Jelly Roll and Wynonna Judd Team Up (with a Choir!) for Opening 2023 CMA Awards Performance of 'Need a Favor'

Jelly Roll surprised the 2023 CMA Awards crowd with none other than Wynonna Judd!

The 38-year-old country star opened the annual awards show with a high-energy performance of his hit single "Need a Favor," joined by Judd, 59, for a passionate duet rendition of the track.

Jelly Roll opened the performance, with the stage decorated like a church, before Judd joined him and held his arm while harmonizing on the song, released in December 2022 before his Whitsitt Chapel album arrived earlier this year.

After leaving the stage, Judd spoke about the performance to reporters in the CMA Awards press room. "It was too much. He's so powerful and great at what he does," said the "Why Not Me" musician. "I was so nervous and so excited."

Judd then opened up about how it felt to deliver such a performance decades into her career. "I don't know how many more of these moments I have left, but I can tell you — that was definitely top 10 for me," she told reporters. "Jelly Roll is a force to be reckoned with."

She explained that her first encounter with Jelly Roll went down at the CMT Awards earlier this year, where they both performed. "I didn't know anything about him until the CMT Awards, and I stood up out of my seat because he rocked my world," recalled Judd.

"I ran up to him and [wife Bunnie XO] afterwards, and I said, 'I need to know the two of you,' and I just kind of threw myself at them and said, 'I need to be a part of your world, and I don't know what that looks like,' so here we are," she detailed.

Jelly Roll is the most-nominated male artist at this year's CMA Awards with nods in five categories. Ahead of the show, he spoke to PEOPLE about feeling "blown away" by the honor.

"I would have never even imagined this. Somebody said, ‘Would you have ever dreamed of this?’ And I wasn't bold enough to dream this big," explained the star. "So I hope somebody sitting at home right now with a dream — you think that dreams too big, and it might be too small after all, baby. Dream bigger. Dream bigger."

Check out PEOPLE's full CMA Awards coverage to get the latest news on country music’s biggest night.

For Jelly Roll, who walked the carpet with Bunnie XO, the nominations are enough to feel accomplished in his career — especially since he's also performing twice during the ceremony.

"Win, lose or draw, I won tonight. If my name doesn't get called, I won. Most nominated male opening the show, closing the show. It's incredible," said the "Son of a Sinner" singer.

The 2023 CMA Awards, hosted by Luke Bryan and Peyton Manning, air live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on Nov. 8 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC and stream exclusively on Hulu the following day.