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Jelly Roll shared the reason he skipped the 2024 People’s Choice Awards, where he received the Male Country Artist of the Year Award on Sunday (February 18). The Whitsitt Chapel hitmaker posted a video to Instagram to share his reaction and to explain why he wasn’t available to accept the honor in person at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, California.
Jelly Roll filmed the video from inside the juvenile courthouse after walking out of the Davidson County Juvenile Detention Center in Nashville, Tennessee. that’s where the reigning Male Country Artist of the Year — who is from Nashville’s Antioch neighborhood — said he teamed up with nonprofit organization The Beat of Life to bring a music program to the kids, and “I didn’t wanna be one of the people letting these kids down,” Jelly Roll said. He added in his caption that he had: “No plan- no speech - just from the heart - love y’all - eternally grateful.”
“Holy sh*t. We won a People’s Choice Award for the Male Country Artist of the Year, voted by the fans, baby,” Jelly Roll said in the video he posted on Instagram on Monday (February 19). “I’ve always said I don’t have the biggest fan base, but I have the mightiest fan base, baby. The tiniest and the mightiest. Y’all have never let me down. Thank you. Thank you to the People’s Choice [Awards].
“I’m sorry I wasn’t there. Here’s the truth,” he continued. “I’m actually standing in the juvenile courthouse right now. I just walked out of the juvenile facility. We partnered with The Beat of Life to bring a music program to the kids. This has been on my calendar for a long time. I promised these kids I was coming. I know whenever I was a kid in here, I got let down a lot. I didn’t wanna be one of the people letting these kids down. I had to honor my word. I hate I wasn’t (at the People’s Choice Awards), but don’t take me not being there as a sign of anything other than love and respect, and me trying to do better for my community, baby. Anyways, these kids wrote some big songs today, man. We’re gonna work something out where y’all can start hearing what we’re working on in this juvenile (facility). …This has been unreal. Love y’all.”
Jelly Roll won the Male Country Artist of the Year Award, and Lainey Wilson was honored with the Female Country Artist of the Year Award at this year’s People’s Choice. She also took the stage to perform her newly-released single, “Country’s Cool Again,” along with a medley of some of her biggest hits throughout her career, including “Heart Like A Truck” and “Watermelon Moonshine,” among others. Watch Jelly Roll’s reaction video here (warning: language):