The DOVE Awards Are Airing On Friday, Oct. 10
The DOVE Awards are put on every year since 1969 by the Gospel Music Association. This year’s ceremony is scheduled to air on Friday, October 10 at 7:30PM. The show was filmed live on October 7th at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena.
While we don’t know the outcome of the awards, TBN, the network who is airing the show, shared a sneak peek performance of Jelly Roll and Brandon Lake performing their hit song “Hard Fought Hallelujah.”
RELATED: Jelly Roll Says Brandon Lake Is The Person He Prayed Jesus Would Send Him
Christian Artist Forrest Frank Announced He Would Not Be Attending
Despite winning New Artist of the Year and Pop/Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year for “Good Day” last year, Forrest Frank took to social media announcing that he would not be attending the DOVE Awards in 2025.
The singer posted a video to his social media pages explaining his absence at the award show, since fans knew it was to be filmed that day.
Forrest said:
“As Christians, it’s hard to know the line in the sand between being in the world and not of the world. And as a Christian artist, I dress kinda like the world, I kind of look like the world. My music can kind of sound like the world. So where’s the line in the sand drawn?”
He continued, “I’m convicted, personally, that a line that I can draw us that: I will not receive a trophy for something that is from Jesus and for Jesus. And I was wrestling with this last year. I even said that on stage at the DOVE Awards. I said, ‘I’m still struggling with the concept of receiving this award, but all glory to Jesus. Every name will fade away, including mine, except for one name.'”
See his 2024 Best New Artist speech below.
Frank said he feels “conviction to go even a step further and say, ‘I don’t even know if I want to step on the stage. I don’t know if I want to step in the room.'”
He revealed that he is taking a “stance of non-participation.”
“I will not be attending the Doves or the Grammys,” he revealed. “I hope to be an example to the youth that the trophy is our salvation. The trophy is that my name is listed in the Book of Life and I get to have eternal life. What good is a piece of metal going to do compared to that?”
Frank is nominated for six DOVE Awards. See his nominations below.
Song of the Year – “Good Day”
Song of the Year – “Up!”
Songwriter of the Year (Artist)
Artist of the Year
Rap/Hip Hop Recorded Song of the Year – “HEAVEN ON THIS EARTH”
Pop/Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year – “YOUR WAY’S BETTER”
The 2026 Grammy Award nominations have not yet been announced, but even if he were to be nominated, he wouldn’t attend.
The Response To His Video Was Mixed + Jelly Roll’s Response
Frank had lots of fans and peers supporting his decision, and saying he is the first artist in a long time to not compromise their beliefs.
Even the legendary CeCe Winans commented, “Stay true to your convictions!!”
Despite all the supportive replies, there were a few people who questioned him.
“A super clean way to do this is simply not submit your music to awards shows (ie Frank Ocean), then you have zero chance of winning,” the band Kings Kaleidoscope commented. “To be considered you have to submit your music, which it looks like you or your label/publisher have, why not just bypass that altogether? Thats what we’ve always done.”
Jelly Roll was another artist who was confused by Frank’s video. The country artist wrote, “Won’t receive trophy for something from Jesus for Jesus but will take the profits from something from Jesus for Jesus. Maybe im [sic] missing something here lol”
There are over 200 replies to Jelly Roll’s comment, which you can find on Frank’s Instagram video below.