K-LOVE Awards the 'Ultimate Fan Experience'

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - From the Grammys to the CMAs to the Billboard Awards, music award shows have celebrated industry talents and have been home to some of music's most iconic performances.

K-LOVE is the leading Christian radio network in the United States, which started with one small station out of Rocklin, California, in 1980.

Today, K-LOVE has 468 signals across 47 states. Air 1 is their sister station, playing top 40 hits, reaching 42 states. With their International Explosion, K-LOVE is the sixth most streamed radio all over the world.

In 2013, K-LOVE created the first ever fan-voted award show in Christian music, which was hosted by the Robertson family of the hit A&E series "Duck Dynasty."

After a successful show in 2013, K-LOVE raised the bar with an even bigger 2014 award show which was held in Nashville, Tennessee, at the Grand Ole Opry House.

The show was hosted by Christian artist Matthew West and "Dancing with the Stars" finalist Candace Cameron Bure.

CBN News Reporter Angela Zatopek spoke with K-LOVE CEO Mike Novak in Nashville.

"The K-LOVE Fan Awards aren't about K-LOVE - that's just the name," Novak explained. "It's about connecting the entertainment community with the listener community.

"We've always had a great relationship with the entertainment community," he continued. "And we've had a great relationship with our listenership, but we felt there was a disconnect with those two."

With K-LOVE reaching millions of people on a daily basis, their vision for the award show is to acknowledge everyone from authors to athletes to celebrity artists for using their faith to impact the culture of today.

With many faith based projects making headlines in 2014, awards were given in 11 categories, celebrating top honors in music, books, film, television and sports. Guest appearances included Auburn University head football coach Gus Malzahn, Pastor Louie Giglio, and 14-time Grammy Award winner Ricky Skaggs.

The K-LOVE Fan Award weekend offered "the ultimate fan experience." Fans were able to interact with artists and athletes. Activities offered included celebrity basketball games, private bus tours and a 5k run benefitting World Hope. 

"We decided to develop a K-LOVE Love Center in downtown Detroit with World Hope. Many people ask why Detroit? And we say, why not?" Novak said.

"We don't even have a station there, but we felt called to help the city which has undergone tough times with the economy," he added.

"There will be things for kids, afterschool programs, medical referrals, there will be you name it. For every half million votes fans cast, a home is being released in the greater Detroit area to a veteran," he said.

Christian artists at the K-LOVE award show did not want to keep the focus on winning an award, but on the fans.

Well-known Christian artist Jeremy Camp touched on his weekend experience.

"I had someone come up to me and say, 'I saw you two years ago and I had cancer. I was cancer ridden... Your concert was supposed to be my last concert; God healed me and I'm here tonight,'" Camp recalled.

Michael Tait and the Newsboys of the hit movie "God's Not Dead" spoke about their year.

"We love our fans," Tait said. "The Newsboys believe in a live show connection. It's all about them, thanks to the fans. That's why we're here."  

Colton Dixon said, "You know it's so funny, even though the artist may be receiving the award it's not really about us tonight. It's about the fans and really our chance to say 'thank you.'"

Faith-based music is also catching the attention of the business world.

The award show was sponsored by Pepsi MidAmerica, being a first in the Christian media entity. COO Lee Crisp played a vital role in the corporate sponsorship.

Last year, 13 million Pepsi cans with a free song download were released. This year Pepsi raised the bar even higher.

"We definitely believe at Pepsi MidAmerica that the world needs to hear more of this music," Crisp said. "This year were rolling out with 20 million cans and next year plan for even more."

With more partnerships like this, fans can expect K-LOVE and other Christian stations to continue filling the demand for faith-based music.