving another honor, but it isn’t for his music. The Nashville native is the latest recipient of the Global Literacy Award at the 2025 World Literacy Summit in Oxford, United Kingdom.
According to American Songwriter, Jelly Roll will join “hundreds of literacy advocates, authors, educators, and other professionals” for the event. Jelly Roll will be joined by Genesee County Sheriff Christopher R. Swanson. He will also give a presentation, called “The Journey of a Little Boy from Broken to Beautifully Broken,” sharing his own harrowing story from a troubled childhood, in and out of jail as a juvenile and adult, to becoming a successful singer, songwriter and philanthropist.
Jelly Roll has overcome seemingly insurmountable odds to become as successful as he is today. Still, if he could, the 40-year-old knows exactly what he would tell his younger self, if he could go back in time.
“I would tell my younger self that it’s a blip on the radar right now,” Jelly Roll tells Nashville Lifestyles. “Don’t overthink it. You’re just in a very small season of your life. I would tell my 30-year-old self that, not even just my 12-year- old self. I would go back and tell 33-year-old Jason, ‘Just relax. You’re not going to conquer the world today; take your time.That would be my biggest message: remain hopeful.”
Jelly Roll jut celebrated his seventh No. 1 hit with “Liar,” from his latest Beautifully Broken album. He is back at radio with “Heart of Stone,” which Jelly Roll wrote with Zach Crowell, Blake Pendergrass and Shy Carter. Jelly Roll also has a duet out, “Hard Fought Hallelujah,” with Christian singer Brandon Lake.
“I started really changing my life in the last year, as far as focusing on my health, and realizing that my mind, my body, my spirit weren’t connected to each other,” Jelly Roll reflects to K-Love. “I wasn’t thinking the right way. I was carrying 500 and some pounds, and because of that, my spirit was broken. I just turned to the shame cycle a little bit, the spiral. I couldn’t get myself out of it. I started working out, I started reconnecting with my faith, and then I hear this record, and I’m like, ‘This is crazy.’”
It was Lake who reached out to Jelly Roll, after watching the country music superstar perform “Believe” with Brooks & Dunn at the 2024 CMA Awards.
“He said to me on the phone everything I wish the church would have,” Jelly Roll recalls. “The way he made me feel is like, ‘Man, if I felt this way on Sunday when I went to a couple of churches, God knows where my journey would be at right now.’ Maybe the things people are still mad at me at for not being where they think I should be, maybe I’d already be there.”
Jelly Roll is nominated for three ACM Awards, for Male Artist of the Year, Album of the Year (for Beautifully Broken), and the night’s highest honor, Entertainer of the Year.
The 2025 ACM Awards will take place on May 8 at Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas. Reba McEntire will return to host the ceremony, for the second year in a row. This year’s ceremony will mark McEntire’s 19th time hosting the awards show.
Tickets for the general public are available now, via SeatGeek. More information is available at ACMCountry.com.
Find “Heart of Stone” and all of Jelly Roll’s music and upcoming shows at JellyRoll615.com.
Photo Credit: Courtesy of the CMA