Jelly Roll Wins New Artist of the Year at CMAs Weeks Before 39th Birthday: 'Something Poetic'

The 2023 CMA Awards, cohosted by Luke Bryan and Peyton Manning, are airing live from Nashville's Bridgestone Arena on ABC

Jelly Roll is on a roll!

The country singer took home the CMA Award for new artist of the year at Nashville's Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday, winning over fellow nominees Zach Bryan, Parker McCollum, Megan Moroney and Hailey Whitters.

During his acceptance speech, the "I Need a Favor" singer, 38, waved his award in the air and shared how thankful he was: "Nashville! I only got a second, and I'm gonna say a lot, and I'm sorry."

"The quickest I can say is thank you to the labels, Stoney Creek Management...you saved my life. Country radio, what's up, baby?! I got a thousand people to thank, but most importantly, my Lord and my wife. I love you so much. You changed my life," he said.

Related: Zach Bryan Announces The Quittin' Time 2024 Tour with Sheryl Crow, Turnpike Troubadours and More Guests

He even gave a sweet shoutout to his fellow nominees: "Megan, Parker, Hailey, I love all of y'all, we're friends. Zach Bryan, I think you are one of the hottest things on earth, not just country music, you deserve this as much as anybody else. I love you. I'm glad we're sittin' there partyin' the rest of the night, baby."

The singer-songwriter also opened up about how special it was to win the award, as he turns 39 in December.

Check out PEOPLE's full CMA Awards coverage to get the latest news on country music’s biggest night.

Related: Jelly Roll Praises 'Supportive' Wife Bunnie XO: 'She Saved Me in One of the Darkest Times of My Life'

"There is something poetic about a 39-year-old man winning new artist of the year. I don't know where you're at in your life or what you're going through, but I want to tell you to keep going, baby. I want to tell you success is on the other side. I want to tell you it's gonna be okay," he said.

He concluded, "What's in front of you is so much more important than what's behind you. Let's party, Nashville!"

Jelly Roll gained massive fanfare last year with his album Ballads of the Broken and his single "Son of a Sinner," which became his first top-5 hit on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. This year, he continued the success with a new album, Whitsitt Chapel, and hit songs including "Save Me" with Lainey Wilson and "Wild Ones" with Jessie Murph.

The 2023 CMA Awards, hosted by Luke Bryan and Peyton Manning, are airing live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on ABC, and the ceremony will stream exclusively via Hulu on Thursday.

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