Jelly Roll walked away from the 2024 Grammy Awards empty-handed, but he isn’t complaining. The Nashville native was nominated for two Grammy Awards, both for Best New Artist, and for Best Country Duo/Group Performance, for his “Save Me” collaboration with Lainey Wilson.

After the ceremony, which included Wilson winning her first-ever Grammy trophy (for Best Country Album, for Bell Bottom Country), Jelly Roll spoke out about his Best New Artist loss, praising the category’s winner, Victoria Monét, who took home the all-genre trophy.

“Just so we are clear- Victoria Monèt deserved that award,” Jelly Roll posted on social media. “She is incredible. She has been writing hits for everyone else for a long time, and she deserves every bit of this award. We come back next year stronger more nominations – I’m inspired.”

Just so we are clear- Victoria Monèt deserved that award. She is incredible. She has been writing hits for everyone else for a long time, and she deserves every bit of this award . We come back next year stronger more nominations – I’m inspired

— Jelly Roll (@JellyRoll615) February 5, 2024

Ahead of the ceremony, the 39-year-old acknowledged New Artist of the Year was going to be a tough category to win, thanks in large part to the undeniable talent of the other artists nominated.

“I think this is probably the hardest to pick class of New Artists of the Year in a long time,” Jelly Roll told Extra. “I’m just honored to be a part of it. Even Victoria, you think about stories like her and Noah [Kahan] and mine, we’ve all got a similar story … we’re not spring chickens. We might be new artists, but we’ve been swinging the bat at this one way or the other for a long time. It feels really cool. It feels like the year of the underdogs.”

The 39-year-old previously said he didn’t think he should win in either of the categories he was nominated in, saying that Kahan should win Best New Artist, and Vince Gill and Paul Franklin should win for Best Country Duo/Group Collaboration, for their “Kissing Your Picture (Is So Cold)” duet, from their Ray Price tribute album, Sweet Memories: The Music of Ray Price & The Cherokee Cowboys.

“Full disclosure with each other, I think Vince Gill deserves the Country Collab of the Year,” Jelly Roll told Audacyl. “I just think Vince is an icon, and I don’t know how many more years we’re going to be around to give him his flowers, so we should now … I don’t think I should win either one of them.”

Just being nominated at the Grammys already made Jelly Roll rightfully feel like a winner.

“It’s the ultimate ultimate,” Jelly Roll said on Audacy’s Katie & Company. “When you get nominated for a Grammy, every other accolade you had takes a backseat to just the nomination. You know what I mean? Like, it’s crazy that I was, in this weird way, I was only the CMA New Artist for a day, because nobody can introduce me that way. Now I’ll forever be introduced to the Grammy-nominated Jelly Roll.”

The reigning CMA New Artist of the Year has a Top 40 hit with his current single, “Halfway to Hell.” Find music and upcoming shows at JellyRoll615.com.