During the 56th Annual GMA Dove Awards last week, Brandon Lake, Jelly Roll, and Jon Batiste delivered a once in a lifetime performance of the hit song “Hard Fought Hallelujah.”
“Hard Fought Hallelujah” won three awards during the night, including Song of the Year.
“It’s been amazing to hear just the thousands of people when we gather in these rooms,” Lake said as he accepted the award. “It’s insane.”
He then recalled the advice Dr. John Maxwell gave him when Lake was considering his collaboration with Jelly Roll. “Brandon,” Maxwell said, “stay in the church, but never stop moving towards the lost.”
Lake described Jelly Roll’s passion for broken and lost people, saying, “I don’t know anybody who has a heart for the broken and the lost like this man does.” Lake expressed how his friendship with Jelly Roll, whose real name is Jason DeFord, has “reignited a passion—and I’m all for edifying the saints—but, y’all, we are out here to reach the lost and to see the lost become found…I just have a new fire for just reaching those and and seeing soul saved.”
Referring to the criticism he has received for the collaboration, Lake said, “I hope this sinks in—millions of lives have been saved. I get all the testimonies. I want to thank you so much for sticking your neck out for me and treating me like a little bro.” Before handing the microphone over to Jelly Roll, Lake told the “Son of a Sinner” singer, “I love you.”
“Y’all forgive me. I’m not sure how much I belong speaking up here right now, and I’m nervous,” Jelly Roll said. “I ain’t been this nervous since I went to criminal court, y’all. This is a real thing for me. I mean [I have] sweaty palms.”
Jelly Roll said that Lake’s acceptance speech reminded him of Jesus’ words. “I was thinking about Matthew when he talks about the least, when he said, ‘When I was hungry, you fed me, when I was thirsty, you gave me water, when I was in jail, you came and visited me,’” said Jelly Roll. “And I realized that I’m standing here because people took time with the least.
He continued, “And I want to give this message as clear as I can right now, the world is hearing about Jesus like they have it in decades, right now!”
