TRANG.Brandon Lake and Jelly Roll delivered an epic, rain-soaked performance of their award-winning collaboration, “Hard Fought Hallelujah,” at the 2025 GMA Dove Awards!
BRANDON LAKE & JELLY ROLL — THE RAIN PERFORMANCE THAT MADE THE WORLD CRY: “HARD FOUGHT HALLELUJAH” IS A MIRACLE OF FAITH AND REVIVAL AT GMA DOVE 2025
Nashville, Tennessee — The 2025 GMA Dove Awards will forever be remembered as a sacred moment of music and faith. When the raindrops began to fall on the outdoor stage, few would have guessed that the rain would become the perfect backdrop for a performance that touched the hearts of millions around the world.
Amidst the pouring rain, Brandon Lake — a contemporary worship icon — and Jelly Roll — a country/hip-hop star with a painful past — stepped onto the stage in a dim blue light. They held hands, bowed their heads, and as the first chords of “Hard Fought Hallelujah” rang out, the crowd fell silent.
🎶 A Song, a Journey of Tears and Triumph
“Hard Fought Hallelujah” is more than just an award-winning song — it’s a testimony of suffering, faith, and redemption. Jelly Roll shared backstage:
“I used to think I wasn’t worthy to sing a song of thanksgiving. But then God showed me that it’s the scars that make ‘Hallelujah’ real.”
Brandon Lake — who co-wrote the song — called it “a song for the broken souls who still believe in the light.” And indeed, on stage that night, he sang with all his heart, his eyes filled with tears while the rain mixed with his tears.
🌧 Rain turns into miracle
The miracle happened when the performance started in the middle of a heavy rain. The technical team wanted to pause, but Brandon and Jelly Roll continued. As Jelly Roll sang her characteristic hoarse voice, the rain fell heavier and heavier, the stage lights reflecting on the water like drops of grace from heaven.
The audience — instead of holding umbrellas or leaving — stood up, raised their hands, and sang along with the chorus:
“Hallelujah — the fight was hard, but grace has won.”
In that moment, thousands of people cried together. One audience member described: “I have seen hundreds of performances, but I have never felt like I was witnessing a miracle.”
🙏 When Music Becomes a Prayer
At the end of the song, Brandon Lake knelt down, clutching the microphone, while Jelly Roll lifted her head to the sky, rain running down her face. No one in the audience could hold back tears. The applause was thunderous, lasting for nearly three minutes without stopping.
Many artists in the audience, including Lauren Daigle, TobyMac, and Zach Williams, also stood up to clap and hug each other. It was a moment of unity, with no boundaries between artist and audience — only faith, gratitude, and love.
🌟 A Legacy of Faith and Hope
After the performance ended, social media exploded. The hashtag #HardFoughtHallelujah quickly trended worldwide. Fans wrote:
“It wasn’t music — it was a prayer in melody.”
“The rain didn’t put them out, it washed away all the pain.”
And perhaps, that is why this performance is called “miracle in the rain” — where two people who once carried wounds stood up together, sang about redemption, to remind us that: faith always wins, no matter how fierce the battle.
