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Jelly Roll And Wynonna Judd Kicked Off the 2023 CMA Awards

Jelly Roll and Wynonna Judd Open 2023 CMA Awards
by
  • Riley is a Senior Country Music Journalist for Country Thang Daily, known for her engaging storytelling and insightful coverage of the genre.
  • Before joining Country Thang Daily, Riley developed her expertise at Billboard and People magazine, focusing on feature stories and music reviews.
  • Riley has a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from Belmont University, with a minor in Cultural Studies.

Jelly Roll kicked off the 2023 CMA Awards ceremony on Wednesday (November 8) at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena and was joined by a very special guest!

The breakout country star from Antioch, Tennessee, opened the show with a rousing performance of his hit song, “Need a Favor.” The stage behind him is decorated like a church, while a gospel choir backs him up. Midway through the track, fans were delighted when Wynonna Judd came out on stage to join Jelly Roll for the first chorus.

The star-studded audience is evidently enjoying the performance as the two traded lines for the power ballad about forgiveness and repentance. 

There’s famous couple Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban nodding along, while Kelsea Ballerini and Chase Stokes are seen singing, clapping, and dancing. Post Malone was also shown rocking out as Jelly Roll, and Wynonna Judd wowed the crowd with their performance.

Jelly Roll released “Need A Favor” in 2022 as the lead single from his album Whitsitt Chapel. The song then ranked No. 1 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart.

Jelly Roll Is Clearly Becoming A Favorite In Country Music

Jelly Roll has only been a part of country music for a brief time, but it’s clear that he’s becoming one of the genre’s favorites. In fact, he is the CMA Awards‘ most nominated male performer this year, even though this is just his first nomination. 

Jelly Roll actually has nods in five categories, including Male Vocalist of the Year and New Artist of the Year. His hit song “Need a Favor” is also up for Single of the Year and Video of the Year. Meanwhile, his song “Save Me,” which features country singer Lainey Wilson, earned a nomination for Musical Event of the Year.

Anyway, you can watch Jelly Roll and Wynonna Judd’s performance of “Need a Favor” by playing the video below.

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