For King & Country Takes Out Top Award at Dove Awards

By: Amy Cheng

For King & Country has won the award for Artist of the Year at the 2021 GMA Dove Awards.

The duo, made up of Australian-born brothers Joel and Luke Smallbone, has taken out the top award for the second year in a row.

The Dove Awards took place recently before a packed house at Lipscomb University’s Allen Arena in Nashville, Tennessee, in the United States, and went to air a few days later.

The awards have been honouring outstanding achievements and excellence in Christian and Gospel Music since 1969.

“The power of music is transforming, the power of music gives life to the vocal cord, the power of music changes eternal destinations for people,” – Luke Smallbone

In the band’s acceptance speech, Luke acknowledged the difficulties that many have faced during the pandemic.

For him personally, the past few months have been challenging because of his throat surgery, which brought about a period of uncertainty regarding his future in performing and even his identity.

“What if I can’t do this anymore? What if my voice is taken?… When you start asking those questions, it goes a little deeper. Do I need it? And who am I if I can’t sing?” he said in his speech.

However, it was during his time of recovery that he felt God speak powerfully to him.

“When you can’t speak for five days, when you pray these prayers to God, God has a unique way of showing up and speaking to you,” he said.

“And I felt God very, very clearly say to me ‘Man, Luke, it’s never been about a song that you could sing, it’s never been about a performance. It’s never been about a show, it’s never been about the mistakes that you’ve made in the past, the good things and the things that may take place in the future or the failures that may take place in the future. I love you, I love you, I love you’.”

The power of music

Luke also spoke about the power of music.

“[I’m] more convinced than ever that the power of music is transforming, the power of music gives life to the vocal cord, the power of music changes eternal destinations for people,” he said.

“Don’t forget that, make this real to other people, make this real all over the world because it matters, it counts for something.”

On the night, the duo also won the award for Longform Video of the Year for Burn The Ships Concert Film and Christmas/Special Event Album of the Year for A Drummer Boy Christmas.

For King & Country are no stranger to awards; the duo has also previously won four Grammy awards.

Their next album What Are We Waiting For? will be released on March 11; it will be their first album with new music in over three years.

They recently announced that their next album What Are We Waiting For? will be released on March 11; it will be their first album with new music in over three years.

The duo is currently on their 2021 Relate tour and will be performing at the Freedom Hall Civic Center in Tennessee this weekend.

Watch: GMA Dove Awards 2021

Article supplied with thanks to Hope Media.