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Jelly Roll is expressing his gratitude after winning big at the Grammys.
Having scooped three awards at the 2026 Grammy Awards on Sunday, Feb. 1, the singer, 41, told reporters, including PEOPLE, that his wins at the ceremony were a result of the support he’s received from fans since the early days of his music career.
“I want y’all to know that…we did it, baby. This would never have happened without them,” said Jelly Roll. “Imagine they’re one of the few people in the world, in the very beginning, who believe me. This overweight white trash kid from Tennessee was going to figure it out one day and to be standing up here going, that’s my time, we actually get it.”
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Jelly Roll, who attended the Grammys with his wife, Bunnie Xo, shared hopes of reaching more people after being awarded.
“I think there are a lot of people who are watching the Grammys tonight, and somebody just feels like they’ve been represented for the first time in a long time. I decided to be that guy,” he said.
Jelly Roll won Best Contemporary Country Album for his 2024 album, Beautifully Broken, Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song with Brandon Lake for “Hard Fought Hallelujah” and Best Country Duo/Group Performance with Shaboozey for “Amen.”
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The singer got emotional onstage while collecting his award for Best Contemporary Country Album, as he credited his wife of 10 years, Bunnie Xo, 46, for saving his life.
“They’re going to try to kick me off here, so just let me try to get this out. 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. I would have never changed my life without you,” Jelly Roll said tearing up. “I would have ended up dead or in jail. I would have killed myself if it wasn’t for you and Jesus. I thank you for that.”
“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,” he said. “There was days that I thought the darkest things. I was a horrible human.”
Jelly Roll also recalled his troubled past, being incarcerated and how this led to his journey of recovery as he spoke about the experiences that inspired the album.
“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,” he said. “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.”
