After a tumultuous youth that found him in and out of jail, Jelly Roll’s winning streak continued at the 2024 CMT Music Awards on Sunday (April 7) at the Moody Center in Austin, Texas. The country breakthrough took the stage three times during the awards broadcast to accept trophies, winning every award he was up for that night.
“I want to thank my beautiful wife and my daughter at home,” Jelly Roll said after winning his first on-camera award, for CMT performance of the year. “I sang ‘Need a Favor’ for the first time on national television right here… in that last year you have changed my life in every way I never thought my life could be changed.”
Later that night, Minnie Driver revealed Jelly Roll had won male video of the year for “Need a Favor.” Shaking his head in disbelief, Jelly Roll kissed his wife, Bunnie XO, hugged Cody Johnson (the two pals even kissed each other on the cheeks) and walked up to the stage as the crowd erupted in cheers.
“My brother, Cody Johnson – ‘The Painter,’ that was one of the best music videos I’ve ever seen in my life,” Jelly Roll raved after besting Johnson for the award. “I’m having one of the greatest nights of my life,” he noted. But the hitmaker’s speech wasn’t just about himself. True to form, he gave an emotional shout-out out the current residents of one of the jails he spent time in growing up, as well as those doing time at Austin’s juvenile detention center. “It’s important that I stand up here tonight and represent those looking for second chances. The kids back in the Metro-Davidson Detention Facility and the kids down here in the Austin Juvenile Detention Facility watching this tonight, I’m cheering y’all boys on. You can be this guy. You can change. You can turn it around. I promise you can, baby.”
Jelly Roll was back on stage after winning the video of the year award, which Billy Bob Thornton handed to him.
“Billy Bob Thornton just gave me my third trophy of the night, y’all!” he shouted. “Cody Johnson, I’m not going to tell you anything up here I don’t tell you on the phone, but I love you brother. You are my favorite cowboy forever and ever and one of my best friends in the business. Kelsea Ballerini, you know what I think of you – you go baby.”
The star also thanked his manager, John Meneilly, his publicist, Jennifer Vessio, his label, Stoney Creek, and of course wife, Bunnie XO. “I am blessed to have you as a best friend, I am blessed to have you as a partner,” he said. He also provided a good-natured heads-up to Gayle King, who co-hosts CBS Mornings. “Gayle King, I’m gonna be a little late in the morning, because we’re gonna party, Austin.”
After that, he took the stage one final time to rip through a performance of “Halfway to Hell,” a top 15 Country Airplay hit from his album Whitsitt Chapel.
