By Lillie Liska
Country artist Jelly Roll took the Grammys to church Sunday night as he accepted the Best Contemporary Country Album award.
“I know 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,” he prayed at the beginning of his speech while accepting the award for his album Beautifully Broken.
He went on to thank his wife and Jesus for saving him from “killing” himself before describing Christ’s profound impact on his life.
“There was a time in my life, y’all, that I was I was broken,” Jelly Roll continued. “That’s why I wrote this album. I didn’t think I had a chance, y’all. There was days that I thought the darkest things. I was a horrible human.”
“There was a moment in my life where all I had was a Bible this big and a radio the same size in a 6×8-foot cell, and I believed that those two things could change my life,” he said from the Grammy stage, holding a small, pocket-sized Bible. “I believe that music has the power to change my life and God has the power to change my life.”
He wrapped up his speech by boldly proclaiming the gospel.
“I want to tell y’all right now, Jesus is for everybody,” Jelly Roll emphasized. “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.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7sIkYg7Z2k&t=1s
Related: Jelly Roll Celebrates Grammy Nominations: ‘All I See Is God’
Before going finding fame in 2022 with his song “Son of a Sinner,” Jelly Roll, whose real name is Jason DeFord, spent time in prison. When he was 16, he was arrested for aggravated robbery and charged as an adult, Billboard reported. He called it a “heinous crime.” He also went to jail 40 times for drug-related offenses.
But in December 2025, Tennessee governor Bill Lee pardoned the singer, saying, “Jelly Roll’s story was remarkable, redemptive and powerful and…it was evident he should get a pardon.”
Jelly Roll has become more vocal about his faith through the years. He even collaborated with worship artist Brandon Lake on their song “Hard Fought Hallelujah,” which took home the Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song Grammy award on Sunday.
“I want to say, obviously, a huge thank you to Jelly Roll for taking the chance on this song, taking a chance on me,” Lake said while accepting the award. “He just took me everywhere he was performing and said, ‘Let’s do this song together.’ He took this song places that I couldn’t have by myself, and I’ve gotten countless messages of how this song has literally saved people’s lives and pointed them to Jesus. If it wasn’t for Jesus, I don’t know where I would be, y’all.”
In it, the duo sing:
I’ll bring my hard-fought, heartfelt
Been-through-hell hallelujah
And I’ll bring my storm-tossed, torn-sail
Story-to-tell hallelujah, oh
‘Cause God, You’ve been patient
God, You’ve been gracious
Faithful, whatever I’m feeling or facing
So I’ll bring my hard-fought, heartfelt, it-is-well hallelujah, whoa, oh
Hallelujah, hallelujah
In an awards ceremony often marred by divisive political speeches and agenda-driven messaging, we celebrate Jelly Roll’s bold declaration of the gospel at the Grammys and pray it brings people around the world into a relationship with Jesus.
Read Next: Jelly Roll ‘Can’t Quit Crying’ After His ‘Damascus Road Experience’
Questions or comments? Please write to us here.
– Content: +3Share:
– Content: +1