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Jelly Roll offered emotional, faith-fueled remarks when he delivered his acceptance speech at the 2026 Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, California.
The Nashville, Tennessee-born artist swept all three categories he was nominated for on Sunday evening (February 1). Before the Grammys kicked off, Jelly Roll won in the Best Country Duo/Group Performance category for “Amen” with Shaboozey, and he won in the Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song category for “Hard Fought Hallelujah” with Brandon Lake. During the show, he also scored the Grammy for Best Contemporary Country Album, for his latest studio record, Beautifully Broken. See the full list of winners here.
“First of all, Jesus, I hear you, and I'm listening. Lord, I am listening. Lord. Second of all, I want to thank my beautiful wife [Bunnie Xo]. I would have never changed my life without you. I would have ended up dead or in jail,” Jelly Roll said in the emotional moment. Later, he said of Beautifully Broken, “there was a time in my life, y'all, that I was broken. That's why I wrote this album. I didn't think I had a chance, y'all. …There was a moment in my life that all I had was a Bible this big, and a radio the same size, and a six-by-eight-foot cell.
“And I believe that those two things could change my life. I believe that music had the power to change my life, and God had the power to change my life,” the soon-to-be Grand Ole Opry member continued. “And I want to tell y'all right now Jesus is for everybody. Jesus is not owned by one political party. Jesus is not owned by no music label. Jesus is Jesus, and anybody can have a relationship with Him. I love you, Lord.”
Jelly Roll is among the country artists nominated at the 2026 iHeartRadio Music Awards, returning this spring to Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, California. See the list of country artists nominated here.
Like in years past, iHeartRadio is letting the fans choose the winners in several new and established categories. Fan voting will determine this year’s Favorite Broadway Debut, Favorite TikTok Dance, Favorite Debut Album, Best Lyrics, Best Music Video, Favorite On Screen, Favorite Tour Photographer, Favorite Soundtrack, Favorite Tour Style, Favorite Tour Tradition and Favorite K-pop Collab. Social voting begins on January 8th, and will close on March 19th at 11:59pm PT for all categories. Fans can vote by visiting iHeartRadio.com/awards.
Tune in to see which artists will take home an iHeartRadio Music Award on Thursday, March 26th at 8pm ET live (PT tape-delayed) on FOX. The show will also be broadcast on iHeartRadio stations across the country and on the iHeartRadio app.
Watch Jelly Roll's acceptance speech here: