The Gospel Music Association (GMA) has announced the nominees for the 57th Annual GMA Dove Awards, with Phil Wickham emerging as the year’s leading male nominee with nine nominations and CeCe Winans leading all female artists with seven.
The nominations recognize another year of growth and influence across Christian and Gospel music, with Wickham and Winans among five artists competing for the prestigious Artist of the Year award. They are joined in the category by Brandon Lake, Josiah Queen, and Lauren Daigle.
The 57th Annual GMA Dove Awards will take place on Tuesday, October 6, 2026, at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena, with the ceremony set to celebrate artists, songwriters, producers, and creatives shaping the Christian and Gospel music landscape.
Eight-time Dove Award winner Tauren Wells will return as host for the fourth consecutive year. His return marks one of the longest hosting runs in the history of the awards, while he also takes on an expanded role as an Executive Producer of the ceremony. Wells is additionally nominated in two categories and will perform during the show.
“The Dove Awards are more than just an awards show,” Wells said. “The promise of scripture is if two or three people come together that Jesus is in our midst. We know this isn’t about trophies; it’s about elevating the name of Jesus and celebrating those who have done that very well this year.”
Behind the year’s leading artists, some of Christian music’s most influential songwriters and producers also received significant recognition. Jonathan Smith leads all nominees with 14 nominations, followed by Jacob Sooter with 12 and Steven Furtick with 11.
The awards are also highlighting a new generation of Christian music talent through the New Artist of the Year category. This year’s nominees are bodie, Emerson Day, Jamie MacDonald, Megan Woods, and SEU Worship, reflecting the continued emergence of fresh voices across the genre.
This year’s Dove Awards theme, “Together For One,” draws inspiration from Colossians 3:14 and emphasizes unity within the Christian music community.
“Every year, the Dove Awards bring the diverse voices of the Christian music community together to celebrate the God we all serve, and that’s exactly the heart behind this year’s theme, ‘Together For One,'” said Jackie Patillo, President of the Gospel Music Association. “This year’s class of nominees embodies that spirit, creating life-changing music that continues to unite people across the globe.”
Among the year’s most notable categories, Song of the Year features songs including Phil Wickham’s “Homesick For Heaven” and “What An Awesome God,” Josiah Queen and Brandon Lake’s “Can’t Steal My Joy,” “Come Jesus Come,” “God I’m Just Grateful,” “I Know A Name,” and “Mighty Name Of Jesus.”
The Worship Recorded Song of the Year category also features a strong field, with Elevation Worship and Chandler Moore’s “God I’m Just Grateful,” Chris Tomlin’s “How Good It Is,” Hope Darst and Josh Baldwin’s “Mighty Name Of Jesus,” Phil Wickham’s “What An Awesome God,” and CeCe Winans’ “Worthy Of It All (Worthy).”
In Contemporary Gospel Recorded Song of the Year, nominees include Tasha Cobbs Leonard’s “Already Good (Tasha Slide),” ANTHNY’s “imposter syndrome,” Mariah Carey’s “Jesus I Do” featuring The Clark Sisters, Jonathan McReynolds and Jamal Roberts’ “Still (Live),” and Tauren Wells and Pastor Mike Jr.’s “Sunday Morning.”
The ceremony will also recognize Christian music across genres including Rap/Hip Hop, Rock/Contemporary, Country/Roots, Spanish-language music, Pop/Contemporary, Southern Gospel, and Gospel Worship.
Outside of recorded music, the Dove Awards will celebrate Christian storytelling through categories including Feature Film of the Year, where A Great Awakening, DAVID, I Can Only Imagine 2, Sarah’s Oil, and Soul on Fire are nominated, as well as Television Series of the Year, featuring Duck Dynasty: The Revival, House of David, The Chosen, The Promised Land, and The Wingfeather Saga.
The 57th Annual GMA Dove Awards will be broadcast exclusively on TBN and the TBN+ App on Friday, October 9, at 7:30 PM and 10 PM ET, with a rebroadcast scheduled for October 16 at the same times. Fans can also listen to the ceremony on SiriusXM’s The Message during the October 9 simulcast.
The weekend will also feature the Dove Awards Music City Fan Experience, offering fans an immersive celebration of Christian and Gospel music. The package includes premium seating for the awards ceremony, a Night of Worship at the Ryman Auditorium featuring Elevation Worship, the New Artist of the Year Showcase, The Drop, a riverboat lunch cruise with artist and songwriter performances, a three-night stay at the Sheraton Grand Nashville Downtown, and transportation to Fan Experience events.
This year’s nominees were selected by GMA Professional Members from more than 2,800 submitted entries, with final-round voting scheduled for August 7-14, 2026.
As the GMA prepares to celebrate its 57th annual awards ceremony, the “Together For One” theme places unity at the center of an event designed to honor the artists and creators using music to carry the Christian message to audiences around the world.
The 57th Annual GMA Dove Awards are produced by the Gospel Music Association in partnership with TPR, with Jackie Patillo, Justin Fratt, and Tauren Wells serving as executive producers. Curtis Stoneberger and Paul Wright serve as producers, while Russell E. Hall returns as director.
Full list of nominees for the GMA Dove Awards 2026
Song of the Year Presented by MultiTracks.com
- “Can’t Steal My Joy” (Writers) Josiah Queen, Brandon Lake, Hank Bentley, Jacob Sooter
- “Come Jesus Come” (Writers) Hank Bentley, Bryan Fowler, Stephen McWhirter, Tara McWhirter
- “Dusty Bibles” (Writers) Josiah Queen, Zac Lawson, Dylan Thomas, John Michael Howell
- “God I’m Just Grateful” (Writers) Chandler Moore, Pat Barrett, Steven Furtick, Abubakar Baker Shariff-Farr, Joshua Coleman
- “Homesick For Heaven” (Writers) Phil Wickham, Jonathan Smith
- “I Know A Name” (Writers) Steven Furtick, Brandon Lake, Jacob Sooter, Hank Bentley
- “Left It In The River” (Writers) Jamie MacDonald, Jonathan Gamble, Colby Wedgeworth
- “Mighty Name Of Jesus” (Writers) Hope Darst, Jacob Sooter, Lauren Sloat
- “No Fear” (Writers) Jon Reddick, Matthew West, Jeff Pardo
- “What An Awesome God” (Writers) Phil Wickham, Jonathan Smith, Rich Mullins
Artist of the Year
- Brandon Lake
- CeCe Winans
- Josiah Queen
- Lauren Daigle
- Phil Wickham
New Artist of the Year Presented by Cantinas Arts Foundation
- bodie
- Emerson Day
- Jamie MacDonald
- Megan Woods
- SEU Worship
Rap/Hip Hop Recorded Song of the Year
- “Bless You” – Lecrae, Torey D’Shaun
- “DAVE” – Hulvey
- “God Did II” – RUA YOUNG, KB
- “ROB HELL” – indie tribe, nobigdyl., Torey D’Shaun (ft. Jon Keith)
- “Yes” – Steven Malcolm, for KING & COUNTRY, KB
Rock/Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year
- “eyes on Him” – Strings & Heart
- “idols” – Stephen Stanley
- “No Survivors” – Jeremy Camp (ft. Skillet)
- “SEVENS” – Brandon Lake
- “The Love I Have For You” – Colton Dixon
Country/Roots Recorded Song of the Year
- “Black Sheep” – Ben Fuller
- “Broken Man Can” – Scotty Inman
- “Speaking Terms” – Ella Langley
- “Still Do” – Anne Wilson, Cole Swindell
- “The Jesus I Know Now” – Brandon Lake, Lainey Wilson
Contemporary Gospel Recorded Song of the Year
- ” Already Good (Tasha Slide)” – Tasha Cobbs Leonard
- “imposter syndrome” – ANTHNY
- “Jesus I Do” – Mariah Carey (ft. The Clark Sisters)
- “Still (Live)” – Jonathan McReynolds, Jamal Roberts
- “Sunday Morning” – Tauren Wells, Pastor Mike Jr.
Spanish Language Recorded Song of the Year
- “ABCD” – Daddy Yankee (ft. Alex Zurdo)
- “CRISTO (En vivo desde la Prision de El Salvador)” – Miel San Marcos, Josh Morales, Luis Morales Jr.
- “DIGNO” – Nate Diaz (ft. Aaron Moses, Israel Houghton)
- “Necesito a Cristo (En Vivo)” – Karen Espinosa
- “Tu Voz” – Sarai Rivera
Worship Recorded Song of the Year Presented by CCLI
- “God I’m Just Grateful” – Elevation Worship, Chandler Moore
- “How Good It Is” – Chris Tomlin
- “Mighty Name Of Jesus” – Hope Darst, Josh Baldwin
- “What An Awesome God” – Phil Wickham
- “Worthy Of It All (Worthy)” – CeCe Winans
Pop/Contemporary Album of the Year
- Counting My Blessings -Seph Schlueter
- Jamie MacDonald – Jamie MacDonald
- King Of Hearts – Brandon Lake
- Mt. Zion – Josiah Queen
- Walk Through Fire – Ben Fuller
Southern Gospel Album of the Year
- Forever – Tribute Quartet
- Good Answers – Karen Peck & New River
- Steadfast Love – The Craguns
- Then Came the Morning – Gaither Vocal Band
- This Is The Time I Must Sing – The Martins
Gospel Worship Album of the Year
- Greater – Todd Galberth
- Live at Redemption Church – Red Worship
- More Than This (Deluxe Edition) – CeCe Winans
- Promises: The Best Of Todd Dulaney – Todd Dulaney
- Soundcheck – VaShawn Mitchell
Short Form Music Video of the Year (Concept)
- “Heaven On My Mind” – TobyMac
- “I’ve Got A Fire” – Pat Barrett
- “Raised By Wolves” – Franni Cash
- “SEVENS” – Brandon Lake
- “World On Fire” – for KING & COUNTRY, Taylor Hill
Feature Film of the Year
- A Great Awakening
- DAVID
- I Can Only Imagine 2
- Sarah’s Oil
- Soul on Fire
Television Series of the Year
- Duck Dynasty: The Revival
- House of David
- The Chosen
- The Promised Land
- The Wingfeather Saga