Country star and rapper Jelly Roll used the Grammy Awards stage Sunday night to praise Jesus Christ as he accepted his first Grammy wins, including Best Contemporary Country Album.
Jelly Roll, whose legal name is Jason DeFord, received three Grammy Awards during the ceremony.
While accepting the award for Best Contemporary Country Album, he spoke about his faith.
"I believed that music had the power to change my life," he shared, according to Wide Open Country. "And God had the power to change my life.
"I want to tell you all right now that Jesus is for everybody.
"Jesus is not owned by one political party. Jesus is not owned by one music label," he added.
The singer emphasized his point, saying, "Jesus is Jesus, and anybody can have a relationship with him. I love you, Lord."
Jelly Roll also opened up about the personal struggles that shaped his award-winning album, "Beautifully Broken," which was released in 2024.
He said the project was written during a period when he believed his life had little direction or hope.
"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. There was days I thought the darkest things.
"I was a horrible human. There was a moment in my life where all I had was a Bible this big and a radio the same size and a 6-by-8-foot sail, and I believed those things could change my life," he said.
He framed his faith as central to his transformation and described it as open to anyone.
The speech came after years of Jelly Roll openly discussing his past and his recovery.
In December, he received a full pardon from the state of Tennessee for criminal convictions tied to his earlier life.
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee cited the artist's long path from drug addiction and incarceration to professional success and public advocacy.
Jelly Roll's convictions included robbery and drug felonies. He has said a pardon would make it easier for him to travel internationally for concert tours and to perform Christian missionary work without filling out burdensome paperwork.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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