BMI recognized the songwriters and publishers behind several of Jelly Roll’s recent chart-topping records during a triple No. 1 celebration held March 10 at the Grand Ole Opry’s Studio A in Nashville. The event honored the creators behind three songs that have contributed to the artist’s run of eight consecutive career No. 1 chart records.
The BBR Music Group/BMG Nashville/Republic recording artist reunited with the writers, producer and publishers behind “Liar,” “Heart of Stone,” and “Halfway to Hell,” three songs that have performed strongly at country radio and across multiple charts.
Hosted jointly by BMI and ASCAP and emceed by BMI’s Clay Bradley, the evening highlighted the collaborative writing and publishing partnerships behind the songs.
Songwriting Teams Behind the Chart-Topping Records
The celebration opened with recognition of the writers behind the six-week No. 1 hit “Liar.” The song was produced by Zach Crowell and written by Jelly Roll, Ben Johnson (BMI), Taylor Phillips (BMI) and Ashley Gorley (ASCAP).
Crowell returned to the stage along with Blake Pendergrass (BMI) to celebrate the success of “Heart of Stone,” another multi-week No. 1 record co-written with Shy Carter (BMI). During the event, Pendergrass was presented with a custom Taylor 210e DLX guitar to commemorate his first No. 1 as a BMI songwriter.
The evening also acknowledged the writers behind “Halfway to Hell,” which received the 2025 BMI Country Award for Song of the Year. The song was written by Jessie Jo Dillon (BMI), Jesse Frasure (BMI) and Matt Jenkins (ASCAP).
Jelly Roll closed the event reflecting on the success of the song and recognizing the collaborators who contributed to the record’s performance.
Label and Publishing Partners Recognized
The celebration concluded with BMG Americas President of Frontline Recordings Jon Loba presenting plaques to the songwriters recognizing the chart milestones. The event also highlighted the role of publishing and performance rights organizations in supporting and recognizing songwriting achievements.
Corporate partners were also involved in the celebration. Studio Bank sponsored the event and made a charitable contribution on behalf of Jelly Roll and the songwriters to the Judge Dinkins Educational Center. Green River Whiskey, the official whiskey sponsor of BMI’s No. 1 parties, presented commemorative bottles of single barrel bourbon to the songwriters and collaborators.
Jelly Roll Continues Chart Momentum
Jelly Roll, whose given name is Jason DeFord, has continued building momentum across country radio and the broader music industry. His 2026 GRAMMY Award-winning album Beautifully Broken debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 all-genre chart and also earned a No. 1 debut on the Billboard Country Albums chart.
The album includes the No. 1 singles “I Am Not Okay,” “Liar,” and “Heart of Stone,” contributing to the artist’s continued chart success.
The project followed his debut country album Whitsitt Chapel, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Country Albums chart and reached the Top 3 on the Billboard 200. The album also earned Jelly Roll multiple awards including Billboard’s Breakthrough Award, the CMA Award for New Artist of the Year and the People’s Choice Award for Male Country Artist of the Year.
Beyond recording, Jelly Roll has maintained an active touring schedule through his Beautifully Broken Tour and has made several high-profile television appearances, including serving as musical guest on the premiere episode of Saturday Night Live’s 50th anniversary season.
BMI’s Role in Music Rights Management
BMI, which hosted the event, represents the public performance rights of more than 25 million musical works created by over 1.4 million songwriters, composers and publishers. The organization negotiates music license agreements and distributes royalties to affiliated writers and publishers when their songs are performed publicly across radio, television, streaming and other platforms.
Founded in 1939, BMI represents music creators across all genres and continues to recognize the most-performed songs each year through events and industry awards honoring writers, producers and publishers.