2025 K-LOVE Fan Awards: Artist of the Year Nominees

Continuing to shine brightly in both Christian and country music circles, Anne Wilson earns her second consecutive Artist of the Year nod. Recently surprised with the news backstage at the Grand Ole Opry before stepping into the historic circle to perform, the three-time K-LOVE Fan Award winner keeps her feet firmly planted in dual genres — simultaneously staying true to her roots and spreading her wings. The Kentucky native just made her Stagecoach debut following a 38-market, three-month run of shows with Winter Jam. This summer, she’ll open for country trailblazer Morgan Wallen on select dates of his massive stadium tour. Wilson is also nominated for Female Artist of the Year, which she won in 2022 and 2024.

For the second year in a row, Brandon Lake leads the K-LOVE Fan Awards nominee leaderboard with a total of four nods, including the coveted prize of Artist of the Year. This is Lake’s second time to be honored in the top category. Over the course of the past year, the father of three has dropped a number of new songs, including No. 1 hits “That’s Who I Praise” and “Hard Fought Hallelujah (feat. Jelly Roll)” — which earned Lake additional nominations for Worship Song of the Year and Song of the Year, respectively. The South Carolina native will drop his fourth full-length studio album, “King of Hearts,” June 13.

CeCe Winans is the most decorated female artist in Gospel music history, yet ironically, 2025 marks the first time the revered vocalist will vie for Artist of the Year at the K-LOVE Fan Awards. Notching a trio of nods this year, Winans is also up for Female Artist of the Year and Song of the Year for “That’s My King,” which garnered the long-admired songstress a GRAMMY® earlier this year for Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song. In April, the “Come Jesus Come” singer showcased her incredible voice as a special guest on “American Idol.” As recently announced, she’ll headline the Grand Ole Opry House — the current home of the K-LOVE Fan Awards — in 2026 for a special concert ahead of Easter.

Crowder returns to the Artist of the Year bracket this year on the strength of his latest multi-week No. 1 single, “Somebody Prayed,” which is also up for Song of the Year and appears on his album, “The EXILE.” The consistent chart-topper kicked off 2025 on TobyMac’s annual “Hits Deep Tour.” He’ll share dates with Matt Maher this summer before headlining this fall’s “Grace & Glory Tour,” which is slated to feature additional performances by Passion, Kari Jobe and Cody Carnes and a message from author and pastor Louie Giglio.

With 18 total wins, including six Artist of the Year trophies, for KING + COUNTRY is no stranger to this category. The brotherly duo is additionally honored in the Film Impact bracket for their acclaimed motion picture, “Unsung Hero,” which premiered in theaters around the world in 2024 and told the remarkable story of the Smallbone family’s journey from Australia to America. Following a full year of promotion for the film, a relentless touring schedule and the release of a soundtrack supporting the movie, Joel and Luke are taking a well-deserved break from the road this year to focus on family and to craft new music for their next studio album, the highly anticipated follow-up to 2022’s “What Are We Waiting For?”

It may be his first Artist of the Year nomination, but it’s no surprise to anyone that Forrest Frank’s name is among this year’s top contenders. The breakout act, who is also nominated for Male Artist of the Year, sold out every single date on his debut arena run this spring. Moreover, he just dropped “Child of God II,” a 20-track sequel to his GRAMMY®-nominated debut. His meteoric rise continues to be fueled by high-profile, cross-genre collaborations, including recent features with Thomas Rhett and TobyMac, and a viral TikTok dance choreographed to his hit single, “Your Way’s Better.”

Singer-songwriter Josh Baldwin earns his first-ever Artist of the Year nod thanks to the resonance of his unifying anthem, “Made For More,” which will vie for Song of the Year. With a total of three nominations, that also include his first Male Artist of the Year recognition, Baldwin is among this year’s most honored nominees. Together with Jenn Johnson, the respected worship leader performed “Made For More” during last year’s K-LOVE Fan Awards ceremony just as the song began its ascent up the radio charts. The track eventually garnered Baldwin his first No. 1. He’ll be a part of the lineup for this fall’s “Air1 Worship Now Tour,” alongside Phil Wickham, Charity Gayle and Benjamin William Hastings.

Fans voted MercyMe Artist of the Year back in 2018. The consistent favorites are currently working on a new album, led by Song of the Year contender “Oh Death.” Moreover, they’ll reprise their “MercyMe Live 2025 Tour” later this year with a fall leg that’s set to include powerhouse vocalist Natalie Grant and newcomer Sam Wesley. If that’s not enough, it’s no secret the collective’s biggest task on their agenda in the coming months is “I Can Only Imagine 2,” the sequel to their 2018 blockbuster hit. While “I Can Only Imagine 2” won’t release in theaters until Mar. 20, 2026, production for the project began this spring, and the group even treated concertgoers to a special night of filming during a recent performance at Colorado’s majestic Red Rocks Amphitheatre.

2025 marks Tauren Wells’ first Artist of the Year nomination. The chart-topping singer has had an incredibly busy 12 months. Alongside his wife, Lorna, the father of four launched Church of Whitestone in Austin, Texas. Inspired by the burgeoning congregation he’s pastoring there, he recently unveiled “Let The Church Sing,” a five-song EP comprised of vertical worship originals. His inaugural book, “Joy Bomb: Unleash Jesus’s Explosive Joy for an Extraordinary Life,” debuts May 20. Meanwhile, the “Take It All Back” singer is still sharing truth and facilitating thoughtful conversations around faith on his podcast, “The High Note,” via AccessMore.

Four-time K-LOVE Fan Award winner TobyMac lands another Artist of the Year nomination on the strength of his new album, “Heaven On My Mind,” which dropped in March. The 12-track LP boasts chart-topping hit and 2025 Song of the Year contender “Nothin’ Sweeter,” as well as current single “a lil Church (nobody’s too lost).” This August, he’ll headline “K-LOVE Live in New York,” a double header at Manhattan’s Beacon Theatre, before joining fellow hitmakers MercyMe and Matthew West for a run of shows this fall.