Country music superstars Lainey Wilson and Jelly Roll exchange praise with one another, gushing about their work ethics as they continue to succeed in their respective music careers.
Wilson and Roll are two of the most prominent country music artists. The former bagged the most nominations and wins at the 2023 CMA Awards, while the latter became the most-awarded artist for two consecutive years at the 2023 and 2024 CMT Music Awards.
Lainey Wilson Gushed About Jelly Roll's Brilliance
After the 2023 CMA Awards, Roll praised Wilson's work ethic when he spoke on the Taste of Country Nights podcast, calling it "next level."
Wilson returned the favor now in a new interview on the May 1 episode of the same podcast.
Wilson graciously accepted Roll's praises, but she maintains that if there's someone after her in terms of work ethic, it would be the "Need A Favor" singer.
"But I will say, you know, if Jelly Roll don't beat me with the whole work ethic thing, I think he comes in a close second, 'cause he's always somewhere. I'm like, 'Man, I thought I was the only one running around,' and he's like, 'I been running around, too.'" she said. "But it's fun, this is what we asked for, and I feel so blessed and lucky to be a part of what's happening right now."
At the CMT Music Awards, Roll emerged as the artist with the most wins for two consecutive years.
In 2023, he won three awards: a CMT Digital-First Performance of the Year award, Male Breakthrough Video of the Year award, and Male Video of the Year award, while Wilson bagged Female Video of the Year and Collaborative Video of the Year.
In 2024, Roll won CMT Performance of the Year, Male Video of the Year, and Entertainer of the Year, while Wilson won Album of the Year.
Listen to the complete Taste of Country Nights podcast below.
READ MORE: Lainey Wilson Proclaims Women the Future of Country Music After Receiving Rulebreaker Award
Jelly Roll Praised Lainey Wilson's Work Ethics
In November 2023, Roll described the first time he saw Wilson and how professional he found her to be.
Roll vividly recalled the first time he encountered Wilson, a moment that left a lasting impression.
"When I seen her, I could tell she was a little frazzled. I said, 'You OK?'" Roll said at the time. "She'd just pulled up, she was running late. She was like, 'Man, I had to wake up at 5 o'clock this morning to catch a flight, and had a layover at such and such for five hours. I leave here and I got a 4 a.m. flight tomorrow to do a corporate show at three in the afternoon, then I gotta fly to another city to do Luke Combs' [tour].'"
He essentially found her commitment to her craft undeniable.
At the 2023 CMA Awards, Roll was the second-most nominated artist with five, while Wilson had nine nods. Roll was hailed the New Artist of the Year, while Wilson went home with five awards - Musical Event of the Year, Music Video of the Year, Female Vocalist of the Year, Album of the Year, and Entertainer of the Year.
Reflecting on Wilson's transportation arrangements, Roll marveled at her stamina.
"These were commercial flights," Roll said about Wilson's transportation at the time. "This girl was running on fumes. Her work ethic is next level."
READ ALSO: Jelly Roll Says He's 'Accepted' Replacing Katy Perry on 'Idol,' He Just Hasn't Received an Offer Yet
