Michael W. Smith met with press backstage of the K-LOVE Fan Awards and reflected on his powerful performance with for KING & COUNTRY, shares his heart for mentoring the next generation of Christian artists, and gives us a sneak peek into his new single and what’s ahead in this exciting season of ministry and music.

Bethel Music's Jenn Johnson opens up about what the K-LOVE Fan Awards mean to her, the heart behind her ministry, her upcoming solo album and her gratitude for the community that supports worship music around the world.

We caught up with Elevation Worship on the red carpet at the 2025 K-LOVE Fan Awards, where they’re nominated for Group of the Year and Worship Song of the Year! The team shares stories behind their 8th album, including a surprise song that’s unexpectedly resonated with listeners—just like “Praise” did. They also talk about preparations for their upcoming Elevation Nights Fall tour and how they stay grounded in the heart of worship while their songs continue to impact the global church.

Behind the scenes... "Fall on me" 4x music speed for slow mo effect in final music video cut - jensencompanymusic.com

TobyMac opens up backstage at the K-LOVE Fan Awards about walking through grief and how God continues to open new doors in his life. He reflects on the confusion and fear he felt when dcTalk came to an end, how he keeps bringing high energy to the stage even as he gets older, and much more in this candid conversation.

Brandon Lake chats backstage at the K-LOVE Fan Awards about the first time he faced mental health struggles, his recent appearance on American Idol, and a funny story about his wife encouraging him to audition for a TV singing show. He also reflects on the incredible success he's experiencing in his career.

We caught up with Mac Powell on the red carpet at the 2025 K-LOVE Fan Awards, where he’s co-hosting this year’s show! Mac shares all the details about his brand new album, gives us a sneak peek at his next radio single, and talks about hitting the road again this fall.

We caught up with Colton Dixon on the red carpet at the 2025 K-LOVE Fan Awards! He talks about his brand new children’s book, gives us an exciting update on his next single release, and shares what it meant to perform at this year’s show.

We caught up with MŌRIAH on the red carpet at the 2025 K-LOVE Fan Awards to talk all things new music! She gives us the scoop on her upcoming album dropping this fall, the creative vision behind her vibrant new “Sombrero” music video, and where fans can catch her live in concert.

We caught up with Josh Baldwin on the red carpet at the 2025 K-LOVE Fan Awards, where he's celebrating his first-ever Artist of the Year nomination and a Song of the Year nod for his powerful hit “Made for More.” Josh reflects on the impact the song continues to have after performing it at last year’s show and shares an exciting tease about starting a brand-new project soon.

We caught up with Rachael Lampa on the red carpet at the K-LOVE Fan Awards to talk about her powerful new single “Superpowers”, which is out now and already making waves! She also shares that Superpowers will be the title track of her upcoming album, set to release later this year.

We caught up with Tedashii on the red carpet at the K-LOVE Fan Awards, where he shared the scoop on several exciting new collaborations — including a fresh track he just recorded this week with MercyMe! He talks about the growing connection between rap and CCM, why that unity matters, and how he’s using his voice to bridge genres and bring powerful truth through music.

We caught up with David Leonard on the red carpet at the K-LOVE Fan Awards to talk all things songwriting, collaboration, and authenticity. He shares what all those recent songwriting teasers are leading to — new music for himself or others? Plus, after working with nearly every major faith-based artist in Nashville, who’s the one collab he’s still chasing? David opens up about writing raw, honest solo songs while still honoring a faith-based audience, and gives us a behind-the-scenes look at his powerful Tabernacle Sessions series from his home studio.

We caught up with Elevation Rhythm at the K-LOVE Fan Awards, where they're nominated for Group of the Year and Worship Song of the Year! They talk about their brand new album VICTORY LAP, just released this week, and share how they stay grounded while creating music that connects with a generation hungry for authenticity. We also find out how they blend fresh sounds with deep spiritual impact?

We caught up with Caleb & John on the red carpet at the K-LOVE Fan Awards, where they're nominated for Group of the Year for the second year in a row! The duo gives us an update on their highly anticipated debut album, shares how they balance their unique voices while creating their signature high-energy sound, and reflect on what God has been teaching them through this season of music, ministry, and momentum. Plus — details on their upcoming tour with CAIN!

This stunning a cappella cover of ‘Hear My Cry’ will stir your soul and bring comfort to your heart. Watch the clip to hear the amazing solo, a cappella version of ‘Hear My Cry.’ 

Singer Andrew Martin has put together a wonderful YouTube video of himself singing the beautiful hymn, ‘Hear My Cry.’ He sings it solo and in different vocal ranges. His medley of voices is elegant and sweet, honoring the modern hymn. 

‘Hear My Cry’ was written by Michael Eldridge in 2020. It’s a prayer to God for relief from grief. Michael wrote it after a dear friend and member of his church, Larry Smith, passed away. Michael wrote it while thinking about the grief that Larry’s wife, Cindy, must have felt. Cindy passed away, a few weeks after Larry, before Michael could share the song with her. 

Some of the song’s tender lyrics are:

‘Hear my cry, heav’nly Father, 
You have known my ev’ry pain. 
You have seen all my sorrow, 
Hear my cry once again’

Michael said of the meaning of the song, “Until our griefs come to an end and our faith becomes sight, we rely heavily upon Jesus to understand and sympathize with our weaknesses (Hebrews 4:15), and the Holy Spirit to intercede on our behalf (Romans 8:26), carrying our feelings and burdens to the Father, even when we can’t find the right words to say.”

Andrew has done a wonderful job carrying on the song’s legacy in his cover. The song is still somewhat new and not many people have heard of it yet, but it’s a great song to sing or think about in times of sorrow. 

“Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.” Romans 8:26

Listen to this beautiful duet of the hymn ‘What a Friend We Have In Jesus.’ The singers in the video are a married couple named Chris and Stephanie, and they make music together in their duo called Out of the Dust. How wonderful it is to see them using their gifts to glorify God together!

‘What a friend we have in Jesus,
all our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry
everything to God in prayer!’

In the caption of their YouTube video, Chris and Stephanie share about the hymn ‘What a Friend We Have In Jesus’ and what a great reminder it is to place our trust in our Heavenly Father.

“Been feeling overwhelmed lately? Like the weight you’re carrying is too much to bear? We’ve been there too,” the singers write. “The old hymn ‘What a Friend We Have in Jesus’ is a beautiful reminder that we were never meant to carry our pain by ourselves. Surrender doesn’t take away the struggle, but it does place it into the hands of the One who loves us deeply and walks with us through it all. We pray this acoustic version will bring comfort to your soul and gently point you back to the Friend who knows your every weakness and yet will never leave you.”

What a powerful reminder. And the background of this hymn is also powerful to know.

'What A Friend We Have In Jesus' was written by Joseph Scriven, a transplanted Irishman in Canada. He was born in Ireland in 1819, and he had wealth, education, a devoted family, and a pleasant life in his native country. After college, he established himself as a teacher, fell in love, and was to be married. But his fiancée ended up drowning, and the only place that Joseph found solace was in Jesus.

Joseph then left for Canada to start a new life and fell in love with a woman named Eliza Rice in the town of Port Hope. But she became sick and also died before Joseph and she were married. Joseph’s faith was the only thing that brought him through this tragic time. After a lot of time spent in prayer, Joseph took a vow of poverty, sold all of his earthly possessions, and vowed to give his life to the physically handicapped and financially destitute. He became known as “The Good Samaritan of Port Hope.”

Later in his life when Joseph became ill, a friend was visiting him when he found a poem beside Joseph’s bed. He asked who had written it, and Joseph responded saying "The Lord and I did it between us.” And after his death, the poem was put to music by Charles Converse and is the hymn we know and love today.

We hope that you enjoyed listening to this sweet rendition of ‘What a Friend We Have In Jesus’ today!

Check out this stirring bluegrass rendition of the hymn ‘This Is My Father’s Word.’ The singer, guitarist, and mandolin player in the video are all so talented, and it is wonderful to see them using their gifts to glorify God. Give them a listen and be encouraged today!

‘This is my Father's world, and to my listening ears
All nature sings, and round me rings
The music of the spheres.’

What a great performance! The vocalist/guitarist in the music video is Daniel Epperson. The other guitarist is named Jake Stogdill, and the mandolin player is known as Banjo Ben Clark.

“‘This is My Father's World’ is a hymn written by Maltbie Babcock and published posthumously in 1901. This has become one of my favorite songs of any genre,” shared Ben Clark in the caption of this YouTube video. “I played it first with my sisters' band and was thrilled to record it with these brothers. They're such great pickers and singers!”

Daniel, Jake, and Ben all compliment each other so well, and hearing them make music together is so peaceful to listen to. Many people online shared their high praise with the bluegrass band about their performance.

“That was beautiful, fellas. The best version I believe I've ever heard,” one person writes after watching the music video.

“Y’all seriously hit something special with this one… so touching,” another person comments online.

Like Ben Clark shared in the caption of this music video, this hymn was published after Maltbie Babcock died, when his wife published a collection of his poems. One of those poems was set to music by his friend Franklin Sheppard, and it quickly became a favorite hymn in congregations all over the world. 

We hope that you enjoyed listening to this special rendition of the hymn ‘This Is My Father’s Word’ today!

Lyric video of the song 'We Love You Lord' from the multiethnic Heart of the City Band CD 'What We Really Need'. (c) 1997, Heart of the City Music. Words and music by Dan Adler. Featuring lead vocal by Nancy Ellis and Kenny Holmen on sax. Available to order or download www.danandsandyadler.com or at iTunes or most MP3 sites. Charts and background tracks available at praisecharts.com.

We caught up with MercyMe on the red carpet at the 2025 K-LOVE Fan Awards! The band talks about frontman Bart Millard hosting this year’s show, wrapping production on I Can Only Imagine 2, and even drops the release date for their brand new album. Plus—they tease an exciting upcoming collaboration with Tedashii that fans won’t want to miss.