Jelly Roll was crowned Best New Artist in the pop and country categories at the 2024 iHeartRadio Music Awards on Monday, April 1.
Accepts iHeartRadio Best New Pop Artist And iHeartRadio Best New Country Artist
With an iHeartRadio trophy in hand, the genre-bending superstar took to center stage to accept the prestigious honors.
“My mama always told me I had a face for radio, baby!” Jelly Roll shouted with a big smile on his face, paying tribute to his mother. The country hitmaker then showcased gratitude for his fans and all of those that have supported him throughout his journey to stardom.
“I never would have dreamed I would be one of the voices coming through your radio…. You don’t know what it means to a kid like me,” he continued. “I was thinking about it, ‘What does it mean when a guy like me gets the opportunity to be the new pop artist of the year?’ It means that God will always use the least likely messenger with the biggest message every single time.”
He went on to graciously thank his wife, Bunnie XO, and daughter, Bailee Ann. “You can take that to the bank, baby. I love you Jesus, and I love you Bunnie, my wife. Thank you for everything. My daughter, Bailee Ann, I hope you’re watching. I’m coming home, baby. We did it,” Jelly Roll concluded before exiting the stage.
Jelly Roll was up for eight nominations, including Artist Of The Year, Best New Artist (Pop), Country Artist Of The Year, Best New Artist (Country), Best New Artist (Alternative And Rock), Rock Song Of The Year, Rock Artist of The Year and Favorite On Screen.
Performed “Save Me” Alongside Lainey Wilson At The Show
His acceptance speech came just seconds after he took to the stage to perform “Save Me” alongside country superstar Lainey Wilson. Jelly Roll teamed up with the Bell Bottom Country queen to recreate the fan-favorite tune, “Save Me,” at Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.
Surrounded by hundreds of burning candles, Jelly Roll kicked off the performance singing the opening verse before Lainey Wilson, donning leather bell bottoms and a feather and fringe ensemble, joined him on stage for the second verse. The pair of chart-topping artists then flawlessly combined their distinctive vocals on the chorus in perfect harmony.
“I’m a lost cause / Baby, don’t waste your time on me / I’m so damaged beyond repair / Life has shattered my hopes and my dreams,” Jelly Roll and Wilson sang on the chorus.
Ahead of the 2024 iHeartRadio Music Awards, Jelly Roll opened up about their performance during an interview with Billboard on the yellow carpet.
“It’s so cool, and it feels good because I’m here representing Country music. Me and Lainey are the only two Country acts, so I take good pride in that,” Jelly Roll told the outlet. “Listen, I can tell you this, it might be the coolest looking television performance I’ve ever had. The production is so intimate, it matches the song perfectly. I’ve never seen a better feeling and setting for this song. It’s exciting!”
2024 iHeartRadio Music Awards
In addition to Jelly Roll and Lainey Wilson, the star-studded awards show also featured performances from Ludacris, Justin Timberlake, Green Day, TLC, Tate McRae as well as a musical tribute to Cher.
Avril Lavigne, GloRilla, Jared Leto, Jennifer Hudson, JoJo Siwa, Katy Perry, Latto, Meghan Trainor, Meryl Streep, Niecy Nash-Betts, Peso Pluma, Ravi Patel, Stevie Wonder, T-Pain, Vella Lovell and more also took to the stage as presenters during the two-hour broadcast.
iHeartRadio also honored Beyoncé with the Innovator Award, Cher with the Icon Award, as well as Green Day and TLC with iHeartRadio Landmark Awards.
Hosted by Ludacris, the 2024 iHeartRadio Music Awards will air live from Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on Monday, April 1 (8:00-10:00 p.m. ET live / PT tape-delayed) on FOX. The awards show can also be heard on iHeartRadio stations nationwide and on the iHeartRadio app.
