Jelly Roll, little known just a year ago, was the top winner of the inaugural People’s Choice Country Awards with six awards from eight nominations. That was just a surprise on the show, which aired live on NBC and Peacock on Thursday (September 28). Little Big Town hosted the show, which took place at the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville.
Jelly Roll won 2023 Male Artist of the Year, 2023 New Artist of the Year, 2023 Song of the Year for “Need a Favour” and 2023 Collaboration Song of the Year for “Save Me”, a collaboration with Lainey Wilson. Jelly Roll won the two song awards as both artist and co-writer, both of which counted double, giving him six awards in four categories.
Morgan Wallen, who entered the show with 11 nominations, more than anyone else, received three awards, including the top prize, People’s Artist of the Year 2023. Wilson, who entered the show with seven nominations, also received three awards.
The show also presented two honorary awards. Wynonna Judd received the Country Champion award, presented by the Osborne brothers. Toby Keith received the Country Icon Award, presented by fellow Oklahoman Blake Shelton.
Little Big Town, Judd, Keith and Shelton appeared on the show, as did Carly Pearce, Dan + Shay, HARDY, Jelly Roll, Kane Brown and Kelsea Ballerini.
Voting began when nominations were announced on August 16th and ended on August 25th.
Here are the major snubs and surprises at the 2023 People’s Choice Country Awards, billed as “an awards show for the people and by the people.”
Snub: Luke Combs
Combs received nine nominations, a total bested only by Morgan Wallen’s 11 and equaled only by HARDY. But Combs didn’t win a single award. He lost to Wallen in three categories, Jelly Roll in two, and Blake Shelton and Pink/Chris Stapleton in one each. (Combs’ other two nominations were each for the 2023 song, which Jelly Roll won.)
Surprise: Jelly Roll
Jelly Roll beat out Morgan Wallen and Luke Combs for 2023 Male Artist of the Year. Wallen won the top honor, 2023 People’s Artist of the Year, but Jelly Roll was not nominated in that category. One wonders whether he would have won this one if he had been nominated in the highest category. Another surprise win for Jelly Roll was Collaboration Song of the Year 2023 for “Save Me,” a collaboration with Lainey Wilson. It beat out two songs nominated for the overall Song of 2023 award – “Wait in the Truck” by HARDY featuring Wilson and “Thank God” by Kane Brown and Katelyn Brown. Logically, one would have expected that one of them would win this award. (But fan voting doesn’t always follow strict logic.)
Snubbed: Zach Bryan and Kane Brown
These two artists each had six nominations but, like Combs, won nothing. Kane Brown appeared on the show. Other heavily nominated artists who went without a win included Megan Moroney (five nods) and Kelsea Ballerini and Bailey Zimmerman (four each).
Surprise: Dan + Shay
Dan + Shay won for 2023 Group/Duo, beating out Old Dominion, who were the only group or duo nominated for the top honor, 2023 Folk Artist of the Year, and also Brothers Osborne, who beat them out for Duo of the Year in the last two years at both the CMA Awards and the ACM Awards.
Snub: Morgan Wallen
Wallen’s “Last Night,” which topped the Billboard Hot 100 for 16 weeks, did not win song of the year in 2023. Nor did Luke Combs’ “Fast Car,” which spent eight weeks at No. 2 on Billboard’s all-genre chart. The award instead went to Jelly Roll’s “Need a Favour”, which reached number 14. Wallen and Combs each had a second song nominated in the category, which may have caused them to split their votes. Wallen also competed with “Thinkin’ Bout Me.” Combs was also nominated for “Love You Anyway.”
Surprise: Blake Shelton
Shelton was the surprise winner of 2023 Social Country Star of the Year, beating out several younger and hotter artists, including Morgan Wallen, Luke Combs and Carrie Underwood, as well as living legend Dolly Parton. Shelton seemed surprised to win. He said he doesn’t fully understand what the award means, but if fans wanted him to get it, he would happily accept it.