Jelly Roll won his three first Dove Awards trophies at the Christian music awards show on Tuesday (Oct. 7), including Song of the Year for his Brandon Lake duet, “Hard Fought Hallelujah.”
When he got up to thank the crowd for that trophy, Jelly called on his fans to act out their faith.
He cited Matthew 25:36 as he urged everyone in the room to “put faith on your feet and feet on your faith.”
Watch Jelly Roll’s Passionate Dove Awards Acceptance Speech
“And walk out of this building and go do for the least,” Jelly said. “They’ve heard of Jesus, now show ’em Jesus. Go feed the poor. Go visit the ones in jail. Go show ’em who Jesus was.
“And we’re done talking , it’s time to show,” he continued, to thunderous applause from the crowd.
Jelly frequently aligns himself with “the least”; a major component of his message comes from his backstory as a drug dealer who was incarcerated and faced a felony charge in his youth.
“I am standing here because people took time with the least,” he noted in his acceptance speech.
Jelly Roll Says There’s a ‘Revival’ of Faith Happening in America
Jelly is a secular country artist, but he’s become more and more vocal about his Christian faith. He also said at the Dove Awards that he sees Jesus’ message more and more in his daily life.
“The world is hearing about Jesus like they haven’t in decades right now,” Jelly said. “there is a revival happening in the United States of America, where you can’t go on a corner and not hear about Jesus right now.”
Read More: These 11 Country Stars Are Unapologetically Vocal About Faith
As he concluded his speech, Jelly expressed his gratitude for his trophies and for the Dove Awards community, saying the show provided positive messaging for children.
“My son’s watching this. I think this is awesome that he gets to watch an awards show like this,” the singer said.
He also once again touched on how his life journey has led him towards a level of healing and redemption that he never thought possible.
“I thank God that I could see the forest for the trees,” the singer said.
What Did Jelly Roll Say to Forrest Frank Before the Dove Awards?
Christian singer Forrest Frank won the Dove Awards’ highest honor — Artist of the Year — on Tuesday night, but he wasn’t present at the ceremony.
Frank had previously released a social media video saying that he won’t attend future awards shows, including the Dove Awards, due to a personal conviction not to seek industry recognition for music that was made as an expression of his faith.
Jelly responded to Frank with a pair of comments on his post.
He said it was an “interesting take,” but suggested that Frank might be defeating the point by making money off of his faith-driven music.
Read More: 17 Times Jelly Roll Made Us Laugh So Hard It Hurt
“I love that you said ‘I don’t want to get a trophy for something that’s from Jesus for Jesus’ which is awesome — but also make MILLIONS of dollars doing that same thing that is From Jesus for Jesus,” Jelly noted.
He restated that same sentiment in another comment, writing, “Won’t receive trophy for something from Jesus for Jesus but will take the profits from something from Jesus for Jesus.”
“Maybe I’m missing something here lol,” Jelly added.
Jelly Roll: 27 Stunning Facts About the ‘Save Me’ Singer
Jelly Roll is country music’s most fascinating character. His life has taken dozens of wild twists and turns, and he’s been honest about all of it. Here are 27 facts about the “Save Me” singer and his family.
Gallery Credit: Billy Dukes
