Jelly Roll has won his first Christian music award. He and Brandon Lake were awarded Song of the Year for “Hard Fought Hallelujah” at the 2025 K-LOVE Fan Awards on Friday night.
The other songs nominated in the category were “Made for More” by Josh Baldwin, “Take It All Back” by Tauren Wells, “Somebody Prayed” by Crowder, “The Truth” by Megan Woods, “Still Waters” by Leanna Crawford, “Desperate” by Jamie MacDonald, “That’s My King” by CeCe Winans, “Oh Death” by MercyMe, and “Nothin’ Sweeter” by TobyMac.
As Lake accepted the award by himself, a video message played from Jelly Roll.
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“Brandon, I love you. brother. I love you so much. But I had to interrupt this moment because, one, we’re here at the beautiful, Grand Ole Opry right now, and I’m so sad I’m not there,” Jelly Roll said. “But two,” he continued, “I just found out we won a K-LOVE award. Man, what a beautiful story!”
“From a jail cell to a K-LOVE award,” he added. “That is something only God can do himself.”
Jelly Roll thanked Lake for allowing him to be part of the song and the fans for voting. He also thanked K-LOVE for playing his version of the song: “Thank you K-LOVE for taking a chance on this record and adding my version and just championing for it.”
“I don’t take this lightly at all,” Jelly Roll said as he concluded. “Y’all, I wish I was there. I’m on the road, serving in other ways, but I hope to never miss another one. Love y’all very much.”
Following Jelly Roll’s video, Lake encouraged the audience to be the hands and feet of Jesus to the people they encounter.
“I’ve got to say, it has been such an honor,” Lake shared, referring to being able to work with Jelly Roll. “So he had heard this song, and he said, ‘Yes.’ He was like, I’ve been praying for a song like this.”
He continued, “And then fast forward, we start leading this song together, and he starts saying things like, ‘Man, I am a man of faith, but I’ve never had a song and a person like just give me permission to be so much more honest about my faith.'”
“Revival might come about in the less obvious ways,” Lake said. “And I just want to say it doesn’t take a platform and a microphone to be a revivalist. You got somebody, a house next to you that may need Jesus. You might be the closest thing to Jesus they’re ever gonna experience.” He encouraged, “So walk across the street [and] be the hands and feet of Jesus—whatever God’s called you to do.”
Lake shared that he’s “never felt comfortable doing what God’s called me to do,” and admitted that “I’m scared every single day. I’m shaking in my boots.”
