Brandon Lake and Forrest Frank Named Night’s Biggest Winners as Dove Awards Return to Bridgestone Arena

Returning to Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena for the first time in more than two decades, the 56th Annual GMA Dove Awards — held Oct. 7, 2025, and televised exclusively on Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN) Oct. 10 — feted Christian music’s biggest offerings of the past year. Perhaps no other song was more colossal than “Hard Fought Hallelujah,” Brandon Lake’s mammoth crossover hit with Jelly Roll. Not surprisingly, the smash earned the pair a trio of Dove Awards, including Bluegrass/Country/Roots Recorded Song of the Year and Short Form Music Video of the Year (Performance), as well as the coveted Song of the Year trophy. Upping his career Dove Awards tally to 15, Lake also accrued two additional wins: one for Worship Recorded Song of the Year, as a writer and featured artist on Elevation Worship’s “I Know A Name,” and a second for Songwriter of the Year (Artist) — his fourth win in the category since 2021.

After performing “Hard Fought Hallelujah” everywhere from Stagecoach to CMA Fest, Lake and Jelly Roll brought the cross-genre juggernaut to the Dove Awards, enlisting multidimensional musician Jon Batiste and a full choir for an all-star rendition of the moody track. Serving as the show’s finale, the three artists concluded the pinnacle moment by standing beneath a cascade of water on stage as they belted the last chorus.

The night’s other big winner was Forrest Frank, who was noticeably absent following a social media post where the buzzworthy act explained he would no longer be attending future awards shows, including the 2025 GMA Dove Awards. Despite his absence, Frank earned three accolades. “Child of God” was named Pop/Contemporary Album of the Year, while viral hit “Your Way’s Better” garnered Pop/Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year honors. Additionally, Frank received his first Artist of the Year trophy.

Other notable wins included CeCe Winans taking home the award for Gospel Worship Recorded Song of the Year, thanks to her acclaimed take on Stephen McWhirter’s “Come Jesus Come,” which she also performed from the b-stage amidst a sea of phone lights and enraptured fans visibly moved by her flawless delivery. Additionally, Winans earned a Dove for Christmas Recorded Song of the Year for her version of “Joy To The World.”

Meanwhile, Phil Wickham claimed Christmas/Special Event Album of the Year with “Hallelujah! It’s Christmas!” Alongside his longtime producer and friend, Jonathan Smith, the SoCal native also accepted the award for Inspirational Recorded Song of the Year for “The Jesus Way.”

Elevation Worship continued their unparalleled run, earning the aforementioned honor for Worship Recorded Song of the Year, courtesy of “I Know A Name,” as well as Worship Album of the Year for “When Wind Meets Fire.”

In a bracket that included fresh faces like Abbie Gamboa, Caleb Gordon, Patrick Mayberry and Strings and Heart, Leanna Crawford emerged the victor, as she received the prestigious designation of New Artist of the Year, despite the fact that she’s been pursuing music professionally for nearly a decade.

“Almost nine years ago, I moved to Nashville because I felt like God was calling me to write songs to, hopefully, encourage people and point them to Jesus; and I’m really grateful for the journey of the last nine years. There’s been a lot of ups and downs, a lot of moments that I wanted to just throw in the towel and give it up — I’m sure a lot of us have been there — but, by God’s grace, He put people in my life that encouraged me, lifted me up and pointed me back to Him; and I am so, so, so grateful for that. It’s easy to feel lonely in this industry, but I just want to remind you that you’re not alone. You have people cheering you on and supporting you,” she said, her hands shaking, her eyes teary. “I’m so thankful to be here. I look up to so many of you, and I’m so grateful to call a lot of you friends. This is absolutely wild.”

Donning a white gown with a full skirt and long train, Crawford performed an elegant rendition of her breakout single, “Still Waters (Psalm 23).” She was backed by an extensive choir and strings.

Crawford’s stunning delivery of the original ballad wasn’t the ceremony’s only standout moment, however. Across the uplifting evening, 15 performances celebrated Christian music’s diversity, as well as the genre’s growing crossover appeal. The change to a larger venue also allowed showrunners to harness sizable production and mega-watt star power from start to finish.

Opening the show, for KING + COUNTRY debuted their brand- new single, “World On Fire,” complete with dancers, incandescent flames and collaborator Taylor Hill. Lauren Daigle stunned with a powerful string-laden version of “Let It Be A Hallelujah.” Sister collectives Elevation Worship and Elevation Rhythm mashed up two of their recent hits, “I Know A Name” and “Goodbye Yesterday.”

Midway through the evening, Ben Fuller surprised audience members when he welcomed superstar Carrie Underwood to the stage for their duet, “If It Was Up To Me.” Country music again took centerstage as new Opry member Steven Curtis Chapman tapped Lady A and Vince Gill for a medley of hits. Honoring the Grand Ole Opry’s 100th birthday, the segment featured Lady A’s beloved “Run To You” and Gill’s signature “Go Rest High On That Mountain.”

Elsewhere, Josiah Queen served up a campfire singalong with portions of “Dusty Bibles” and “The Prodigal,” and GMA Dove Awards host Tauren Wells brought a spirited version of “Let The Church Sing” to life with an appearance by up-and-coming rapper gio.

2025 GMA Dove Award Winners

Song of the Year

“Hard Fought Hallelujah,” Brandon Lake (feat. Jelly Roll)
(Writers) Brandon Lake, Jelly Roll, Steven Furtick, Chris Brown, Benjamin William Hastings