“Congrats Bro!!”: Forrest Frank Takes the High Road After Apparent Dig From Jelly Roll at Dove Awards 2025

Forrest Frank has offered his congratulations to Jelly Roll, after the ‘Need a Favor’ hitmaker and Brandon Lake received the 2025 Dove Award for Song of the Year for their viral collaboration, ‘Hard Fought Hallelujah’, at Nashville's Bridgestone Arena.

During Jelly's acceptance speech for the prestigious gong, he seemingly made a jibe at Forrest, following the Contemporary Christian Music trailblazer's decision not to attend. Jelly professed his faith and encouraged attendees to go out and show the world what Jesus can do, before seemingly delivering a thinly veiled jab at Forrest, declaring pointedly, “I'm so glad that I could see the forest for the trees”.

In typically rousing fashion, Jelly Roll explained, “Y'all forgive me. I'm not sure how much I even belong speaking up here right now...and I'm nervous. I ain't been this nervous since I went to criminal court!...I was listening to him, and I was thinking about Matthew, when he talks about the least, when he said, ‘When I was hungry, you fed me. When I was thirsty, you gave me water. When I was in jail, you came and visited me’. And I realised that I'm standing here because people took time with the least, and I want to give this message as clear as I can”.

As the crowd roared their approval, the ‘Son of a Sinner’ singer-songwriter went on, “Right now, the world is hearing about Jesus like they haven't in decades. Right now, there is a revival happening in the United States of America, where you can't go on a corner and not hear about Jesus...While we are hearing about Jesus, I encourage you to put faith on your feet and feet on your faith, walk out of this building and go do for the least. They've heard of Jesus, now show them Jesus. Go feed the poor, go visit the ones in jail. Show them who Jesus was”.

Jelly concluded by addressing the recent debate that ensued from Forrest's move to step away from awards ceremonies, with Jelly underlining, “Thank you to the DOVE Awards - I think this thing is great. I think it gives alternative programming for kids at home watching this. My son's watching this. I think it is awesome that he gets to watch an awards show like this”, before dropping the apparent barb, “I thank God that I could see the forest for the trees. God bless, y'all”.

However, Forrest has indicated there are no hard feelings, taking to the comments under Jelly's speech to pay tribute to him, “Congrats bro!! Keep going for Jesus 🙌”.

A few days before the DOVE Awards aired, Forrest Frank - who has cemented himself as one of the most popular artists in the CCM space in recent years - took to Instagram to explain why he felt convicted to stop attending these ceremonies.

The ‘GOOD DAY’ chart-topper explained, “As Christians, it's hard to know where the line in the sand is between being in the world and not of the world. And as a Christian artist, you know, I dress kind of like the world, I kind of look like the world. My music can kind of sound like the world. So where's the line in the sand drawn?

He mused, ““I'm convicted, personally, that a line that I can draw is that I will not receive a trophy for something that is from Jesus and for Jesus, and I was wrestling with this last year. I even said that on stage at the DOVE awards, I said, ‘I'm still struggling with the concept of receiving this award, but all glory to Jesus’. Every name will fade away, including mine, except for one name. But I feel a conviction to go even a step further and say, ‘I don't know if I even want to step on the stage’. I don't know if I want to step in the room. And so I have decided to take a stance of non-participation. I will not be attending the DOVEs or the GRAMMYs”.

The Texas native passionately stressed, “I hope to be an example to the youth that the trophy is our salvation. The trophy is that my name is listed in the book of life, and I get to have eternal life. What good is a piece of metal gonna do compared to that?”

Jelly responded in the comments, questioning whether Forrest was being hypocritical, “This is an interesting take - I [dig] it , how do you think this compares as profiting from the same music. I love that you said “I don’t want to get a trophy for something that’s from Jesus for Jesus “ which is awesome - but also make MILLIONS of dollars doing that same thing that is From Jesus for Jesus”.

He expanded, “Won’t receive trophy for something from Jesus for Jesus but will take the profits from something from Jesus for Jesus. Maybe im missing something here lol”.

As we reflected in our piece last week, we understand both sides of this dispute. If Forrest feels convicted not to attend these ceremonies, then that is up to him - and who are we to judge him for that? By the same token, Jelly is clearly a big advocate for these awards shows as means of spreading the Gospel, with the country titan regularly using these platforms for this very purpose.

It seems to us that they're touching on different elements of awards shows - for Forrest, he is concerned that they give glory to individual artists, when all glory should go to God. For Jelly, he is less worried about this possibility, and views these shows as a means to an end - a way of championing his faith to a broad audience.

Both perspectives are perfectly valid, but what doesn't sit right is Jelly's decision to seemingly use this platform to throw shade at Forrest through his not-so-subtle “forest for the trees” quip. Perhaps he didn't mean this to be a slight, but given the timing and the out-of-the-blue nature of this phrase, if it wasn't an intentional dig at Forrest, then it's a very poor choice of words, given the circumstances.

Forrest has responded by taking the high road, though, and choosing to show love to Jelly and Brandon for their DOVE Awards triumph, rather than offering a barb of his own.

Forrest was recently the subject of mockery from fellow CCM artist Cory Asbury, after the former made a song about his broken back being miraculously healed, but after talking it out, the duo have since become friends and joined forces for ‘MISUNDERSTOOD’. We're hoping Forrest and Jelly get the opportunity soon to do something similar, and combine for a soul-stirring anthem that - given their respective star-power - would surely be a candidate for the 2026 Song of the Year DOVE Award. If this ended up being the case, it would be another example of what people often say about God having a great sense of humour.

For more on Forrest Frank, see below: