Event will be held in Oct in Nashville

The Gospel Music Association has announced nominees for the 53rd Annual GMA Dove Awards. Top nominations include songwriter and producer Jeff Pardo with nine nominations, Matthew West and Maverick City Music with seven nominations each, six nominations for Anne Wilson, Ben Glover, For King + Country, Jeff Sojka, Jonathan Smith and Phil Wickham and five for Brandon Lake, CeCe Winans, Chandler Moore, Chris Brown, Jonathan Jay, and Steven Furtick. Voted on by the GMA Professional Membership, this year’s nominees were chosen from over 2,087 submitted entries.

Nominees were announced in an artist-hosted livestream event featuring Jimmie Allen, Erica Campbell, Evan Craft, Sonya Isaacs, Brandon Lake, Trip Lee, Chris Tomlin, and Tye Tribbett. The announcement premiered live on the GMA Dove Awards YouTube and Facebook pages.

“Congratulations to this year’s impressive list of Dove Awards nominees,” says GMA President, Jackie Patillo. “For the past few years, we’ve chosen a theme for each show that represents our community and why we celebrate. Today we announced this year’s theme, Sound of Heaven. Although our musical styles may be different, our mission is the same. Together we lift one voice – the sound of heaven.”

Voting for the final winners will run August 18th through August 25th. The GMA Dove Awards are happening live and in person in Nashville, TN, October 18th. A limited number of tickets are still available. Music City Fan Experience tickets are also available featuring an unforgettable, multi-day Nashville get-a-way that includes tickets to the Dove Awards. This year’s broadcast will air exclusively on TBN and the TBN app, Friday, October 21st at 8 pm ET and 10 pm ET, with an encore presentation on October 28th at 8 pm ET and 10 pm ET.

Since 1964, the Gospel Music Association’s mission has been to expose, promote and celebrate the Gospel through music. As a trade organization, the GMA serves creatives and professionals within the Christian and Gospel music industry. It supports this richly diverse community by providing for basic needs through the GMA Foundation, preserving the legacies of the genre’s trailblazers through the GMA Gospel Music Hall of Fame, and celebrating the work of today’s artists through events like the GMA Dove Awards – which reaches millions of people around the world annually.

Song of the Year
  • “Be Alright” (Writers) Sean Cook, Evan Craft, Willy Gonzalez
  • “Believe For It” (Writers) Dwan Hill, Kyle Lee, CeCe Winans, Mitch Wong
  • “Come What May” (Writers) Darren Mulligan, Jeff Pardo
  • “Good God Almighty” (Writers) David Crowder, Ben Glover, Jeff Sojka
  • “Hold On To Me” (Writers) Lauren Daigle, Paul Duncan, Paul Mabury
  • “House Of The Lord” (Writers) Jonathan Smith, Phil Wickham
  • “Jireh” (Writers) Chris Brown, Steven Furtick, Chandler Moore, Naomi Raine
  • “Look What You’ve Done” (Writers) Tasha Layton, AJ Pruis, Keith Everette Smith, Matthew West
  • “My Jesus” (Writers) Jeff Pardo, Matthew West, Anne Wilson
  • “Promises” (Writers) Keila Alvarado, Joe L. Barnes, Dante Bowe, Phillip Carrington Gaines, Lemuel Marin, Aaron Moses
  • “Rattle!” (Writers) Chris Brown, Steven Furtick, Brandon Lake
Artist of the Year
  • CeCe Winans
  • For King + Country
  • Maverick City Music
  • We The Kingdom
  • Zach Wiliams
New Artist of the Year – Presented by Cantinas Arts
  • Anne Wilson
  • Blessing Offor
  • DOE
  • Jordan St. Cyr
  • Ryan Ellis
Rap/Hip Hop Album of the Year
  • No Church In A While – Lecrae, 1K Phew
  • The End. – Trip Lee
  • TWO UP TWO DOWN – Aaron Cole
  • Unstoppable (United We Can) – Angie Rose
  • UPPERHAND – indie tribe
Pop/Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year
  • “House of the Lord” – Phil Wickham
  • “In Jesus Name (God Of Possible)” – Katy Nichole
  • “My Jesus” – Anne Wilson
  • “RELATE” – FOR KING + COUNTRY
  • “Scars In Heaven” – Casting Crowns
Pop/Contemporary Album of the Year
  • Healer – Casting Crowns
  • Milk & Honey – Crowder
  • My Jesus – Anne Wilson
  • Rise Up – CAIN
  • What Are We Waiting For? – FOR KING + COUNTRY
Bluegrass/Country/Roots Recorded Song of the Year
  • “All Is Well” – Carrie Underwood
  • “God Is Real” – The Sound
  • “Grace And Goodness” – Sunday Drive
  • “In The Sweet By And By” – Dolly Parton, ft. Larry Cordle, Carl Jackson, Jerry Salley, Bradley Walker
  • “Mamas” – Anne Wilson, ft. Hillary Scott
Southern Gospel Album of the Year
  • 2:22 – Karen Peck & New River
  • Just Sing! – The Collingsworth Family
  • Keeping On – Ernie Haase & Signature Sound
  • More To The Story – The Kingsmen
  • Something New – Legacy Five
Contemporary Gospel Recorded Song of the Year
  • “Adulting – Live” – Jonathan McReynolds, Mali Music
  • “Believe For It” – CeCe Winans, ft. Lauren Daigle
  • “Gotta Believe” – Tasha Cobbs Leonard
  • “Sunday” – Koryn Hawthorne
  • “When I Pray” – DOE
Contemporary Gospel Album of the Year
  • Clarity – DOE
  • Jonny X Mail: Live in LA (Stereo) – Jonathan McReynolds & Mali Music
  • Jubilee: Juneteenth Edition – Maverick City Music
  • Oil + Water – Travis Greene
  • One Touch – Jabari Johnson
Gospel Worship Recorded Song of the Year
  • “Breathe” – Maverick City Music, ft. DOE, Jonathan McReynolds, Chandler Moore
  • “Goodness of God – Live” – CeCe Winans
  • “Jesus “ – Phil Thompson
  • “Lazarus” – Maranda Curtis
  • “Love Song” – Travis Greene, ft. Madison Binion
Worship Recorded Song of the Year – Presented by CCLI
  • “God, Turn It Around” – Jon Reddick
  • “Hymn of Heaven” – Phil Wickham
  • “I Speak Jesus” – Charity Gayle
  • “Jireh (Radio Version)” – Maverick City Music ft. Chandler Moore, Naomi Raine
  • “Know You Will” – Hillsong UNITED
Worship Album of the Year
  • Are We There Yet? – Hillsong UNITED
  • Homecoming (Live) – Bethel Music
  • Hymn of Heaven – Phil Wickham
  • LION – Elevation Worship
  • SEVEN (Live) – Brooke Ligertwood
Spanish Language Recorded Song of the Year
  • “A Ceigas” – Indieomar, Musiko
  • “Color de Alegria” – Andy Alemany, TWICE, Samuel ASH
  • “Danzando” – Gateway Worship Español, ft. Daniel Calveti, Becky Collazos, Christine D’Clario, Travy Joe, Josh Morales
  • “Júbilo” – Maverick City Música, Miel San Marcos
  • “Mi Salvador” – Mosaic Msc
Inspirational Film/Series of the Year
  • American Underdog
  • Blue Miracle
  • Redeeming Love
  • The Chosen
  • The Jesus Music