Shaboozey Breaks Down in Emotional Speech Celebrating Immigrants After GRAMMY Win for ‘Amen’ Featuring Jelly Roll
“…the last thing I want to say, immigrants built this country literally, actually. So this is for them,” he shared.
Shaboozey, winner of the Best Country Duo/Group Performance for “Amen”, poses in the press room during the 68th GRAMMY Awards at Crypto.com Arena on February 01, 2026 in Los Angeles, California.; Photo by Leon Bennett/Getty Images for The Recording Academy
“Amen” by Shaboozey and Jelly Roll earned the GRAMMY Award for Best Country Duo/Group Performance at the 2026 GRAMMY Awards Premiere Ceremony ahead of the 68th Annual GRAMMY Awards on Sunday, February 1, 2026.
Shaboozey was on hand to accept the honor, telling the audience, ““I just walked in here literally 10 seconds ago.”
He went on to share a heartfelt shoutout to his mom and members of his team before dedicating his big win to immigrants.
“I’ve never written a speech in my life, and yesterday I said, ‘I should write a speech.’…Dear God, I just want to say thank you. Nothing is possible without you; your love and will preserves me through it all. I want to also thank my mother, who as of today has retired from her job after 30 years of working in the medical field as a registered nurse in the psych ward. She worked 3-4 jobs just to provide for me and my four siblings as an immigrant in this country. Thank you, Mom. I also want to thank… the entire Empire team for believing in me. Thank you so much… And everybody else… My lawyer and everybody that’s a part of this. Harvey Mason, thank you so much. I have the greatest team in the world. Thank you so much.”
He continued, “And again, the last thing I want to say, immigrants built this country literally, actually. So this is for them, for all children of immigrants. This is also for those who came to this country and search for better opportunity to be a part of a nation that promised freedom for all the unequal opportunity to everyone willing to work for it. Thank you for bringing your culture, your music, your stories, and your traditions here. You give America color. I love y’all so much. Thank you.”
Also nominated in the category were “A Song To Sing” by Miranda Lambert and Chris Stapleton, “Trailblazer” by Reba McEntire, Miranda Lambert, and Lainey Wilson, “Love Me Like You Used To Do” by Margo Price and Tyler Childers, and “Honky Tonk Hall Of Fame” by George Strait and Chris Stapleton.
Jelly Roll was not present to accept the award.
“Amen” was written by Collins Chibueze, Nevin Sastry, Sean Cook, Jackson Foote, Jason DeFord, Jordan Gray, Kevin Powers, and Seth Ennis. The track appears on Where I’ve Been, Isn’t Where I’m Going: The Complete Edition, which expands upon Shaboozey’s breakthrough album and includes six new songs, featuring collaborations with Myles Smith and Sierra Ferrell (in addition to Jelly Roll).
The GRAMMY win for “Amen” marks the first-ever GRAMMY Awards for both Shaboozey and Jelly Roll. The moment is especially meaningful for Shaboozey, who previously served as an opening act on Jelly Roll’s Beautifully Broken Tour, making this achievement a full-circle moment in their musical journey.
The GRAMMYs will feature performances by Addison Rae, Alex Warren, Andrew Watt, Brandy Clark, Chad Smith, Clipse, Duff McKagan, Justin Bieber, KATSEYE, Lady Gaga, Leon Thomas, Lola Young, Lukas Nelson, Ms. Lauryn Hill, Olivia Dean, Pharrell Williams, Post Malone, Reba McEntire, Sabrina Carpenter, Slash, SOMBR, The Marías, and more.
Additionally, those confirmed to present during the star-studded ceremony include Carole King, Chappell Roan, Charli xcx, Doechii, Harry Styles, Jeff Goldblum, KAROL G, Lainey Wilson, Marcello Hernández, Nikki Glaser, Q-Tip, Queen Latifah, and Teyana Taylor. Plus, an additional surprise presenter will be revealed during the show.
According to the Recording Academy, the GRAMMY Awards stand alone as the only music honors voted on by peers, with winners selected by the Recording Academy’s voting members. This group is made up of music creators spanning every genre and discipline, from recording artists and songwriters to producers, mixers, and engineers.
Broadcast live from Los Angeles’ Crypto.com Arena, “Music’s Biggest Night” will be hosted by Trevor Noah and air Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026, at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on the CBS Television Network, with live and on-demand streaming available on Paramount+*.
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.
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