Jelly Roll, little known just a year ago, was the top winner at the inaugural People’s Choice Country Awards, with six awards from eight nominations. That was just one surprise at the show, which aired live Thursday (Sept. 28) on NBC and Peacock. Little Big Town hosted the show, which was held at the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville.
Jelly Roll won the male artist of 2023, the new artist of 2023, the song of 2023 for “Need a Favor” and the collaboration song of 2023 for “Save Me,” a collab with Lainey Wilson. Jelly Roll won as both artist and co-writer on the two song awards, which both count double, giving him six awards in four categories.
Morgan Wallen, who went into the show with 11 nominations, more than anyone else, received three awards, including the top prize, the people’s artist of 2023. Wilson, who went into the show with seven nods, also received three awards.
The show also bestowed two honorary awards. Wynonna Judd received the Country Champion award, presented by Brothers Osborne. Toby Keith received the Country Icon Award, presented by his fellow Oklahoman Blake Shelton.
Little Big Town, Judd, Keith and Shelton performed on the show, as did Carly Pearce, Dan + Shay, HARDY, Jelly Roll, Kane Brown and Kelsea Ballerini.
Voting began when the nominations were announced on Aug. 16 and closed on Aug. 25.
Here are key snubs and surprises at the 2023 People’s Choice Country Awards, which is billed as “an award show for the people and by the people.”
Combs received nine nominations, a total exceeded only by Morgan Wallen with 11 and matched only by HARDY. But Combs didn’t win a single award. He lost in three categories to Wallen, in two to Jelly Roll and in one each to Blake Shelton and Pink/Chris Stapleton. (Combs’ two other nominations were both for the song of 2023, which Jelly Roll won.)
Jelly Roll beat Morgan Wallen and Luke Combs for the male artist of 2023. Wallen won the top award, the people’s artist of 2023, but Jelly Roll wasn’t nominated in that category. It makes you wonder if he had been nominated in the top category if he would he have won that too. Another of Jelly Roll’s surprise wins was the collaboration song of 2023 for “Save Me,” a collab with Lainey Wilson. It beat two songs that were nominated for the overall the song of 2023 award – “wait in the truck” by HARDY featuring Wilson and “Thank God” by Kane Brown and Katelyn Brown. Logically, you might have expected one of those to win this award. (But fan voting doesn’t always follow strict logic.)
These two artists each had six nominations, but, like Combs, didn’t win anything. Kane Brown performed on the show. Other heavily nominated artists who went winless were Megan Moroney (five nods) and Kelsea Ballerini and Bailey Zimmerman (four each).
Dan + Shay won for the group/duo of 2023, beating Old Dominion, which was the only group or duo nominated for the top award, the people’s artist of 2023, and also Brothers Osborne, which has beat them for duo of the year the past two years at both the CMA Awards and the ACM Awards.
Wallen’s “Last Night,” which topped the Billboard Hot 100 for 16 weeks, did not win the song of 2023. Neither did Luke Combs’ “Fast Car,” which logged eight weeks at No. 2 on Billboard’s all-genre chart. The award went instead to Jelly Roll’s “Need a Favor,” which peaked at No. 14. Wallen and Combs each had a second song nominated in the category, which may have caused them to split their votes. Wallen was also competing with “Thinkin’ Bout Me.” Combs was also nominated with “Love You Anyway.”
Shelton was the surprise winner of the social country star of 2023. He beat several artists who are younger and hotter, including Morgan Wallen, Luke Combs and Carrie Underwood, as well as living legend Dolly Parton. Shelton seemed surprised to win. He said he didn’t quite understand what the award signified, but if the fans wanted him to have it, he’d happily take it.