Jelly Roll won big at the 2024 CMT Music Awards Sunday night, taking home three awards at the annual event celebrating the best in country music videos.
His accolades began with the CMT performance of the year award for his gospel-assisted rendition of Need a Favor at the 2023 CMT Music Awards nearly a year ago to the day. It also was his first-ever awards show performance.
“In that last year you changed my life in every way I never thought my life could be changed,” the tattooed rapper-turned-country breakout star said in an emotional acceptance speech live from the Moody Center in Austin, Texas.
The music video for Need A Favor earned him male video of the year and the biggest award of the night, video of the year.
“I’m having one of the best nights of my life,” he said, before focusing his speech on people who are looking for “second chances,” specifically those in juvenile detention facilities.
“I once heard a man say that you don’t change until the pain to remain the same is greater than the pain it takes to change, and that’s what it takes.
Kelsea Ballerini hosted the awards for the fourth time in a row, opening with a comedic sketch about reading the minds of country music’s biggest names that ended with Keith Urban hugging the beaver mascot of beloved Texas gas station chain Buc-ee’s.
Early on, Carly Pearce and Chris Stapleton won collaborative video of the year for their song, We Don’t Fight Anymore
Warren Zeiders took home the male equivalent for Pretty Little Poison, thanking God and his best friend: his dad.
Three-time CMT award winner and Texas native Cody Johnson opened the 2024 show with his ode to the lone star state, That’s Texas. Jason Aldean performed Let Your Boys Be Country. (PTI)
