Brandon Lake and Jelly Roll’s ‘Hard Fought Hallelujah’ Wins K-Love Awards Song of the Year

Brandon Lake and country artist Jelly Roll won for Song of the Year, while Leanna Crawford, CeCe Winans, and For King & Country also took home honors during the 2025 K-Love Fan Awards in Nashville, Tenn., broadcast on TBN Friday. 

Lake and Jelly Roll won for their collaboration song Hard Fought Hallelujah, a hit that has enjoyed crossover success on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Crawford's Still Waters (Psalm 23) won Breakout Song of the Year, while Winans and For King & Country received wins for Female Artist of the Year and Group of the Year, respectively.

And the Song of the Year goes to ... “Hard Fought Hallelujah” by @brandonlake and @JellyRoll615! 🙌🔥#KLOVEFanAwards @klovefanawards pic.twitter.com/CS48in7tM3

— K-LOVE (@KLOVERadio) May 31, 2025

Lake had the biggest night, winning four awards: Song of the Year, Male Artist of the Year, Artist of the Year, and Worship Song of the Year (That's Who I Praise).

Jeremy Camp, Bart Millard, Mac Powell, and Matthew West hosted the show, which is in its 12th year.

Lake said Jelly Roll was already a fan of Hard Fought Hallelujah -- originally released as a solo single -- before he was invited to collaborate on it.

"He was like, 'I've been praying for a song like this,'" Lake said as he accepted the award for Song of the Year. "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.'"

Jelly Roll, who is on tour, addressed the audience via video.

"Man, what a beautiful story -- man, from a jail cell to a K-Love Award, that is something only God can do himself," Jelly Roll said, referencing his past. "Brandon, thank you for letting me be a part of this record. Thank you to the fans for voting. Thank you for K-Love for taking a chance on this record and adding my version, and just championing it. I don't take this lightly at all."

The Chosen Season 5 won for film of the year, while House of David won TV/streaming series of the year. Matthew West's My Story Your Glory took home the award for book of the year, while Max Lucado's Encouraging Word Podcast won Podcast of the Year.

Oklahoma women's softball coach Patty Gasso was honored with the year's Sports Impact Award.

WATCH: Jelly Roll Talks Faith Journey with Brandon Lake | The Heart Behind "Hard Fought Hallelujah"

Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/Frazer Harrison/Staff

Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel. 

Originally published June 02, 2025.

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