Jelly Roll Opens The 2023 CMA Awards With Surprise Collaboration of ‘Need a Favor’ With Country Music Icon Wynonna Judd

The artists were joined by a choir for their show-stopping performance.

To kick off the 57th annual CMA Awards held at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn., five-time nominee and first-time performer Jelly Roll delivered a powerful production of his smash hit “Need a Favor” with surprise guest Wynonna Judd.

Jelly Roll stepped into a lone spotlight and sang the opening lines a capella before gesturing to the crowd to join in. He was then joined by country icon Wynonna Judd, along with a choir of background singers, to elevate the already poignant song. Judd, known for her vocal prowess, delivered a performance from her soul. Holding on to Jelly Roll and embracing him in a hug at the end, it was clear that the pair have a special musical connection. The performance concluded with a shower of pyrotechnics that lit up the stage.

“The feeling of opening the CMA Awards is a totally different thing. They were like, ‘You’re gonna get to perform this year.’ Right then, I was like ‘No way.’ I immediately got nervous. … They called back and said, ‘We think they want you to open the show. I was like, ‘You’re kidding me,’” the genre-bending star recalled. “ I think the only honor bigger than maybe winning a CMA is getting to open the CMAs.”