Jelly Roll and Brandon Lake Lead an Inspirational Night at the Dove Awards

The 56th Annual GMA Dove Awards brought an unforgettable night of faith and music to Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena, celebrating the best in Christian and inspirational music with star-studded performances and heartfelt moments.

Jelly Roll made his Dove Awards debut and quickly became one of the night’s biggest stories, taking home three awards, including Song of the Year for “Hard Fought Hallelujah,” his emotional collaboration with Brandon Lake. In a powerful acceptance speech, Jelly Roll encouraged fans to “put faith on your feet and feet on your faith,” drawing a standing ovation from the crowd.

Brandon Lake was the evening’s top winner, earning five awards, including Songwriter of the Year and sharing Song of the Year with Jelly Roll. Other major winners included Forrest Frank (Artist of the Year), Leanna Crawford (New Artist of the Year), and CeCe Winans, who took home Gospel Worship Recorded Song of the Year for “Come Jesus Come” featuring Shirley Caesar.

The night featured performances that blended country, gospel, and worship sounds from for KING + COUNTRY opening with “World on Fire” to a surprise duet by Carrie Underwood and Ben Fuller, and a special Opry 100 tribute with Vince Gill, Lady A, and Steven Curtis Chapman. Jelly Roll, Lake, and Jon Batiste closed the show with a stirring rendition of “Hard Fought Hallelujah.”

The 2025 Dove Awards showed just how closely today’s genres intertwine, with artists like Jelly Roll blending country and gospel soul on the same stage. From standout performances to moving acceptance speeches, the night served as a powerful reminder that music has the ability to heal, inspire, and bring people together in any form.