For Portage la Prairie’s Jake Fretz, the past year has been filled with milestones.
Born & raised on the bustling shores of the Great Lakes, Jake now thrives in the Canadian prairies where he lives to inspire others to find their unique God-given identity, and to celebrate the diverse unity of the Kingdom.
The local musician has been nominated for Spiritual Artist of the Year at the Western Canadian Music Awards, is preparing to perform at Harvest Festival alongside Tim and the Glory Boys, and continues to balance life as a recording artist, Reverend, husband and father.
“It’s a real honour to be nominated for that and also an honour to be nominated alongside all those other great artists,” said Fretz.
The nomination recognizes his 2025 album Run and Rest, a project that explores the tension between life’s busy seasons and the need to slow down and find peace.
Finding balance in a busy world
Fretz said the album grew out of questions many people wrestle with daily.
“One of the things that’s really important about this album is that it is a comparison of what does it look like to run and rest,” he explained. “What does it look like to have the hurry and the hustle and then hush and waiting when you are doing life with God and doing life with one another?”
The album has opened doors for more live performances and opportunities to share both his music and the stories behind the songs.
In addition to promoting the album, Fretz recently released a collaborative single with Vancouver artist Cynthia Locke and has another radio release planned later this month.
More than just music
Over the past two years, he has also been working toward becoming a Reverend with The Alliance Canada, recently completing a major step in the process.
“I’ve been studying over the last two years to become a reverend,” he said. “Just recently passed my interview, so that’s been a learning process, but it’s been really good.”
Returning to school later in life presented challenges, but Fretz said the experience has been rewarding.
“It’s been a lot of fun being a student, being an artist, being a pastor, and most of all, just being a community member and getting to share what I’m learning with other people.”
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Putting people first
With a growing music career, church responsibilities and family life, balancing priorities can be difficult. Fretz believes the key is focusing on people before tasks.
“When I stop and I start to prioritize the people around me over top of the tasks that I want to get done, I find that I have the time to be able to do all the things that are actually important,” he said.
He admits there was a time when ambition often came first.
“Every time I tried to chase ambition or tried to chase the goals, I ended up hurting people in the process,” he said. “Now I start to trade it and say, if I’m going to be a good artist, then I’ve got to be a good husband. If I’m going to be a good artist, I’ve got to be a good father. If I’m going to be a good artist, I’ve got to be a good neighbour.”
Fretz says that shift in perspective has not only strengthened relationships but has also improved his creativity and productivity.
Creativity inspired by everyday life
As the father of four children involved in sports and activities throughout the community, much of Fretz’s creative process now happens away from recording studios.
“Creativity is not just happening in a studio,” he said. “Creativity is happening in the life around me.”
Whether he’s sitting at a soccer field, watching a basketball game or driving between activities, he often uses those moments to record ideas and work on future songs.
With more collaborations planned and new music expected later this year, Fretz says listeners can look forward to hearing more from him in the months ahead.
“Keep your eyes open because there are more collaborations coming this year,” he said. “I’m really excited to be able to share the creative process with more Canadian artists.”
For now, the Portage musician is focused on continuing to create, serve his community and enjoy the opportunities that have come his way.
“It’s always a collaborative process,” said Fretz. “It takes an army to raise one of these fools, to be able to get all these crazy ideas out of our heads and out of our hearts and put them onto the sound waves and then share them around.”
Awards and Nominations
AWARDS:
GMA CANADA Covenant Awards: 2023 Worship Song of the Year (LOOK UP)
GMA CANADA Covenant Awards: 2023 Adult Contemporary Song of the Year (MY HOME)
GMA CANADA Covenant Awards: 2023 Collaboration of the Year (MY HOME)
Selah Music Awards: 2025 Canadian Collaboration Song of the Year (PROMISE)
NOMINATIONS:
Western Canadian Music Awards: Spiritual Artist of the Year (2021)
GMA CANADA Covenant Awards: Breakthrough Artist of the Year (2022)
GMA CANADA Covenant Awards: Worship Song of the Year (2022)
GMA CANADA Covenant Awards: Canadian Christian Song of the Year (2021)
GMA CANADA Covenant Awards: Seasonal Song of the Year (2021)
GMA CANADA Covenant Awards: Male Vocalist of the Year (2023)
GMA CANADA Covenant Awards: Worship Artist of the Year (2023)