“I Would've Ended Up Dead or in Jail”: Everything Jelly Roll Said in His 2026 Grammys Acceptance Speech

Jelly Roll took home three GRAMMY awards on Sunday (February 1st), and while accepting the Best Contemporary Country Album gong for Beautifully Broken, he delivered one of his classic motivational, spiritually-inspired acceptance speeches.

We're breaking down everything the ‘Need a Favor’ hitmaker said during his soulful speech, as well as after the GRAMMY ceremony, when he spoke to press and revealed that he would be addressing the political situation in the US at some point this week.

During the star-studded ceremony, Jelly took home the inaugural GRAMMY Award for Best Contemporary Country Album, as well as winning gongs for Best Country Duo/Group Performance (‘Amen’ with Shaboozey) and Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song (‘Hard Fought Hallelujah’ with Brandon Lake’).

As he graced the stage to receive his Best Contemporary Country Album trophy, Jelly began with some deeply emotional words on his journey from the criminal justice system to the GRAMMY stage, “They're going to try to kick me off here, so just let me try to get this out. First of all, Jesus, I hear you, and I’m listening. Lord, I am listening. Lord. 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. I would have killed myself if it wasn’t for you and Jesus. I thank you for that”.

The ‘Son of a Sinner’ singer-songwriter went on to touch on the inspiration behind the album that was being honoured, Beautifully Broken, “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, y'all. There were days that I thought the darkest things. I was a horrible human”.

Then, the Nashville native proudly held a little red Bible aloft, declaring, “There was a moment in my life that all I had was a Bible this big, and a radio the same size, and a six-by-eight-foot cell. And I believe that those two things could change my life. I believe that music had the power to change my life, and God had the power to change my life. And I want to tell y'all right now Jesus is for everybody. Jesus is not owned by one political party. Jesus is not owned by no music label. Jesus is Jesus and anybody can have a relationship with Him. I love you, Lord”.

Then, in a backstage press conference, Jelly was asked if he had a message for his Day One fans that have been rocking with him since his rap days, “I want y'all to know that…we did it, baby. This would never have happened without them. Imagine they're one of the few people in the world, in the very beginning, who believe me. This overweight white trash kid from Tennessee was going to figure it out one day and to be standing up here going, that's my time, we actually get it”.

Later in the conference, Jelly was questioned as to whether he wanted to comment on what's going on in the US at the moment, presumably a reference to the mass protests against ICE, following the deaths of citizens such as Alex Pretti and Renee Good. In Minnesota, for instance, there are widespread protests against the ICE immigration raids that are being enforced by President Trump's administration.

A number of artists at the GRAMMY Awards wore “ICE OUT” badges in solidarity with the protests, including Billie Eilish, Justin Bieber, Kehlani, Carole King, Brandi Carlile and Margo Price, while Super Bowl Half-Time headliner Bad Bunny declared in his Best Album speech, “Before I say thanks to God, I’m gonna say ICE out”.

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The 41-year-old, who won three Grammy Awards over the weekend, said, “I’m a dumb redneck. Like, I haven’t watched enough.” See more at the link in bio.

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In response to being asked about the ICE-related turmoil across the US, Jelly explained that he didn't feel people should care about his views on the current political landscape, “So, this is the truth, and I’m glad somebody asked, because I love talking about this stuff, and people care to hear my opinion, but so I can tell you that people shouldn’t care to hear my opinion. You know, I’m a dumb redneck, like, I haven’t watched enough...I didn’t have a phone for 18 months. I've had one for four months, and I don't have social media. I hate to be the artist that's aloof, but I just, like...I've become so disconnected from what's happening”.

He went on, “I grew up in a house of, like, insane pandemonium...I didn’t even know politics were f***ing real until I was in my mid-20s in jail. Like, that’s how disconnected [you are] when you grew up in a drug addict household. You think we, like, had common calls about what’s happening in rural politics? Like, we’re just trying to find a way to survive, man. I have a lot to say about it, and I’m going through it the next week, and everybody’s going to hear exactly what I have to say about it in the most loud and clear way I’ve ever spoken in my life. So I look forward to it”.

It was this last line that piqued fans’ interest, as it implies Jelly is preparing to get political and delve into the views he had just stated were not worthy of public consumption.

It's unclear what exactly Jelly means by this final comment, but perhaps he wants to address the situation around ICE on his own terms via social media, rather than doing so at the GRAMMYs. He caught flak from a number of viewers for not echoing the anti-ICE message that underpinned many winners’ acceptance speeches.

Jelly's political stance has been ambiguous throughout his career, with some assuming him to be right-leaning, having met Trump in the past, while others speculate he is nonpartisan. His remarks on the GRAMMY stage that “Jesus is not owned by one political party” seem to suggest the latter, and implies a spirituality-first approach - but ultimately, until Jelly confirms either way, this is all just conjecture.

Jelly has been teasing his next chapter of music in the weeks leading up to the GRAMMYs, and given the faith-based message that has permeated much of his recent material - including, for instance, his GRAMMY-winning Brandon Lake duet, ‘Hard Fought Hallelujah’ - we suspect he might be readying a full-blown gospel album.

For more on Jelly Roll, see below: