No doubt that For King & Country is one of the hottest acts in contemporary Christian music.
The Nashville, Tennessee-based siblings ran away with three major awards, including Artist of the Year, at the recently concluded K-LOVE Fan Awards on Sunday at the Grand Ole Opry House.
Fans across the U.S. voted for their picks and made their decision known at the annual Christian music awards, now on its third year, which is presented by Christian music radio network K-LOVE, The Tennessean reported.
But it was the Grammy-winning brothers Luke and Joel Smallbone who got the most love from Christian music fans. For his part, Luke could not sum up how the awards meant to him.
As he took the stage to get the first award, Luke was overcome with emotion. During his acceptance speech, he told the audience that the past months have been very trying for him because of a health issue.
"I'm not 100 percent healed from this illness, but I know the man that can heal me," he said, referring to ulcerative colitis, which sidelined him off the tour for months in 2013. "We stand before you (as) men who truly believe in the name of Jesus."
Co-hosts Kirk Cameron and Elisabeth Hasselbeck thrilled fans who watched live as they worked their way into the crowd. Hundreds of excited fans were treated by the hosts, who matched them with their favorite Christian stars.
Some of the fans who traveled all the way to Nashville from different states had a great time as the K-LOVE brought the biggest acts on the stage, including Colton Dixon, Sidewalk Prophets and TobyMac.
The evening went onto a blazing start the way fans want a show for them-selfies for 10 minutes. Third Day opened the awards night with their hit single "Soul on Fire."
Later in the evening, Cameron indulged fans by reprising his role as Mike Seaver in the sit-com "Growing Pains" as he gamely put on a curly wig.
Then, Cameron and Hasselbeck asked their spouses to play "The Newlywed Game" to the delight of the crowd despite being quite a stretch.
One of the most interesting performances at the K-LOVE Fan Awards came from singer-songwriter Matthew West. As he performed his single "Day One," West brought out to dance beside him a group of longtime ushers working at the Opry.
Beside West was a sprightly 91-year-old usher named Eloise, who said she has been with the Opry for "just 28" years.
Here's the full list of winners:
Male Artist of the Year: Chris Tomlin
Female Artist of the Year: Francesca Battistelli
Group/Duo of the Year: For King & Country
Song of the Year: Newsboys, "We Believe"
Worship Song of the Year: Lauren Daigle, "How Can It Be"
Artist of the Year: For King & Country
Best Live Show: For King & Country
First Christian Artist to Appear on 7UP Can: Big Daddy Weave
Sports Impact: Benjamin Watson
Movie Impact: A.D. The Bible Continues
Book Impact: Lysa TerKeurst, "The Best Yes"
