Contemporary Christian artist Brandon Lake emerged as one of the biggest winners at the 13th annual K-LOVE Fan Awards, taking home the event’s most prestigious accolades during the ceremony held May 24 at Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry House.
The “Hard Fought Hallelujah” performer earned both Male Artist of the Year and the coveted Artist of the Year award, cementing his place among the leading voices in Christian music.
Addressing attendees after receiving the honors, Lake spoke about the growing influence of faith-based music and the opportunities he believes God is creating for believers in today’s culture.
“There is a reason why the secular space is looking at ours, and they're taking note,” Lake told the audience. “God is raising up new Davids. God is doing something really beautiful in our nation, so don't buy the lie. Even though there's craziness going on out there, the darker that it gets, the brighter your light is going to shine.”
Lake urged Christians not to remain only in familiar environments but to intentionally engage with people and places where the message of Christ is less commonly heard.
“If the rooms you're in are really bright, find a new room,” Lake said. “If you carry the light of Christ inside of you, go find a room that's a little darker, because the world needs you. They need your story.”
Drawing from his own experiences working alongside well-known figures in mainstream entertainment, including Jelly Roll and Nick Jonas, Lake said he has witnessed a deep spiritual hunger among many people outside Christian circles.
“You just would never believe how hungry people are for the truth,” he said. “There's so many that are this close.”
“Go across the street, go across the country,” the “Gratitude” singer added. “Listen, I'm going to be that guy that stays in the Church, but I will never stop moving towards the lost. That's what I'm about. That's what I'm doing. That's what you're going to see.”
The fan-voted awards show was hosted by Grammy Award-winning artist Lauren Daigle and author and podcaster Sadie Robertson Huff and aired nationwide on Trinity Broadcasting Network.
Among the evening’s other major honorees, CeCe Winans received Female Artist of the Year, while MercyMe was recognized as Group of the Year.
Rising artist Emerson Day captured Breakout Single of the Year for “Get Behind Me,” and Robertson Huff was honored with Podcast of the Year. Anne Wilson also earned the Book Impact Award for her publication *Hey Girl.*
The Sports Impact Award was presented to Coach RAC of the Savannah Bananas in recognition of his positive influence on athletes, families and online audiences through sports and digital media outreach.
Several entertainment projects were also recognized during the ceremony. “House of David” was named Television/Streaming Impact of the Year, while “I Can Only Imagine 2” received Film Impact of the Year honors.
Additional music awards went to Jamie MacDonald, whose “Left it in the River” was selected as Song of the Year, and Phil Wickham, whose “Homesick for Heaven” was recognized as Worship Song of the Year.
