Christian music artist Brandon Lake and country music star Jelly Roll won a GRAMMY award Sunday night for their chart-topping song “Hard Fought Hallelujah.”
Lake thanked God after accepting the award for Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song of the year during the 2026 GRAMMY Awards Premiere Ceremony, which was held ahead of the main-stage 68th Annual GRAMMY Awards.
“Thank you. Oh man. Wow. Thank you, Jesus,” he began his acceptance speech. “I want to thank my wife, who’s holding down the fort back home with all my babies, crazy babies.”
Lake continued by thanking the Recording Academy, his label, and musicians instrumental in the production of the song. He then turned his attention to his friend and collaborator, Jelly Roll.
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“I want to say obviously a huge thank you to Jelly Roll for taking the chance on this song, taking a chance on me,” he shared. “He just took me everywhere he was performing and said, ‘Let’s do this song together.’ He took this song places that I couldn’t have by myself.”
As CBN News reported, “Hard Fought Hallelujah” was first released as a solo track by Lake in November 2024. He later asked Jelly Roll to join in on the track.
“Collaborating with Jelly Roll on Hard Fought Hallelujah was powerful because we both understand what it’s like to walk through battles and still choose to lift a song of hope,” Lake previously shared with Music Mayhem Magazine.
“My prayer is that this song reminds people not to give up—that even in the hardest seasons, there’s growth, purpose, and a victory worth singing about,” Jelly Roll said during the interview. “Working with Brandon was an incredible experience. This track touched my soul like few others. ‘Hard Fought Hallelujah’ is a song that will echo through my home for years to come.”
The duet is featured on Lake’s 11th album, “King of Hearts,” and Lake shared more about the song’s impact during the GRAMMY award show.
“I’ve gotten countless messages of how this song has literally saved people’s lives and pointed them to Jesus,” he explained. “If it wasn’t for Jesus, I don’t know where I would be, y’all. Most important thing I could say is this world is Cray Cray right now, but I was reminded of the scripture this morning, John 16:33. I have told you these things so that in me, you may have peace. In this world, you will have trouble. But take heart, I have overcome the world. He’s overcome, so that means we can too through Christ. Love you. Thank you so much.”
Jelly Roll was unable to accept the honor during the pre-telecast event. However, he also thanked Jesus when he accepted the award for Best Contemporary Country Album for “Beautifully Broken.”
He first dedicated the award to his wife, saying, “I would never have changed my life without you. I’d have ended up dead or in jail. I would have killed myself if it wasn’t for you and Jesus.”
He admitted that there was a time in his life when he was “broken” and that is what led him to write the album.
“There was days that I thought the darkest things. I was a horrible human,” he admitted, but added that Jesus changed all that.
“There was a moment in my life that all I had was a Bible this big, and a radio the same size, and a six-by-eight-foot cell,” he said. “And I believe that those two things could change my life. I believe that music had the power to change my life, and God had the power to change my life,” the country artist shared.
“I want to tell y’all right now, Jesus is for everybody. Jesus is not owned by one political party. Jesus is not owned by no music label. Jesus is Jesus, and anybody can have a relationship with Him. I love you, Lord,” he concluded his speech.
