Why Jelly Roll Doesn’t Want To Win Entertainer of the Year

2023 was a breakout year for Jelly Roll. Suddenly the “Son of a Sinner” singer was everywhere, with his emotionally raw lyrics and fiery acceptance speeches. That ubiquity has extended into 2024, with a new album (Beautifully Broken) and several more Country Music Association award nods, including Entertainer of the Year. However, if the Antioch, Tennessee-born artist has his way, he won’t hear his name called when hosts Lainey Wilson, Luke Bryan and Peyton Manning announce the 2024 Entertainer of the Year on Nov. 20.

Jelly Roll Has His Sights Set on These Awards

At this year’s CMA Awards, Jelly Roll will face off against Luke Combs, Morgan Wallen, Lainey Wilson and Chris Stapleton for the night’s highest honor. However, he recently told Taste of Country Nights that winning Entertainer of the Year was the furthest thing from his mind when he learned the news.

“I called my publicist, and I said, ‘I don’t know how this works, but do we campaign for one?’” said the artist, 39, born Jason Deford.

His publicist asked him which awards he was gunning for, other than Entertainer of the Year. Jelly replied, “‘I don’t want to win Entertainer of the Year. I wanna win Collab of the Year, I wanna win Event of the Year.’”

Why those awards? “‘Cause ‘Save Me’ meant so much to me, man,” Jelly said. “It was the song that did it. It was the song that changed my whole life, then went on to radio and changed my life again. And then to see, come four years later and this song has helped millions of people and I’m winning a f—ing award for it? I’m like, ‘Get out, this is crazy.’”

Jelly Just Replaced Who at No. 1?

Jelly Roll’s country debut, Whitsitt Chapel, established him as a musical force to be reckoned with in Nashville. His sophomore album, Beautifully Broken—which dropped last Friday (Oct. 11)—proves that 2023 wasn’t just a fluke.

[RELATED: 5 Must-Hear Songs from Jelly Roll’s New Album ‘Beautifully Broken’]

Beautifully Broken needed just two days to shoot to the top of iTunes’ ranking of the top-selling albums in America. In doing so, it dethroned Coldplay’s Moon Music.

https://twitter.com/JellyRoll615/status/1844909357789741561

This means Jelly Roll has bested arguably the biggest rock band in the world.

Featured image by John D Shearer/Shutterstock

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.