One of the night's most nominated artists, Jelly Roll, opened the 2023 CMA Awards with a surprise guest — Country Music Hall of Famer Wynonna Judd. Backed by a choir, the Male Vocalist of the Year nominee harmonized with the country icon on his hit song "Need a Favor."
Jelly Roll will also take the stage to perform "Love Can Build a Bridge" with K. Michelle.
The Tennessee artist has had an incredible year, collaborating with Lainey Wilson ("Save Me"), Cody Johnson ("Whiskey Bent") and many more. The "Son of a Sinner" singer is up for multiple awards. In addition to his Male Vocalist of the Year nod, he's nominated for New Artist of the Year, alongside Zach Bryan, Parker McCollum, Megan Moroney and Hailey Whitters. He also scored a nomination for Single of the Year for "Need a Favor."
Known for his good deeds and inspirational shows, the artist is continuing to share his kindness through his toy drive for the holidays, which kicked off on Nov. 1.
"It started with me just thinking I'd pitch in $100,000 or something toward something to get some toys going," he told People."Then, I talked to my friends at Walmart and they said, 'We can make this bigger. We can amplify this.'"
Jelly Roll walked the CMA red carpet with his wife Bunnie Xo, a social media influencer and the host of the successful Dumb Blonde podcast.
"When I met her, I was living out of a '96 van," the singer told Bertcast. "I was doing, like, $100-a-night shows. ... I was dead broke, and she just kind of took to me."
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For a full list of 2023 CMA Award winners, visit here.
