Jelly Roll Wins First Three Grammys, Delivers Emotional Speech

The country star opened up about his troubled past and relationship with Jesus during his acceptance speech.

Feb. 1, 2026 at 9:31pm

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On February 1, country singer Jelly Roll won his first three Grammy Awards, taking home honors for Best Contemporary Country Album, Song, and Duo Performance. In an emotional acceptance speech, the Nashville native spoke about his past struggles with incarceration and addiction, crediting his wife and his faith in Jesus for turning his life around.

Why it matters

Jelly Roll's Grammy wins and powerful speech shine a light on the challenges of criminal justice reform and addiction recovery, issues the artist has been outspoken about throughout his career. His success story provides inspiration for others facing similar obstacles.

The details

Jelly Roll, whose real name is Jason DeFord, won two awards at the pre-telecast ceremony for the tracks "Amen" with Shaboozey and "Hard Fought Hallelujah" with Brandon Lake. During the televised ceremony, he was awarded for his 22-track album "Beautifully Broken", beating out other country stars like Kelsea Ballerini, Tyler Childers, Eric Church and Miranda Lambert.

  • Jelly Roll won his first three Grammy Awards on February 1, 2026.
  • In December 2025, Jelly Roll was pardoned for his past felonies in Tennessee.

The players

Jelly Roll

A country singer from Nashville, Tennessee who has been open about his troubled past including incarceration and addiction, and has become an advocate for prison reform.

Shaboozey

A musical collaborator of Jelly Roll's, featured on his Grammy-winning track "Amen".

Brandon Lake

A musical collaborator of Jelly Roll's, featured on his Grammy-winning track "Hard Fought Hallelujah".

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What they’re saying

“First of all, Jesus, I hear you and I am listening lord. I am listening lord!”

— Jelly Roll

“Second of all I want to thank my beautiful wife. I would've never changed my life without you. I would've ended up dead or in jail, I would've killed myself if it wasn't for you and Jesus.”

— Jelly Roll

“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.”

— Jelly Roll

What’s next

Jelly Roll plans to continue advocating for prison reform and addiction recovery, including through the opening of a 100-acre rehabilitation facility in Tennessee.

The takeaway

Jelly Roll's Grammy wins and emotional acceptance speech serve as an inspiring example of how faith, determination, and support from loved ones can help turn a life around, even after facing significant challenges like incarceration and addiction.