K-LOVE Fan Awards: For King & Country continue their reign at Christian music ceremony

For King & Country continued their reign at the 2022 K-LOVE Fan Awards in Nashville this week.

The Christian pop/rock duo won three awards including Artist of the Year at the fan-voted awards show, presented by gospel radio service K-LOVE.

Bandmates and brothers Luke and Joel Smallbone also won awards for Song of the Year and Group/Duo Of The Year. They were big winners at last year's show as well, but Joel had been absent due to undergoing vocal cord surgery.

As he accepted the prize for Group/Duo, he recounted his journey and how it led him to consider how he used his voice, on stage and off.

"The question I have for you today is what will you do with your voice? Because something remarkable can take place here with bravery and courage and with a deep faith in Jesus."

It was also a pivotal night for newcomer Anne Wilson, who was named Female Artist of the Year. She earned a standing ovation for her performance of her chart-topping debut single, "My Jesus," which won the award for Breakthrough Single of the Year.

As she held the latter award on stage, the 20-year-old reflected on the loss of her brother, who died five years ago in a car accident.

"I wanted to prove to myself that I can survive the tragedy of losing my brother," Wilson said. "And so 'My Jesus' came through that tragedy, and released a year ago. And just to see what God has done has been so amazing."

The show was filmed last Sunday at the Grand Ole Opry House, but artists, fans and press were asked to keep the results under wraps until it aired Friday night on TBN.

Singer-songwriter Matthew West returned as host for the seventh time and was joined this year by first time co-host Tauren Wells. The rising pop/R&B star gave his all in the show opener with an energetic, elaborately choreograph "Fake It" alongside rapper Aaron Cole.

Many of the night's most impactful performances, in fact, were collaborations: Jordan Feliz and Jonathan Traylor's immediate anthem "Jesus Is Coming Back," CeCe Winans bringing Lauren Daigle along for her "Believe For It," as well as Blanca with Dante Bowe and Kirk Franklin with Maverick City Music,

West served as comic relief throughout the evening: trying (and failing) to audition as one of Wells' background dancers, ribbing NFL star Tim Tebow (who received a "Sports Impact" award) and making an apparently unscripted jab at the CDC. He had his sincere moments too: reflecting on the first time he heard his own music on the radio as he accepted the prize for Male Artist of the Year.

This year's show paused for a moment of silence and prayer for victims of recent mass shootings in Buffalo, New York, and Uvalde, Texas.  Big Daddy Weave frontman Mike Weaver also took the stage to remember his brother and bandmate, Jay Weaver, who died in January at age 42.

"While our hearts are temporarily broken here on Earth, I'm celebrating what Jay is seeing and experiencing right now in heaven," Weaver said.

2022 K-LOVE Fan Awards winners

Artist Of The Year: For King & Country 

Male Artist Of The Year: Matthew West

Female Artist Of The Year: Anne Wilson 

Group/Duo Of The Year: For King & Country 

Breakout Single: Anne Wilson, “My Jesus"

Worship Song Of The Year: Katy Nichole, “In Jesus Name (God Of Possible)"

Song Of The Year: For King & Country, “For God Is With Us"

Film Impact: "American Underdog"

Book Impact: Michael W. Smith, "The Way Of The Father"

Sports Impact: Tim Tebow 

Podcast Of The Year: Sadie Robertson Huff, “Whoa That’s Good"

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: K-LOVE Fan Awards: For King & Country continue their reign at Christian music ceremony