After winning his first Grammy award, Jelly Roll made a heartfelt acceptance speech, where he thanked his wife, Bunnie XO, for supporting him and saving his life. By the end of the night, the rapper won several accolades for his latest album.
Jelly Roll praises wife in Grammys speech
The 68th Annual Grammy Awards took place on February 1, 2026, at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. During his acceptance speech for the Best Contemporary Country Album, Jelly Roll addressed his wife, Alisa DeFord, also known as Bunnie Xo, thanking her for helping him through the difficult times in his life.
“They’re going to try to kick me off here, so just let me try to get this out,” the 41-year-old began his speech. “First of all, Jesus, I hear you, and I’m listening, Lord, I am listening, Lord. Second of all, I want to thank my beautiful wife.”
The Grammy-winner continued, “I would have never changed my life without you. I would have ended up dead or in jail. I would have killed myself if it wasn’t for you and Jesus, and I thank you for that.”
The rapper went on to share details about his troubled past. Roll explained that he wrote his album, Beautifully Broken, because he felt “broken” at the time. He admitted that he felt he didn’t have a chance of making it through the “darkest” times of his life. He thought himself to be a “horrible human.”
The “Somebody Save Me” singer added, “There was a moment in my life that all I had was a Bible this big, and a radio the same size, and a six-by-eight-foot cell. And I believe that those two things could change my life. I believe that music had the power to change my life, and God had the power to change my life.”
Jelly Roll, real name Jason DeFord, served multiple prison sentences in his youth. At the age of 16, he was convicted of felony robbery while being unarmed with accomplices and taking $350. He served over a year in prison, followed by additional probation. Later, in 2008, at the age of 23, police found crack cocaine and marijuana in his possession. As a result, he spent eight years under court-ordered supervision (via USA Today).
The country rapper was previously nominated in 2024 and 2025 for his songs “Save Me” and “I Am Not Okay,” respectively. However, the Sunday event turned out to be a special evening. He walked home with a total of three Grammys. The “Son of a Sinner” also won Grammys for Best Country Duo/Group Performance and Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song.
