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Jelly Roll is joining American Idol as the competition show’s first-ever “artist in residence.”
The Beautifully Broken superstar will return to American Idol after previously serving as a guest mentor and performer. This time, Jelly Roll will serve as “a permanent fixture this season and will work closely with the Idol hopefuls, giving them firsthand advice on how to navigate the journey,” per a Variety report on Tuesday morning (February 4). the report also notes that Jelly Roll will make his first appearance during Hollywood Week.
Jelly Roll “had to lift up [Ryan Seacrest] just like I’m gonna lift up the [American Idol] hopefuls,” he said as he shared an energetic announcement with Seacrest. The Nashville-born singer-songwriter said he’s “honored to be Idol’s first-ever ARTIST IN RESIDENCE—mentoring with heart, soul, and real experience!”
Jelly Roll is the latest artist to join the star-studded new season of American Idol. Grammy-winning superstar Carrie Underwood is also returning to the show this year, marking 20 years since she won American Idol and launched her career in 2005. Underwood joined the show as a judge following Katy Perry’s departure. She joins returning judges Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie, and reunites with longtime Idol host Seacrest.
Idol fans can catch a special preview of the upcoming season one week before its premiere. The preview will air following the Oscars on ABC on Sunday, March 2, and the following day on Hulu. the season premiere is set for Sunday, March 9.
Jelly Roll is one of many country stars nominated at the 2025 iHeartRadio Music Awards. This year’s show will also pay tribute to the resiliency and rebuilding of Los Angeles following the devastating wildfires affecting the entire community and will drive donations to Fireaidla.org. Contributions made to FireAid will be distributed under the advisement of the Annenberg Foundation, for short-term relief efforts and long-term initiatives to prevent future fire disasters. The Annenberg Foundation, with decades of philanthropic leadership in the community, including rapid response, will help coordinate a team to direct funds for the greatest impact.
Once again, iHeartRadio is giving fans the opportunity to decide winners in several new and established categories. Fan voting will determine this year’s Favorite Soundtrack, Favorite Broadway Debut, Favorite K-pop Dance Challenge, Favorite Surprise Guest, Favorite Tour Tradition, Best Lyrics, Best Music Video, Favorite Tour Style, Favorite Tour Photographer and Favorite On Screen. Social voting begins January 22, and will close on March 10 at 11:59pm PT for all categories. Fans can vote by visiting iHeartRadio.com/awards.
Fans can tune in to the 2025 iHeartRadio Music Awards on Monday, March 17 on FOX from 8:00-10:00pm ET live/PT tape-delayed. The show will also be broadcast on iHeartRadio stations nationwide and on the free iHeartRadio app.
See the list of nominees here, and find more info about how to vote here.