Machine Gun Kelly Closes the 2024 People's Choice Country Awards with a Solo Performance of 'Lonely Road'

Earlier in the night, the single won the People's Choice Country Award for best crossover song of 2024

Machine Gun Kelly closed out the 2024 People's Choice Country Awards with a bang!

At the awards show, which took place on Thursday, Sept. 26 at the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville, the rocker, born Colson Baker, 34, took to the stage to sing his hit "Lonely Road" after the single won the People's Choice Country Award for best crossover song of 2024.

Despite releasing it as a duet with Jelly Roll — who was not present at the award show — Kelly performed the song solo. Instead, he was joined by his band members on the musical number amid a stage covered in greenery and string lights.

Comedian Matt Rife introduced the musician, calling him, "an artist who continues to redefine the boundaries of music."

Related: Brad Paisley and Machine Gun Kelly Join Lineup of Performers for 2024 People's Choice Country Awards

Ahead of the ceremony, Kelly spoke with PEOPLE in an exclusive interview on the red carpet about his sobriety journey. "I had to zoom out and take a look at myself from a holistic perspective," he said.

"I was born on the 22nd. Twenty-two is a master number. What am I here to master? I had to ask myself that question," Kelly added. "What were my generational curses and problems that were passed down on to me and to my father? Rest in peace."

Check out all of PEOPLE's full coverage of the PCCAs here.

In July, Kelly and Jelly released "Lonely Road," their first-ever collaborative song, which put a new spin on John Denver's classic "Take Me Home, Country Roads." They also released a heartfelt music video, which featured cameos from their other halves Megan Fox and Bunnie Xo.

In the visual, the pair star as two men enduring financial difficulties while trying to provide for their families, begins with the duo attending a funeral while wearing all-black before they're shown working at a car garage together.

Later, MGK is seen arriving home and kissing Fox's lips and stomach, before opening a "Final Notice" demand. The clip then pans to footage of the couple standing by a lake with Fox, 38, appearing to have a baby bump as MGK skims a stone across the water.

The "Wild Ones" singer, 39, then comes home to find an upset Bunnie Xo reading a letter titled, "Infertility diagnosis and management" and comforting her. (Jelly also revealed that he and his wife, 44, were undergoing IVF in June.)

The "Emo Girl" artist ends up robbing a bank before the video jumps forward to "8 months later" when Fox can be seen cradling a baby in her arms and introducing the little one to Jelly Roll and Bunnie Xo, before taking the baby girl to visit Kelly in prison.

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Related: Zach Bryan and Beyoncé Among Top Nominees for 2024 People's Choice Country Awards — See the Full List!

In addition to Kelly, Brad Paisley, Kane Brown, Keith Urban, Kelsea Ballerini, Lady A, Miranda Lambert, Parker McCollum and The War and Treaty performed at the 2024 PCCAs.

Presenters at the 2023 PCCAs included Rife, Dasha, Shaboozey, Ashley Cooke, Bailey Zimmerman, Chase Rice, Cody Rhodes, Orville Peck, Parker McCollum, Priscilla Block, Scotty McCreery, Tanner Adell, Dylan Dreyer, Carly Pearce, Dan + Shay, Little Big Town and Nate Bargatze.

The 2024 PCCAs will air live on Thursday, Sept. 26 at 8 p.m. ET/PT across NBC and Peacock from the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville.

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