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Christian Music Artists, Athletes Honored at K-LOVE's 'Fan Awards'

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Christian radio station K-LOVE recently held their Fan Awards ceremony at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee.

The event, hosted by Matthew West and former Fox News host Elisabeth Hasselbeck, honored both artists and athletes that bring a message of faith.

"I'm that mom sitting in my car in traffic about to lose my mind and K-LOVE comes on just at the right time," Hasselbeck told CBN News. "It's beyond moving to be up there and co-hosting with Matthew West because he's brilliant and just celebrate."

"We grew up listening to Christian music," former NFL quarterback Matt Hasselbeck told CBN News. "I know in my house… K-LOVE is always on the radio."

Switchfoot was also in attendance.

"I've always been very upfront about my faith and what we believe, but at the same time I think we approach it with humility. We don't have all the answers the way I see it," lead singer Jon Foreman said.  

"Whether in church on Sunday or not, hope is available to you and we wanna make sure we're singing songs of hope and hope deserves an anthem and that's kind of why we do what we do," he added.

Lauren Diagle walked away with both Best Artist of the Year and Best Female Artist, while Danny Gokey won Best Male Artist.

Athletes were also recognized at this year's K-LOVE event, with Adam LeRoche receiving the Sports Impact award. The former MLB recently walked away from the Chicago White Sox with $13 million left on his contract.

One of his main reasons? They placed limitations on time his 14-year-old son could spend with him in the club house.

"I was going into my 13th year in the Big Leagues and got in a spot where I had to choose baseball and my career or my son and my family, which was an easy decision," he said.

So what's next for the former MLB player?

"You know -- chasing kids. I finally get to see what my wife has been going through all these years," he said.

The night ended with Chris Tomlin belting out his Song of the Year, "Good Good Father," on a packed stage, making Opryland feel more like a worship service as fans and artists lifted their voices in praise.

"Pretty much everyone in the whole industry of Christian music was up on stage doing it with me and it was a pretty special ending," Tomlin said.

West told CBN News, "As the music makers and story tellers we sing songs and write songs and put them out into the world that somebody who may be hanging at end of their rope, they might hear a song and feel a grip at the end of their rope strengthened and they can make it one more day," he said.

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About The Author

CBN News Reporter Angela Zatopek
Angela
Zatopek

Angela Zatopek is currently a reporter, covering a range of topics geared toward today's younger generation. Angela graduated with Honors from the University of Texas at Austin with a major in Corporate Communications and a minor in Journalism. With a diverse background in television, she has worked with Fox and CBS College Sports as a sideline reporter for the University of Texas. She also appeared in Miss Texas USA and was the winner of Eva Longoria and NBC's Ready for Love. She currently also has a faith-based jewelry line called OneLove Collection. The heartbeat of the jewelry line is to