Jelly Roll Breaks His CMA Award for New Artist of the Year: Here’s Why

Jelly Roll was riding high after winning the New Artist of the Year at the CMAs, but his excitement took a funny turn — literally.

On The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on September 30, a clip surfaced showing the moment Jelly Roll accidentally dropped his award backstage. The sound of breaking glass caught everyone’s attention as reporter Stephanie Langston commented, “Oh goodness, Jelly Roll just broke his award.”

Jelly Roll

Theo Wargo/Getty Images for Global Citizen

Fallon then revealed a photo of the damaged trophy, and Jelly Roll (real name Jason Bradley DeFord) shared his reaction, saying, “When it first dropped, you could’ve heard a mouse pee on cotton. It was dead silent, then everyone went ‘Aww.’

Adjusting to sudden fame, Jelly Roll explained how it happened: “I was so excited, I was changing hands to shake someone’s hand, and then it just boomed. This is just my luck, Jimmy. I finally win this big award at 39, and then I fumble it backstage!”

Fans took to the YouTube comments to express their admiration. One wrote, “He never forgets where he came from, and that self-deprecating humor is key. Love him!” Another added, “Jelly Roll is a cool guy; happy for his success!”

In good spirits despite the mishap, Jelly Roll quipped, “It fits me great. I’ll just duct tape it together.”

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