Jelly Roll humorously admitted that he was 'lost' during a live teleprompter blunder with host, Kelsea Ballerini, during the 2024 CMT Music Awards in Austin on Sunday.
The Need A Favor singer, 39 - who won three trophies during the ceremony which included Video of the Year - also appeared shocked earlier in the night when Ballerini, 30, jokingly compared him to 'Weird Barbie.'
At one point, the songstress - who was hosting the event for the fourth time - gave 'bad news' to the celebrity guests in the crowd and revealed that there would be no gift bags.
'We have something way better I can give out right now. A hug from Jelly Roll,' she said while walking up to the music artist.
The pair shared an embrace and Ballerini gushed, 'Best hug ever. It really is,' with Jelly Roll also adding, 'Yes!'
Jelly Roll, 39, humorously admitted that he was 'lost' during a live teleprompter blunder with host, Kelsea Ballerini, 30, during the 2024 CMT Music Awards in Austin on Sunday
The Need A Favor singer also appeared shocked earlier in the night when Ballerini jokingly compared him to 'Weird Barbie'
'It's an award initself. Does anyone else want in on this action?' Kelsea continued, with other stars such as Ashley McBride and Gayle King also receiving hugs from the singer - whose real name isJason Bradley DeFord.
While holding a microphone as well, Jelly Roll said, 'Yes! This is awesome. Anyone else want a hug? I'm giving away hugs for free.'
He then faced forward with Ballerini close by on the stage and began, 'Listen, let me tell y'all something. I'm excited to tell y'all right now...'
However, Jelly Roll abruptly paused and quietly sent a look towards Kelsea, with the audience also becoming silent.
'I'm lost,' he then revealed, with Kelsea quickly jumping in to explain, 'We have a friend coming out to perform.'
The Miss Me More songstress then looked over her shoulder off camera to call out, 'We are off prompter, help.'
With the teleprompter still not running correctly, Jelly Roll continued to improvise and added, 'I just wanted to hug somebody again!'
'Okay, we are going to hug each other through this," Kelsea said, draping her arm over his shoulders. 'Because one of our friends is about to perform an absolutely...'
'We have something way better I can give out right now. A hug from Jelly Roll,' she said while walking up to the music artist
The pair shared an embrace and Ballerini gushed, 'Best hug ever. It really is,' with Jelly Roll also adding, 'Yes!'
'It's an award in itself. Does anyone else want in on this action?' Kelsea continued, with other stars such as Ashley McBride and Gayle King also receiving hugs from the singer - whose real name is Jason Bradley DeFord
While holding a microphone as well, Jelly Roll said, 'Yes! This is awesome. Anyone else want a hug? I'm giving away hugs for free'
He then faced forward with Ballerini close by on the stage and began, 'Listen, let me tell y'all something. I'm excited to tell y'all right now...'
'I'm lost,' he then revealed, with Kelsea quickly jumping in to explain, 'We have a friend coming out to perform'
The Miss Me More songstress then looked over her shoulder off camera to call out, 'We are off prompter, help'
CMT 2024 Winners: AT A GLANCE
VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Jelly Roll — Need A Favor
FEMALE VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Lainey Wilson — Watermelon Moonshine
MALE VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Jelly Roll — Need A Favor
DUO/GROUP VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Dan + Shay — Save Me The Trouble
COLLABORATIVE VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Carly Pearce feat. Chris Stapleton — We Don't Fight Anymore
BREAKTHROUGH FEMALE VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Ashley Cooke — your place
BREAKTHROUGH MALE VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Warren Zeiders — Pretty Little Poison
CMT PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR
Jelly Roll — Need a Favor (from 2023 CMT Music Awards)
CMT DIGITAL-FIRST PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR
Scotty McCreery — It Matters to Her (from CMT Stages)
JUNE CARTER CASH HUMANITARIAN AWARD
Trisha Yearwood — Inaugural Winner
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Ballerini paused, waiting for Jelly Roll to continue the sentence, but he added, 'We both love her to death.'
The pair then both spoke into their microphones to excitedly announce, 'Here with Country's Cool Again, give it up for... LaineyWilson!'
The humorous blunder was soon forgotten as Wilson performed the hit track which dropped earlier this year.
Earlier in the ceremony, Kelsea appeared on stage while wearing a cowgirl Barbie outfit which was also one of the costumes Margot Robbie wore in the 2023 film directed by Greta Gerwig.
She admitted to the audience, 'It's been a huge year for music, but it was also a huge year for movies. I don't know about you, but I'm still clearly not over Barbie.'
'I've watched it so many times! I need a sequel, and I think I have the perfect idea for it. I want to see country Barbie!'
'Obviously, it's between me and Dolly Parton for the lead, because we're both blonde and sing country music,' she jokingly added.
'But, honestly, a lot of people would be really great for this role,' Kelsea continued, and began listing names, such as: 'Lainey Wilson, Megan Moroney...Philip Sweet.'
With the teleprompter still not running correctly, Jelly Roll continued to improvise and added, 'I just wanted to hug somebody again!'
'Okay, we are going to hug each other through this," Kelsea said, draping her arm over his shoulders. 'Because one of our friends is about to perform an absolutely...'
The pair then both spoke into their microphones to excitedly announce, 'Here with Country's Cool Again, give it up for... Lainey Wilson!'
The humorous blunder was soon forgotten as Wilson performed the hit track which dropped earlier this year
She admitted to the audience, 'It's been a huge year for music, but it was also a huge year for movies. I don't know about you, but I'm still clearly not over Barbie'
Behind her on a large screen in the Moody Center, Sweet could be seen in a picture with a photoshopped Barbie outfit.
She also hinted that Cody Johnson would be great for the role of Ken. 'You know, he's really got that Cojo Kenergy.'
'And, of course, we need everyone's favorite, Weird Barbie.' A picture of Jelly Roll then appeared on the big screen and the camera jumped to show the singer's shocked reaction at the comparison.
But after a few moments, he burst out laughing while his wife, Bunnie Xo, also had a big smile on her face.
'That feels just about right. See, y'all, I'm telling you - Country Barbie is gonna be the next big thing,' Ballerini added before jumping into the next award presentation.
Social media users offered their reaction to the joke, with one fan penning on X, 'Jelly Roll as Weird Barbie got a cackle out of me.'
Another wrote, 'Bwaahahahahaha! Jelly Roll as Weird Barbie was funny,' while one added, 'She did Jelly Roll so dirty LMFAO.'
The night was a big one for both Kelsea and Jelly Roll, with Ballerini hosting the CMT Music Awards for the fourth time and also receiving three nominations.
Jelly Roll dominated the wins and received a total of three trophies - including Video of the Year, Male Video of the Year and Performance of the Year.
'But, honestly, a lot of people would be really great for this role,' Kelsea continued, and began listing names, such as: 'Lainey Wilson, Megan Moroney...Philip Sweet'; Sweet seen above reacting to Barbie skit
'And, of course, we need everyone's favorite, Weird Barbie.' A picture of Jelly Roll then appeared on the big screen
The camera jumped to show the singer's shocked reaction at the comparison
But after a few moments, he burst out laughing while his wife, Bunnie Xo, also had a big smile on her face
Social media users offered their reaction to the joke, with one fan penning on X, 'Jelly Roll as Weird Barbie got a cackle out of me'
Another wrote, 'Bwaahahahahaha! Jelly Roll as Weird Barbie was funny,' while one added, 'She did Jelly Roll so dirty LMFAO
The singer was bowled over as he accepted the final award of the night before delivering a barn-burning performance that put the audience members on their feet.
Jelly Roll was as gracious as he was exuberant, and he took time to praise his fellow nominees Cody Johnson and Kelsea Ballerini. He alsoincluded a special shoutout for his 'beautiful wife, Ms. Bunnie DeFord.'
'I am blessed to have you as a best friend. I am blessed to have you as a partner,' he said sweetly as she watched from the audience.
Then the singer vowed to 'set the stage on fire' with his concluding performance, and he joked that he was going to be 'a little late in the morning' for his already-scheduled interview with Gayle King.
Jelly Roll also had a fun moment when he marveled that the writer, director and actor Billy Bob Thornton had been the one to present him with the final award of the night.
He got another blast of star power when Minnie Driver presented him with his second award of the evening.
Jelly Roll referenced his past run-ins with the law while offering hope to incarcerated teens as he delivered his acceptance speech after winning Male Video of the Year.
He was previously charged with aggravated robbery at 18, and he faced a potential 20-year prison sentence, though he ended up serving around a year in prison and over seven years of probation afterward.
Jelly Roll dominated the wins and received a total of three trophies - including Video of the Year, Male Video of the Year and Performance of the Year
The singer was bowled over as he accepted the final award of the night before delivering a barn-burning performance that put the audience members on their feet
Jelly Roll was as gracious as he was exuberant, and he took time to praise his fellow nominees Cody Johnson and Kelsea Ballerini. He also included a special shoutout for his 'beautiful wife, Ms. Bunnie DeFord'
The tattooed hitmaker's voice began to crack when he accepted his first award for CMT Performance of the year, which was for his performance at the 2023 CMT Awards. He praised his fans for how they had cemented his success.
'What I am emotional about is, in the last year, you have changed my life in every way I would have never thought my life could be changed,' he said, growing hoarse with emotion.
Jelly Roll also noted during his Performance of the Year Award acceptance speech that the CMT performance that earned him the award marked the first time he had ever been invited to perform at an awards show.
He also gave a shout out to his 'beautiful wife' Bunnie XO, who stood in the audience proudly beaming at him, as well as his daughter back at home.
The Country Music Television Awards 2024 WINNERS
VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Ashley McBryde — Light On In The Kitchen
Brandy Clark feat. Brandi Carlile — Dear Insecurity
Brothers Osborne — Nobody's Nobody
Cody Johnson — The Painter
Darius Rucker — Fires Don't Start Themselves
HARDY — Truck Bed
Jason Aldean — Let Your Boys Be Country
Jelly Roll — Need A Favor — WINNER
Jordan Davis — Next Thing You Know
Kacey Musgraves — Deeper Well
Kelsea Ballerini — IF YOU GO DOWN (I'M GOIN' DOWN TOO)
Lainey Wilson — Watermelon Moonshine
Mickey Guyton feat. Kane Brown — Nothing Compares To You
Parmalee — Gonna Love You
Tyler Childers — In Your Love
Zach Bryan — Nine Ball
FEMALE VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Ashley McBryde — Light On In The Kitchen
Gabby Barrett — Glory Days
Kacey Musgraves — Deeper Well
Kelsea Ballerini — Penthouse
Lainey Wilson — Watermelon Moonshine — WINNER
Megan Moroney — I'm Not Pretty
Reba McEntire — Seven Minutes In Heaven
MALE VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Bailey Zimmerman — Religiously
Cody Johnson — The Painter
HARDY — Truck Bed
Jelly Roll — Need A Favor — WINNER
Jordan Davis — Next Thing You Know
Luke Combs — Fast Car (Official Live Video)
Morgan Wallen — Last Night (One Record At A Time Sessions)
DUO/GROUP VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Brothers Osborne — Nobody's Nobody
Dan + Shay — Save Me The Trouble — WINNER
Old Dominion — Memory Lane
Parmalee — Girl In Mine
The War And Treaty — Have You A Heart
Tigirlily Gold — Shoot Tequila
COLLABORATIVE VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Carly Pearce feat. Chris Stapleton — We Don't Fight Anymore — WINNER
Ella Langley feat. Koe Wetzel — That's Why We Fight
Jon Pardi, Luke Bryan — Cowboys And Plowboys
Justin Moore & Priscilla Block — You, Me And Whiskey
Lukas Nelson + Promise of The Real feat. Lainey Wilson — More Than Friends
Mickey Guyton feat. Kane Brown — Nothing Compares To You
Old Dominion & Megan Moroney — Can't Break Up Now
BREAKTHROUGH FEMALE VIDEO OF THE YEAR, presented by Walt Disney World®
Anne Wilson — Rain In The Rearview
Ashley Cooke — your place — WINNER
Brittney Spencer — Bigger Than The Song
Tigirlily Gold — Shoot Tequila
BREAKTHROUGH MALE VIDEO OF THE YEAR, presented by Walt Disney World®
Chayce Beckham — 23
Tyler Childers — In Your Love
Warren Zeiders — Pretty Little Poison — WINNER
Zach Bryan — Oklahoma Smokeshow
CMT PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR
Amber Riley — R.E.S.P.E.C.T. (from CMT Smashing Glass)
Bret Michaels & Chris Janson — Nothing But a Good Time (from CMT Crossroads)
Carrie Underwood — Hate My Heart (from 2023 CMT Music Awards)
Cody Johnson — Human (from 2023 CMT Music Awards)
Dierks Bentley — Drunk On A Plane (from CMT Storytellers)
Dustin Lynch feat. MacKenzie Porter — Thinking 'Bout You (from CMT Campfire Sessions)
Hozier & Maren Morris — Take Me To Church (from CMT Crossroads)
Jelly Roll — Need a Favor (from 2023 CMT Music Awards) — WINNER
Kelsea Ballerini — IF YOU GO DOWN (I'M GOIN' DOWN TOO) (from 2023 CMT Music Awards)
The War And Treaty — On My Own (from CMT Smashing Glass)
CMT DIGITAL-FIRST PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR
Chase Rice — Goodnight Nancy (from CMT Studio Sessions)
Dylan Scott — Don't Close Your Eyes (Keith Whitley Cover) (from CMT Digital Campfire Sessions)
Megan Moroney — I'm Not Pretty (from CMT Digital Campfire Sessions)
Nate Smith — Whiskey on You (from CMT Studio Sessions)
Scotty McCreery — It Matters to Her (from CMT Stages) — WINNER
Stephen Wilson Jr. — Year to Be Young 1994 (from CMT Studio Sessions)
The Castellows — I Know It Will Never End (from CMT Studio Sessions)
June Carter Cash Humanitarian Award
Trisha Yearwood — Inaugural Winner