Forrest Frank Stands Firm on Christian Music Award-Show Abstinence Amid Jelly Roll Critique
Forrest Frank Stands Firm on Christian Music Award-Show Abstinence Amid Jelly Roll Critique. Forrest Frank has drawn a clear line in the sand: he won’t accept trophies for music he believes is “from Jesus and for Jesus.”
The Surfaces co-founder and solo Christian artist said the conviction crystallised in an Oct. 6 Instagram video, adding that he intends to skip award shows going forward. The stance quickly escaped church-music corners and entered the mainstream cycle this week.
Country star Jelly Roll questioned the logic in a pointed comment that ricocheted across social media: “Won’t receive a trophy for something from Jesus for Jesus, but will take the profits from something from Jesus for Jesus. Maybe I’m missing something here lol.” His scepticism helped ignite a broader conversation about faith, commerce, and recognition in Christian music.
Frank responded with a long, measured message. He said he had avoided Christian music for years because he “didn’t want to make a business out of Jesus.” He later released what he called a “quiet-time song,” and because it was self-written and self-produced, the money came to him legally. What happens to that money, he added, is a private matter of discipleship: “Your left hand isn’t supposed to know from your right hand… y’all are never gonna know that because that’s my relationship with Jesus.” He reiterated that his personal line is award shows: “I will not receive a trophy for something that is from Jesus and for Jesus.”
The flashpoint is simple to state and hard to resolve. Awards exist to honour excellence. Christian artists, however, often wrestle with whether prizes distort the heart of worship by making it transactional. Frank’s solution is abstention. Jelly Roll’s counter is consistent: if awards are inappropriate, what about revenue, merch, and touring? Their back-and-forth has become a Rorschach test for audiences weighing sincerity, stewardship, and the realities of making a living in music.
What is uncontested is the clarity of Frank’s conviction. “I’m convinced, personally, that a line I can draw is that I will not receive a trophy for something that is from Jesus and for Jesus,” he said, framing trophies as earthly symbols that risk competing with a higher reward. Whether more artists follow his path or push back with Jelly Roll’s pragmatism, the debate has forced the industry to revisit a perennial question: what does faithfulness look like when art, ministry, and money meet on the same stage?
About The Author
