2025 K-LOVE Fan Awards: Group of the Year Nominees

Big Daddy Weave is no stranger to the Group of the Year category despite having never taken home the accolade. “Let It Begin,” the band’s first album in six years, is scheduled to release May 23, the same day the 12th annual K-LOVE Fan Awards Weekend kicks off in Nashville. The outfit’s latest songs, including “Heaven Changes Everything” and the powerful title cut, mirror both the ache and the hope the members have experienced since losing their brother and bandmate, Jay Weaver.

In recent months, Group of the Year honorees CAIN took over K-LOVE as guest DJs for a week after releasing their new 40-day devotional, “We’re So Blessed.” Both Taylor and Madison, respectively, gave birth to their second child, officially upping the CAIN kid count to six. In between dates on TobyMac’s “Hits Deep” tour or their own headlining shows, the trio has been teasing their follow-up to 2023’s “Jesus Music.” Their triumphant new song, “I Made It,” will drop May 23.

Following a nod for Breakout Single of the Year in 2024, Caleb & John earn their first Group of the Year nomination on the strength of their inaugural No. 1, “Somebody Like Me (feat. CAIN).” The freshly minted duo, comprised of two talented musicians who feel more like brothers than friends, will reunite with their former collaborators in CAIN for the trio’s “Live & In Color Tour” this fall. In addition to Caleb & John, the extensive outing is also set to include worship leader Jon Reddick and author/podcast host Annie F. Downs.

Elevation Rhythm, the sister collective to Elevation Worship, scores their first pair of K-LOVE Fan Awards nominations this year, including an initial nod for Group of the Year. The fanfare arrives in the wake of the swift popularity of “Goodbye Yesterday (feat. Gracie Binion),” one of the outfit’s fastest-rising singles to date. The infectious anthem leads ELEVATION RHYTHM’s upcoming full-length effort, “Victory Lap,” out May 23.

Following an unexpected win last year, Elevation Worship garners another Group of the Year nod, as well as a nomination for Worship Song of the Year for “God Is Not Against Me.” A fresh collaboration with five-time K-LOVE Fan Award winner Brandon Lake on “I Know A Name” and a steady stream of tour dates have kept the award-winning act busy in recent months. Moreover, the outfit just announced an additional eight concerts slated for October as they reprise their popular “Elevation Nights” outing this fall.

18-time K-LOVE Fan Award winners for KING + COUNTRY are taking a well-deserved break this year, but that still didn’t exempt the duo from three fresh nominations, including another Group of the Year recognition. The act’s Joel and Luke Smallbone will also vie for Artist of the Year and Film Impact, courtesy of their blockbuster hit, “Unsung Hero.” As they carve out extra space in 2025 for rest, the stint at home also affords the brothers time to work on new music that will, undoubtedly, be well worth the wait.

On the strength of their GRAMMY®-nominated single, “In the Name of Jesus,” JWLKRS Worship earns their first two official K-LOVE Fan Awards nods: one for Group of the Year, and a second nomination for Worship Song of the Year. The Florida-based band, comprised of the Schnacky family and some friends, rose to fame as TikTok influencers. As they proclaim their faith through music, the tastemakers continue to leverage their social platforms to share the counter-cultural message of the Gospel.

Three decades into their storied career, two-time Group of the Year winners MercyMe continue to dominate the charts and burn up the road. The outfit’s latest Top 10 hit, “Oh Death” — also nominated for Song of the Year — previews their forthcoming full-length record. Meanwhile, in between sold-out arena dates nationwide, they’re once again joining forces with Kingdom Story Company to produce a second feature film surrounding the story of their No. 1 hit, “Even If.” “I Can Only Imagine 2” is slated to release in theaters in 2026.

K-LOVE Fan Award winners We Are Messengers just dropped a deluxe version of 2024’s acclaimed “Where The Joy Is.” The expanded collection features remixes and collaborative versions of recent hits, including “God Be the Glory” and “A Thousand Times.” Since they released their fourth LP, the road warriors have traversed the globe non-stop in support of the project. They’ll join the lineup for “K-LOVE Live in New York” Aug. 9 for a performance at Manhattan’s historic Beacon Theatre.

In the course of the past 12 months, We The Kingdom released “33,” a six-song testimony-driven live EP commemorating more than three decades of sobriety for frontman Ed Cash. The set featured the family band’s most recent radio offering, the funky, R&B-flavored “Won’t He Do It.” Forging on following the exit of Franni Cash, We The Kingdom hasn’t missed a beat, hitting the road with everyone from Casting Crowns to Crowder. The Group of the Year-nominated collective will resume their “Unplugged” acoustic trek beginning Aug. 15.