Jelly Roll Gives Grammy to Juvenile Center That Changed Him

Jelly Roll walked away with three trophies at the 68th Annual Grammy Awards, but it’s what he said — and what he plans to do next — that shows the kind of man he really is.

The country superstar won Best Country Duo/Group Performance for “Amen” with Shaboozey, Best Contemporary Country Album for Beautifully Broken, and Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song for “Hard Fought Hallelujah” with Brandon Lake.

He got to accept his Contemporary Country Album win during the main broadcast. In typical Jelly Roll fashion, the acceptance speech wasn’t about industry wins or chart positions. It was about grace, redemption, and giving credit where he believes it’s due.

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“First of all, Jesus, I hear you, and I am listening, Lord. I am listening, Lord,” he said at the top of his speech.

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

From there, the “Son of a Sinner” singer’s words turned into something closer to a sermon, speaking bluntly about his past, his faith, and extending an invitation to anyone listening.

“There was a moment in my life where all I had was a Bible this big and a radio the same size in a six-by-eight-foot cell,” Jelly Roll told the crowd.

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“I believed that those two things could change my life. I want to tell you all right now that Jesus is for everybody,” he continued. “Jesus is not owned by one political party. Jesus is not owned by one music label. Jesus is Jesus — and anybody can have a relationship with him.”

The Trophy That’s Headed Somewhere Special

So what’s Jelly Roll going to do with all that new hardware?

According to his wife, Bunnie Xo, at least one of those Grammys won’t be going on a shelf to collect dust.

He plans to gift it to the Davidson County Juvenile Detention Center in Nashville — the same place where he spent some of his darkest years as a teenager.

“I know he’s going to give one to the Juvenile in Nashville to kind of give them a little inspiration and let them have a Grammy to themselves,” Bunnie Xo shared after the show.

Jelly Roll has spoken often about the lasting impact of that time in his life. He celebrated his 14th, 15th, and 16th birthdays in juvenile detention — only missing his 17th because he’d been charged as an adult.

From a 6×8 Cell to the Grammy Stage

In a 2022 interview with People, Jelly Roll called those years “the most impactful” of his life.

“The darkest moments of my life still were being that 15-year-old scared kid spending Thanksgiving away from his family,” he shared.

Now, more than two decades later, he’s sending one of music’s highest honors back to the place where he first started believing change was possible.