Brandon Lake and Lainey Wilson Deliver a Powerful Performance of “The Jesus I Know Now” at the Dove Awards
Brandon Lake and Lainey Wilson brought their shared faith to the spotlight at the 57th GMA Dove Awards, performing their award-winning duet, “The Jesus I Know Now,” after taking home the honor for Country/Roots Recorded Song of the Year.
The collaboration grew out of a faith-based songwriting retreat Lake hosted earlier in the year. Over five days, some of country music’s biggest names came together to create songs celebrating their faith, producing a total of 43 songs. Wilson was among the artists who attended, and she and Lake joined forces in the months that followed to record their duet.
Their work earned recognition from the Gospel Music Association, giving Lake another win in the category after his success the previous year.
A Song About Faith, Grace, and Seeing Jesus Differently
“The Jesus I Know Now” explores how a person’s understanding of Jesus can change through different stages of life. Its message also reflects the idea that professional success does not remove the need for faith.
Lake had already achieved crossover success with “Hard Fought Hallelujah,” his ballad featuring Jelly Roll. The song won Country/Roots Recorded Song of the Year at the previous Dove Awards and went on to receive the Song of the Year honor as well.
In 2026, Lake returned to the winners’ circle with Wilson, whose standing in mainstream country music brought another prominent voice to the faith-centered collaboration. The song also reflects the sincerity of Wilson’s Christian beliefs.
Brandon Lake Speaks About Grace and the Meaning of the Song
While accepting the Country/Roots Recorded Song of the Year award, Lake began by reflecting on the song’s message, saying he was grateful that “it doesn’t take trophies to make Him proud.”
He continued by giving credit to God for the work taking place across different musical genres and around the world.
“To God be the glory, in country music, Christian music, and what He’s doing all over the globe,” Lake said.
He then explained why the song’s message had resonated with listeners, particularly those whose experiences with church had left them hurt or with a distorted understanding of Jesus.
“It’s just cool to see people connecting with this song, especially for those that have had church-hurt, or maybe had this wrong picture of who Jesus is,” he said.
Lake also addressed online criticism of the song’s emphasis on grace. He explained that, in his view, grace should not be treated as permission to sin. Rather, experiencing grace can inspire people to become more like Jesus.
His remarks underscored the central message of the song: faith is not simply about outward achievements, but about a changing relationship with Christ.
Lainey Wilson Reflects on the Song’s Origins
Wilson also spoke about how writing with other artists had shaped her, saying she had learned a great deal from the people she met in songwriting rooms.
She recalled writing “The Jesus I Know Now” with Lake and songwriters Emily Weisband and Luke Laird. Their conversation quickly turned to their personal relationships with Jesus, leading Wilson to share how her own understanding of Him had changed as she grew older.
“Immediately, we were just talking about our relationship with Jesus, and I said, ‘I feel like the Jesus that I know now is not the one that I grew up knowing — the one that was shaking His fist and the one I was, like, scared of,’” she explained.
Wilson also highlighted one of the song’s key lines: “He says who I am, and it’s not what I do.”
She used the lyric to encourage other creatives in the room to recognize the broader purpose of their work.
“I just want to remind all of y’all creators in this room that we’re not just singers, we’re not just songwriters, we are connectors,” she said.
Her comments reflected the idea that music can do more than entertain: it can bring people together and help them connect through shared experiences and beliefs.
A Joint Performance to Celebrate Their Win
Following their acceptance speeches, Lake and Wilson performed “The Jesus I Know Now” together at the ceremony. Their appearance brought the collaboration’s message to the Dove Awards stage, uniting artists from different parts of the music industry through a shared expression of faith.
At the end of the performance, Lake gave Wilson a warm introduction, saying, “Y’all, give it up one more time for my sister, Lainey Wilson.”
The performance capped a significant night for the pair, whose collaboration had moved from a songwriting session to an award-winning recording and a live moment celebrating their shared beliefs.
Watch Brandon Lake and Lainey Wilson perform “The Jesus I Know Now” at the 57th Dove Awards in the video below.