Jelly Roll Triumphs With Four Wins At People’s Choice Country Awards, Delivers Performance Of ‘Save Me’
“The underdogs are back on top, baby,” said from the stage.
Jelly Roll; Photo by: Mickey Bernal/NBC
In a triumphant moment at the 2023 People’s Choice Country Awards, Jelly Roll was crowned The Male Artist Of 2023, solidifying his position as one of the genre’s most prominent figures.
Jelly Roll was not in attendance at the show because he was on tour in Cincinnati, Ohio, so the People’s Choice Country Awards brought the show to him, with Elle King delivering the news directly to the genre-bending star on stage at Riverbend Music Center.
“I’m very excited to tell you that you just won the Male Artist of 2023 at the People’s Choice Country Award,” King, who opened up for Jelly Roll on Thursday evening, said from the stage.
Surprised On Stage
The Tennessee native appeared to be shocked upon hearing the news.
“I thought when I was here that I didn’t have a chance to win it, but the losers won again, baby,” he shouted from the stage. “This speech has absolutely nothing to do with me and it has everything to do with y’all. This was fan-voted. This is for the fans. It’s always for the fans first, baby. The underdogs are back on top, baby. And I want to say thank you to the People’s Choice Country Awards for giving an opportunity for me and these 20,000 degenerates to celebrate this together. Right now, live on national television from Cincinnati, OH.”
Won Four Awards
Earlier in the night, he won awards for New Artist of 2023, Song of 2023, and Collaboration Song of 2023.
Performance
After a short break, Jelly Roll took to the stage with a captivating performance of his hit song “Save Me.” The crowd was enthralled as he poured his heart and soul into the powerful rendition, sans Lainey Wilson.
“Somebody save me, me from myself/ I’ve spent so long living in Hell/ They say my lifestyle is bad for my health/ It’s the only thing that seems to help,” Jelly Roll sang on the track’s first verse.
Co-written by Jelly Roll, whose real name is Jason DeFord, alongside David Ray Stevens, “Save Me” finds the genre-bending star begging for help with addiction.
A version of “Save Me” featuring Lainey Wilson is currently climbing up the charts at Country radio. Their collaboration version of the song officially impacted country radio on September 5 and earned a whopping 60 first-week adds on stations around the country.
The new reimagined version of “Save Me” featuring Lainey Wilson appears on Jelly Roll’s latest album, WHITSITT CHAPEL, which arrived on June 2, 2023. The tune was originally recorded as a solo song on Jelly Roll’s 2020 album, Self Medicated.
Jelly Roll was also one of the most-nominated artists at the event, earning 8 nods, including The Male Artist of 2023, The New Artist Of 2023, The Song Of 2023 (“Need A Favor”), The Collaboration Song of 2023 (“Save Me”), The Album of 2023 (“Whitsitt Chapel”), and The Music Video of 2023 (“Need A Favor”).
Additionally, “Save Me” is the title of Jelly Roll’s recently-released documentary. The clip gives fans an unfiltered and raw look into Jelly Roll’s inspiring story transitioning from an incarcerated teen to an adult.
Jelly Roll is currently in the midst of his highly-successful Backroad Baptism Tour, which kicked off on Friday, July 28, and runs through Saturday, October 14, where the trek will wrap up in Tampa, Florida at MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre.
2023 People’s Choice Country Awards
The first-ever People’s Choice Country Awards took place at the iconic Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville, Tennessee on Thursday (Sept. 28).
Throughout the show, awards for 12 categories were given out, including People’s Artist of 2023, Male Artist of 2023, Female Artist of 2023, Group/Duo of 2023, New Artist of 2023, Social Country Star of 2023, Song of 2023, Collaboration Song of 2023, Crossover Song of 2023, Album of 2023, Music Video of 2023 and Concert Tour of 2023.
Toby Keith was honored with the Country Icon Award, which was presented to him by Blake Shelton. Wynonna Judd was also celebrated with the Country Champion Award, given to her by Brothers Osborne.
The coveted awards show also featured performances from Blake Shelton, Carly Pearce, Dan + Shay, HARDY, Jelly Roll, Kane Brown, Kelsea Ballerini, Little Big Town, Toby Keith, Wynonna Judd and more.
Adam Doleac, Blake Shelton, Brothers Osborne, Carly Pearce, Chris Young, Dustin Lynch, Gabby Barrett, Hunter Hayes, Jessie James Decker, Josh Ross, Kameron Marlowe, Kristin Cavallari, Lady A, Lauren Alaina, Leanne Morgan, Mickey Guyton, Nikki Garcia, Scotty McCreery and The War And Treaty were also on hand to present.
Little Big Town was the host of the show. “We are honored to host the inaugural ‘People’s Choice Country Awards,’ especially on one of our most beloved stages in the entire world,” the group previously shared in a press release. “We look forward to welcoming so many of our talented peers to take the Opry stage for this magical night of music.”
The 2023 People’s Choice Country Awards’ aired live on NBC and Peacock on September 28 at 8/7c simultaneously on NBC and Peacock.
The livestream also aired on Peacock, PCA Twitter, NBC Twitter/Facebook/YouTube, TODAY All Day/Twitter, E! News Twitter/Facebook/YouTube/E!Online, Access Twitter/YouTube, and Circle TV Network and Circle social platforms, featuring red carpet arrivals, backstage chats and more.
Lauren Jo Black is a longtime country music journalist, editor, host, and media personality whose work has helped shape the conversation around country music for nearly two decades. As the current Editor-in-Chief of Country Now, she has become one of the genre’s most respected voices, interviewing hundreds of country music’s biggest stars, including Dolly Parton, Garth Brooks, Reba McEntire, Shania Twain, Randy Travis, Luke Bryan, Carrie Underwood, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, and countless others. Over the course of her career, Black’s written work and interviews have reached billions of country music fans worldwide. A 2009 graduate of the University of Central Florida, Black began her career by founding Country Music Is Love, one of country music’s earliest independent digital publications, which she later sold to a major record label in 2015 before it was rebranded as Sounds Like Nashville. She then served as the publication’s Editor-in-Chief for more than two years. Her work has also appeared in Forbes, and she previously served as the Country Music Expert for Answers.com. Widely recognized for her expertise, Black has appeared as a featured guest on The Bobby Bones Show, BobbyCast, and Scripps News Morning Rush, providing insight on country music’s biggest moments. She has also hosted Country Now Live, a concert series featuring performances from artists including Lady A, Dierks Bentley, Riley Green, Jordan Davis, Dustin Lynch, Gabby Barrett, Brett Young, Jon Pardi, Kip Moore, Chris Young, and more. The series has welcomed thousands of fans in person while reaching millions more online. In addition, she hosted Connect With Country Now, a weekly interview series featuring conversations with rising country stars. Throughout her career, Black has earned a reputation for discovering and championing artists long before they become household names. She has covered Luke Bryan since the early days of his career, beginning when he was writing songs for other artists, including Billy Currington’s No. 1 hit “Good Directions,” before stepping into the spotlight with his debut single, “All My Friends Say” and eventually becoming one of biggest names in music. She also gave Megan Moroney her first opportunity to walk a major red carpet as Country Now’s official guest correspondent at the 2022 CMA Awards. An interview she conducted in 2018 for Forbes.com with Luke Combs that inspired his multi-week No. 1 hit, “Doin’ This.” She has also hosted stages at CMA Fest, moderated an industry panel at Country Radio Seminar, and helped lead important conversations about the evolving landscape of country music media. Beyond journalism, Black has also used her platform to support charitable causes and highlight organizations making an impact. Through Country Now Live, she has helped raise awareness and support for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, while also advocating for animal rescue through Country Now’s Pupdate series, spotlighting organizations including MuttNation Foundation, Wags & Walks, and Proverbs 12:10 Animal Rescue. Black has been recognized as one of Country Aircheck’s Women of Influence and received the 2012 Rising Star Award from the University of Central Florida. She is a longtime member of both the Country Music Association (CMA) and the Academy of Country Music (ACM). After nearly 20 years covering country music, Lauren Jo Black has spent her career telling the stories behind the artists, songs, and moments that have shaped the genre. Her first-ever book, Country Music Forever: An A-to-Z Celebration of Icons, Songs and Stories, brings that same passion and firsthand knowledge to the page, celebrating not only the legendary artists and timeless songs that have become the soundtrack to generations of fans, but also the places, traditions, and cultural moments that have made country music one of the most beloved genres around the world.
You may also like
Country Next
Playlist
On Repeat
Get the latest country music news delivered straight to your inbox.
