Country musician Jelly Roll found himself at the center of online debate following the 2026 Grammy Awards, not for his three wins, but for his response to questions about U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
When pressed by reporters for his views on recent ICE enforcement actions, the artist, born Jason BeFord, deflected. “I can tell you that people shouldn’t care to hear my opinion,” he stated. He described himself as a “dumb redneck” and cited a difficult upbringing, explaining he was largely disconnected from current events and political discourse until his mid-twenties.
“I grew up in a house of insane pandemonium,” Jelly Roll said. “You think we had common calls about what’s happening in rural politics? We were just trying to find a way to survive.”
The singer, who took home Grammys including Best Contemporary Country Album, promised a fuller statement was forthcoming. “I’m going through it the next week, and everybody’s going to hear exactly what I have to say about it in the most loud and clear way I’ve ever spoke in my life,” he added.
His comments quickly drew criticism on social media, with some users interpreting his refusal to comment as a form of privilege. One critic argued the stance demonstrated a benefit of white privilege, while another called the moment “insane work,” noting the contrast between holding a Grammy and citing a troubled past for a lack of awareness.
The moment stood in sharp contrast to another major winner of the night. Bad Bunny, who won Album of the Year, used his acceptance speech for Best Música Urbana Album to directly criticize ICE. “Before I say thanks to God, I’m gonna say ICE out,” he declared to cheers. “We’re not savage, we’re not animals, we’re not aliens — we are humans, and we are Americans.”
The Puerto Rican artist urged for unity and action driven by love rather than hate, concluding, “We have to be different. If we fight, we have to do it with love.”
The divergent responses from two of the night’s biggest winners highlighted the ongoing cultural and political divisions that often surface at major award shows, turning the spotlight from artistic achievement to personal conviction.