Jelly Roll chatted with Billboard during the winner's walk of the 2023 CMA Awards.
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00:00 We are backstage with Best New Artist winner, Jelly Roll.
00:02 - Yes, baby.
00:03 Look, I'm learning different ways to hold this thing.
00:05 I'm having fun with it.
00:06 - That one looks nice.
00:07 - I'm almost convinced you could put a shot in there
00:11 and take it like that.
00:12 Now I'm gonna try.
00:13 - I wish you could try it right now.
00:14 - For sure.
00:14 Anybody got some tequila?
00:16 Bestie O's not with that.
00:17 Anybody got some tequila?
00:18 Sorry.
00:19 - We'll see if you're gonna deny it later.
00:20 - I'm having too much fun.
00:21 I should take this serious.
00:21 I'm just having a ball.
00:22 - As you should.
00:23 - Thank you.
00:24 - So I can't believe you opened the show
00:25 with Winona, the surprise.
00:26 - Yes.
00:27 - So honored.
00:28 - Was it a surprise?
00:29 Did y'all feel good about it?
00:30 - I felt shocked and good about it.
00:31 - Yes.
00:31 - It was amazing.
00:32 - I wanted there to be a little like,
00:33 oh, I didn't see that coming.
00:34 Like I didn't see Eric Church coming.
00:35 That's my boy.
00:36 - Yeah.
00:37 - And I lost my stuff.
00:38 I fanned all the way out.
00:39 I was like, Morgan and Eric.
00:41 I was losing my shit.
00:42 - So to have that full circle moment,
00:45 how special was that for you?
00:46 - Oh man, dude.
00:49 Unreal.
00:49 I'm just grew up a Judge fan.
00:51 Love the Judge.
00:52 My wife loves the Judge.
00:53 This is, and to meet Winona,
00:55 she's always had a heart for the broken.
00:57 She's always understood, misunderstood people.
01:00 You see that peppered throughout her career.
01:02 And I think her choosing to stand by me tonight
01:04 exemplified that.
01:05 - Absolutely.
01:06 So we need to talk about your speech
01:08 when you accepted your award.
01:09 It was beautiful.
01:10 I think people were crying,
01:11 which is no surprise here.
01:13 Was that preparation for weeks, days?
01:16 How did you get ready for that?
01:17 - Yeah, I didn't think I was going to get a speech at all.
01:20 And I have this thing that I say on tour.
01:22 There was a piece of some of that,
01:23 some of the stuff I said,
01:24 and my manager looked at me
01:26 and this is where I just talk about inside baseball
01:27 and don't lie.
01:28 He said, "Hey man, if you do get a chance to win tonight,
01:31 "don't even worry about thanking people."
01:34 He kind of took that pressure off of me.
01:36 'Cause I went out, 'cause I sat him down.
01:37 I was like, and he told me this after.
01:39 I was like, "Yo man, I need to connect
01:40 "if I do get a chance.
01:42 "I got 60 seconds that the world might listen
01:44 "to what I gotta say.
01:45 "I don't just want to be up there fumbling around."
01:47 I love that every artist has their own personality,
01:50 but my personality,
01:51 you can't give me 60 seconds to touch the world
01:53 and me not try to do something for something,
01:55 try to create some energy.
01:58 - Yeah, you definitely did that.
02:00 - We went to church, baby.
02:01 We went to church.
02:02 We took on the Wits at Chapel.
02:03 - We can always count on you.
02:04 - I told y'all we were going to church tonight.
02:05 I said it earlier.
02:06 Y'all probably got a clip.
02:07 I said it everywhere.
02:08 - And you delivered.
02:08 Thank you for that.
02:09 - Thank you.
02:10 It was an incredible night.
02:11 - It truly was.
02:12 Well, congratulations.
02:13 I got to hold one earlier.
02:14 It's quite heavy.
02:15 - Two handed you won, I'm jealous.
02:16 - Old Dominion let me hold one.
02:17 - We're trying to be the first.
02:17 Damn it, Matt.
02:18 - But I could hold the first shot glass award
02:20 if you want to hand it back real quick.
02:21 - Yeah, this is the first shot glass.
02:23 Do you see what I'm seeing in it?
02:25 - Obviously, yes.
02:25 - It could do, I mean, yeah, it's a thing, right?
02:27 You could at least mix one maybe.
02:29 Yeah, for sure.
02:30 I'd shoot it.
02:31 I might.
02:32 If I get to leave with this thing.
02:33 - Keep us posted on that.
02:35 - Thank y'all so much.
02:35 And thank you, Billboard.
02:36 Thank y'all so much.
02:37 It's been an incredible year.
02:38 This is your cover star right here.
02:40 This is y'all award to.
02:41 Love y'all.
02:42 - We love you, Jelly.
02:42 - Thank y'all.
02:43 [BLANK_AUDIO]