Blending country and Christian music? I mean, c’mon, it just makes sense.
Hence why, for nearly forty years, the Gospel Music Association has recognized country music at its annual Dove Awards. Keeping that tradition running, this time around, “Gratitude” singer Brandon Lake and Louisiana sweetheart Lainey Wilson represented the cross-fusion genre on stage at the 2026 show.
The 57th annual ceremony was held this past Tuesday (Oct 6) but officially aired on TBN last night (Oct 9). Lake, who was named songwriter of the year, joined his fellow collaborator for a stunning live rendition of their April 2026 single, “Jesus I Know Now.” Nearly mirroring the studio version to a T, the “Phone Keys Wallet” singer joined Lake center stage at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena, showcasing the hit, which has over 7 million streams on Spotify alone.
Their fan-favorite duet kept its momentum going throughout the night, ultimately winning the award for “Country/Roots Recorded Song of the Year” after being stacked up against the likes of Ella Langley’s “Speaking Terms,” Anne Wilson and Cole Swindell’s “Still Do,” along with Ben Fuller’s “Black Sheep” and Scotty Inman’s “Broken Man Can.”Lainey took the lead in expressing their gratitude for the honor, kicking off her speech by reflecting on teaming up with Lake at his massive writers’ retreat a few months earlier: “I feel like I’ve learned so much from the people that I get to sit in a writers’ room with and write with, and I remember that day, walked in and immediately we were just talking about relationship with Jesus.”
During their writing session, the two opened up about how their relationships with Jesus had evolved over the years, and how their view of Him shifted from a God they once feared to one they came to understand as loving. That idea, and the growth that came with building a more authentic relationship with their faith, ultimately became the foundation of the song.
Wilson continued by giving a shoutout to the late Dolly Parton and taking a page from her book as an artist, noting, “Just like Dolly Parton did, we were supposed to be loving on people and lifting them up.” The “Coat of Many Colors” legend was also honored with her own tribute during the night, performed by none other than Amy Grant and Natalie Grant.
As for Lake, he took the podium thanking God for the doors he continues to open (which I have a feeling includes this next era of his music career with more country crossovers to come). Looking back at Wilson, he shared, “We wrote a lot of songs for my next record, and there’s one called ‘Lost Sheep,’ and I don’t know if it’s on the record or not, but we did say…if the song comes out we were going to buy each other a sheep and name it Lainey and Brandon.”
It looks like the pair’s respective sheep may be joining their separate households sooner than expected, with Lake declaring that winning a Dove Award together was enough of a sign for them to finally treat themselves to the new farm pets. And with several more songs still locked in the vault from the same writers’ retreat that produced Lainey and Brandon’s Christian hit, it’s bound to be only a matter of time before Lake announces his previously teased fully country project.
And as for their stunning Dove Awards performance, it’s currently available on-demand for TBN+ Premium subscribers and coming soon to YouTube.