The 9th annual K-LOVE Fan Awards lit up Nashville’s iconic Grand Ole Opry House on Sunday, May 29, 2022, with a talented crop of nominees, a stacked lineup of performances and a capacity crowd of enthusiastic fans.
for KING & COUNTRY continued their reign as the most-awarded act in Fan Awards history, picking up three new trophies at this year’s ceremony and upping their career tally to 16. The duo won every category they were nominated for: Artist of the Year, Group/Duo of the Year and Song of the Year (“For God Is With Us”). In addition, the exuberant band of brothers performed their No. 1 hit, “Relate,” taking the stage by way of two elevators that ascended from the ceiling.
RELATED CONTENT: for KING & COUNTRY Celebrate Our Differences On "Relate"
Newcomer Anne Wilson picked up her first pair of K-LOVE Fan Awards, earning the titles of Female Artist of the Year and Breakout Single of the Year for her smash single,
Dressed in a bright red floor-length gown, the Kentucky native also took the stage for a massive performance of her chart-topping, award-winning hit.
RELATED CONTENT: Anne Wilson Trades Ashes For Beauty On “My Jesus”
Seasoned singer/songwriter Matthew West was awarded Male Artist of the Year — a long-overdue honor for the seven-time K-LOVE Fan Awards host. The accolade marks West’s second Fan Awards trophy, following his win in 2016 in the now defunct category of Best Lyric for “Grace Wins.” An emotional West took the podium, obviously overwhelmed with gratitude during his acceptance speech, where he thanked his label and management teams, the fans, his parents, and his wife and daughters, who were cheering their dad on from the front row.
Rising star Katy Nichole made her K-LOVE Fan Awards debut with a stark piano-led performance of “In Jesus Name (God of Possible),” and a win for Worship Song of the Year, thanks to the unprecedented impact of her very first single, which immediately went viral on TikTok before rocketing up the Christian radio charts.
RELATED CONTENT: Katy Nichole Makes History With “In Jesus Name (God of Possible)”
In the non-music brackets, Sadie Robertson Huff took home the inaugural trophy in the brand new Podcast of the Year category for her popular podcast, “WHOA That’s Good.” In addition, American Underdog scored a touchdown in the Film/Television Impact category, and Michael W. Smith took home the ‘W’ for Book Impact for The Way of the Father, a memoir dedicated to his dad. Furthermore, former NFL great Tim Tebow was honored with the Sports Impact award.
RELATED CONTENT: Michael W. Smith Shares Lessons Learned From His Dad and God In New Book The Way of the Father
This year’s bevy of golden statuettes was presented by The Skit Guys; Rebecca St. James and her mom, Helen Smallbone; Mac Powell; Matt Maher; Mike Weaver (Big Daddy Weave); and Danny Gokey and his wife, Leyicet, among others. Meanwhile, buzz-worthy country singers Walker Hayes (“Fancy Like”) and Jimmie Allen (“Best Shot”) — both unabashed fans of Christian music — also made cameos, with Hayes performing “For The Good” with Female Artist of the Year nominee Riley Clemmons and Allen presenting Breakout Single of the Year.
While 11 awards were given out, 15 performances brought the biggest songs of the year to life, live on the K-LOVE Fan Awards stage. Co-host Tauren Wells opened the show with a league of dancers and a hard-hitting version of “Fake It (feat. Aaron Cole),” which previews his brand new album, Joy In The Morning, dropping June 10. Clad in their signature matching outfits, CAIN lent their three-part harmony to a sweeping interpretation of “The Commission.” Amidst a garden of flowers that mirrors their music video, Blanca and Dante Bowe united for “The Healing.” Midway through, TobyMac turned on the disco ball for a somber version of “Promised Land,” and West delivered a passionate arrangement of “Me On Your Mind,” complete with a horn section. Later, eight-time K-LOVE Fan Award winner Lauren Daigle joined CeCe Winans for an unforgettable rendition of Winans’ GRAMMY®-winning single, “Believe For It,” and legendary Gospel trailblazer Kirk Franklin accompanied Maverick City Music for the live premiere of their new collaborative song, “Kingdom.” The acclaimed group closed out the evening with a clip of their current single, “Jireh.” Additional performers included Elevation Worship, Chris Tomlin, Jordan Feliz and Jonathan Traylor, and Phil Wickham.
RELATED CONTENT: Matthew West Tells A Story of Ultimate Sacrifice On “Me On Your Mind”
Along the way, co-hosts West and Wells entertained the audience with their quick-witted dialogue and good-natured humor. In addition, numerous artists honored Big Daddy Weave bass player Jay Weaver in a moving video tribute introduced by his brother, Mike Weaver passed away from complications from COVID-19 earlier this year at the age of 42.
RELATED CONTENT: K-LOVE Remembers Jay Weaver of Big Daddy Weave
The 2022 K-LOVE Fan Awards was the culmination of a flurry of fan-focused activities that spanned the length of the weekend. Leading up to the star-studded night, artists and fans mingled during live interview sessions hosted by K-LOVE DJs Skip and Amy, Scott and Kelli and Lauree throughout the day on Friday and Saturday. Moreover, fans were treated to live concerts, special showcases, morning worship and a podcast taping, among other exclusive events.
K-LOVE listeners can catch an encore performance of the K-LOVE Fan Awards on TBN June 10 at 8 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. CT / 5 p.m. PT.
Furthermore, fans should make plans to head to Music City next summer as the K-LOVE Fan Awards celebrates its tenth anniversary May 26 - May 28, 2023. Ticket packages for the 2023 K-LOVE Fan Awards Weekend are available now at klovefanawards.com.
2022 K-LOVE Fan Awards Complete List of Winners
Artist of the Year — for KING & COUNTRY
for KING & COUNTRY took home the coveted trophy for Artist of the Year for the fourth time at the 2022 K-LOVE Fan Awards.
Male Artist of the Year — Matthew West
Matthew West may have hosted the K-LOVE Fan Awards seven times, but the singer/songwriter has only ever taken home one golden trophy…until now.
Female Artist of the Year — Anne Wilson
Anne Wilson made her K-LOVE Fan Awards debut in 2022 and walked away a winner.
Group/Duo of the Year — for KING & COUNTRY
or KING & COUNTRY earned their sixth win for Group/Duo of the Year at the 2022 K-LOVE Fan Awards.
Song of the Year — for KING & COUNTRY "For God is With Us"
or KING & COUNTRY have now been honored with a trio of Song of the Year wins after picking up a third trophy for their moving single, “For God Is With Us,” at the 2022 K-LOVE Fan Awards.
Worship Song of the Year — Katy Nichole "In Jesus Name (God of Possible)"
The 2022 K-LOVE Fan Awards were a whirlwind of firsts for new artist aty Nichole. From her first red carpet, to her first award show performance, to her first award win, Katy aced her debut.
Breakout Single of the Year - Anne Wilson “My Jesus”
It may have been Anne Wilson’s first K-LOVE Fan Awards, but it won’t be her last. The newcomer walked away a winner in two of the three categories she was nominated in, including a huge Breakout Single of the Year win for “My Jesus.”
Film/Television Impact — American Underdog
American Underdog, a movie based on the life of professional football player Kurt Warner, took home the 2022 Film & Television Impact trophy at this year’s K-LOVE Fan Awards.
Podcast of the Year — Sadie Robertson Huff “WHOA That’s Good”
While Sadie Robertson Huff has previously presented at the K-LOVE Fan Awards, she’s never been eligible for one of the fan-voted awards, until now.
Book Impact — Michael W. Smith "The Way of the Father"
Christian music icon ichael W. Smith accepted his second K-LOVE Fan Award for the second consecutive year in 2022 when he added a trophy to his mantle for Book Impact.
Sports Impact — Tim Tebow
Tim Tebow, the Heisman Trophy winner was in attendance to accept the annual Sports Impact Award, an honor previously bestowed on athletes and sports figures...
