The 53rd Annual GMA Dove Awards were held on Tuesday October 18th in Nashville to a sold-out crowd. Christian music superstars, Erica Campbell and Chris Tomlin, served as co-hosts. There were performances from across music genres, including gospel, Latin, pop, hip hop, contemporary Christian, and bluegrass.
The theme for this year’s ceremony was “Sound of Heaven.”
At the show, history was made. CeCe Winans became the first Black female solo artist to win Artist of the Year at the Dove Awards. She also won for her single, “Believe for It” for Song Of the Year, which spent 12 weeks at No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Gospel Songs chart.
CeCe Winans has now won an impressive 25 Dove Awards throughout her career. She even won the first New Artist of the Year award in 1988 with her brother BeBe Winans.
Other winners included:
CeCe Winans- Artist of the Year
“Believe for It”- Song of the Year
Anne Wilson- New Artist of the Year
Anne Wilson- Pop/Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year: “My Jesus”
for KING & COUNTRY- Pop/Contemporary Album of the Year: What Are We Waiting For
Tasha Cobbs Leonard- Contemporary Gospel Recorded Song of the Year: “Gotta Believe”
DOE- Contemporary Gospel Album of the Year
Jekalyn Carr- Traditional Gospel Recorded Song of the Year: “My Portion”
Ricky Dillard- Traditional Gospel Album of the Year: Breakthrough: The Exodus (Live)
Maverick City Music, ft. DOE, Jonathan McReynolds, Chandler Moore- Gospel Worship Recorded Song of the Year: “Breathe”
Tribl, Maverick City Music- Gospel Worship Album of the Year: Tribl Nights Atlanta
Phil Wickham- Worship Recorded Song of the Year: “Hymn of Heavens”
Phil Wickham- Worship Album of the Year: Hymn Of Heaven –
Lecrae, 1K Phew- Rap/Hip Hop Album of the Year: No Church In A While
NEEDTOBREATHE- Rock/Contemporary Album of the Year: Into The Mystery
Jordan Smith- Inspirational Album of the Year: Be Still & Know
Ernie Haase & Signature Sound- Southern Gospel Album of the Year: Keeping On
Marcos Witt- Spanish Language Album of Year: “Viviré”
Jeff Pardo- Producer of the Year
Tauren Wells, ft. Aaron Cole- Short Form Music Video of the Year (Performance): “Fake It”
for KING & COUNTRY- Long Form Video of the Year: What Are We Waiting For? | The Worldwide Special
The show aired on October 21st, exclusively on TBN and was simulcast on SiriusXM.
The Dove Award is a trademark of the Gospel Music Association (GMA) of the United States. The awards were established in 1969 to honor the best in Christian and gospel music. Nominees are screened based on: '...The historically orthodox Christian faith contained in or derived from the Holy Bible; or apparently prompted and informed by a Christian world-view.'