NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Oct. 15, 2019) – The Gospel Music Association celebrated the 50th Annual Dove Awards with a sold out crowd in Nashville, TN. The special evening shined a light on Christian and Gospel music’s rich and diverse history and showcased the future of exceptional artistry. The awards will be televised on TBN (Trinity Broadcasting Network) on Sunday, October 20 at 8 p.m. EST / 5 p.m. PST. The big winners of the night were songwriter Jason Ingram with four Dove Awards and superstar Lauren Daigle, who took home three awards. Daigle won awards for “Song of the Year,” “Artist of the Year” and “Pop/Contemporary Album of the Year.” Composer Wayne Haun along with producer Paul Mabury also won three awards while Gospel singer Kirk Franklin, Tasha Cobbs Leonard and Lecrae took two. First-time winners of the night included Aaron Cole, “New Artist of the Year,” Phil Wickham, “Worship Recorded Song of the Year,” and Keith and Kristyn Getty, “Inspirational Album of the Year.”

Tribute performances included an iconic on-stage collaboration featuring Steven Curtis Chapman, Amy Grant, CeCe Winans, and Michael W. Smith as well as a Bill and Gloria Gaither tribute. Performers included artists both familiar and new: Casting Crowns, Matthew West, Hillsong Worship, Jekalyn Carr, MercyMe, TobyMac, Kelontae Gavin and many more lit up the stage for the evening. See the full list of winners here.

All photos courtesy of Terry Wyatt, Jason Davis, Jamie Gilliam and Grant Exline.

Partial list of winners:

ARTIST OF THE YEAR: Lauren Daigle

NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR: Aaron Cole

SONG OF THE YEAR: “You Say” – writers Jason Ingram, Paul Mabury, Lauren Daigle, (publishers) CentricSongs, Fellow Ships Music, Flychild Publishing, So Essential Tunes

SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR (ARTIST): Bart Millard

SOUTHERN GOSPEL ARTIST OF THE YEAR: Gaither Vocal Band

GOSPEL ARTIST OF THE YEAR: Kirk Franklin

INSPIRATIONAL FILM OF THE YEAR: Breakthrough (director) Roxann Dawson (producers) DeVon Franklin and Jessica Dunn

For the first time ever, SiriusXM covered the GMA Dove Awards live on Channel 63 “The Message,” broadcasting the telecast and a pre-show special from the red carpet. Watch the telecast of the GMA Dove Awards on Sunday, Oct. 20 at 8 p.m. EST / 5 p.m. EST.

Select quotes and highlights from the 50th Annual GMA Dove Awards:

“It’s an extreme honor to be in the same category as Jekalyn, Travis, Tasha, Koryn. You young artists are breathing so much life in this genre. It is an honor to be able to hold open the door and let you run in. You young artists are gonna do greater things than we’ve ever done. It’s an honor to be in this room with all these incredible men and women. I’m not as tall as y’all…but I am a super fan of all of you guys!” – Kirk Franklin, “Contemporary Gospel Recorded Song of the Year” and “Gospel Artist of the Year”

“This is an honor for many reasons but one, to see the support of so many people- it’s overwhelming.” – Lauren Daigle, “Artist of the Year,” “Song of the Year” and “Pop/Contemporary Album of the Year”

“There is a move of God happening… the world doesn’t know it but the kingdom is rumbling. We don’t serve a God who used to do miracles… we serve a God who does miracles right now!” – Tasha Cobbs Leonard, “Gospel Worship Recorded Song of the Year” and “Gospel Worship Album of the Year

“There’s richness in diversity, and I’m seeing it tonight. It’s something we have to take into this world. We are required to share this love with the world. We are beautiful when we are together.” – TobyMac, “Contemporary Christian Artist of the Year”

About Gospel Music Association & Foundation:
Founded in 1964, the Gospel Music Association serves as the face and voice for the Gospel/Christian music community and is dedicated to exposing, promoting and celebrating the Gospel through music of all styles. The GMA produces the GMA Dove Awards, The GMA Hall of Fame Induction and Honors Ceremony and the IMMERSE Conference. For more on supporting the GMA or becoming a member, please visit www.gospelmusic.org.

About SiriusXM:
Sirius XM Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: SIRI) is the world’s largest audio entertainment company, and the premier programmer and platform for subscription- and advertising-supported audio products. With the recent addition of Pandora, the largest streaming music provider in the U.S., SiriusXM reaches more than 100 million people with its audio products. For more about the new SiriusXM, please go to: SiriusXM.com.

About the Trinity Broadcasting Network:
TBN is the world’s largest and most watched faith-and-family broadcaster, reaching over 175 nations across the earth with inspirational and entertaining programming 24 hours a day in 14 languages and on 32 global networks. As the world’s most influential non-profit religious broadcaster, TBN has led the way in expanding the impact of faith-based television across the earth through the creation of innovative content designed to reach every viewer demographic with the life-changing message of hope and grace. To find out more about the TBN Networks, visit us at tbn.org.

Courtesy of Wortman Works