Country music star Jelly Roll is receiving a very special award that goes beyond music. On Tuesday, April 8, he was honoured with the Global Literacy Award at the 2025 World Literacy Summit in Oxford, U.K.
This is a big moment not only for Jelly Roll’s career, but also for his personal journey—from a troubled past to becoming a powerful voice for change.
Why Jelly Roll Is Receiving the Award
The award was given to Jelly Roll for his global influence on literacy, especially for his work in promoting education in the justice system. The World Literacy Summit praised his efforts to improve reading and learning among young people in prison, both in the U.S. and around the world.
This is especially meaningful because Jelly Roll himself faced struggles in his youth. During the event, he also gave a speech titled “The Journey of a Little Boy From Broken to Beautifully Broken”, where he shared the emotional story of his early life, his time in jail, and how he turned his life around.
From Jail to GED to Global Influence
Jelly Roll didn’t always dream of being famous. After getting out of jail, his main goal was simple—to be a good father. He had just found out that he had a daughter, Bailee, and he wanted to be there for her. Fame and music weren’t even on his mind at the time.
While in jail at age 23, Jelly Roll earned his GED (a high school-level certificate). Though he wasn’t strong in academics, he found comfort in music and started developing his talent as a rapper and songwriter behind bars.
A Passport, A Felony, and the UK Dream
Another reason this award means so much to Jelly Roll is because he never thought he’d even be allowed to travel to London. Due to a felony conviction for aggravated robbery when he was young, he faced major restrictions when it came to travelling abroad.
In Tennessee, where he’s from, there’s a zero-forgiveness policy for violent offenders. That means even after serving his time, the felony stayed on his record, and he couldn’t get a passport until recently.
Even after finally getting his passport, many countries, including the U.K., were not willing to let him enter. In fact, Jelly had to cancel a London concert two years ago for this very reason.
But things have changed. Today, he’s not only allowed into the U.K.—he’s there to receive an award that honours him for helping others, proving just how far he has come.
A Special Partnership With Sheriff Christopher Swanson
Jelly Roll’s appearance at the World Literacy Summit is part of a partnership with Sheriff Christopher R. Swanson from Genessee County, Michigan. Last year, Sheriff Swanson made Jelly Roll an honorary deputy sheriff and worked with him to open a music recording studio inside a local jail.
Together, they hope to inspire young people in jail and give them tools to change their lives through education and music.