Singers, producers, filmmakers, songwriters and more gathered together Oct. 1 for the Gospel Music Association’s (GMA) Dove Awards ceremony.
The awards ceremony was hosted by Christian music artist and pastor Tauren Wells and was held at the Allen Arena in Nashville, Tennessee. This year marked the 55th annual GMA Dove Awards and was a night of love, laughter and unity for Christian creatives to come together, according to the GMA.
The award ceremony began with Gospel Contemporary Christian singer CeCe Winans and her choir dressed in white, performing her song, “That’s My King.”
Wells opened the awards portion with a few jokes, and showcased some of the attendees such as singer/songwriter Brandon Lake, who was nominated for 16 awards.
“He’s the man behind songs like “Praise,” “Praise You Anywhere,” “That’s Who I Praise,” Wells said. “In fact if he writes two more songs with the word praise, he’ll get a free smoothie.”
The night continued on with performances, upcoming Christian movie trailers, speeches and more.
Several artists including Anne Wilson, Forrest Frank, Winans and David Crowder performed powerful songs at the event.
Frank sang a mashup of his songs “No Longer Bound” and “Good Day.” After winning new artist of the year, he gave a heartwarming speech to the audience.
“I just want to say I feel so undeserving, because this is just all for him, and everything I do is for the Lord,” Frank said. “And for whatever reason, he’s chosen to give me some songs that have related to some people, and if he shuts it off and you know, doesn’t give me any more songs, that’s cool. If he continues to bless it, that’s great.”
During the awards ceremony, Wells played a voicemail he received from Contemporary Christian singer, Mandisa, who passed away in April and was a close friend of Wells. Following this, Natalie Grant sang “My Tribute (To God Be The Glory)” in memory of the lives lost this year.
Wells discussed painful experiences from this year, including the conflict in the Middle East and the hurricanes that have left many in devastation the last few months.
“Grappling with things like war, conflict, storms, trials can be heartbreaking and hard to understand, but we continue to trust God and believe that he is who he says he is and that he is truly working all things together … for our good and his ultimate glory,” Wells said.
The last award of the night was the artist of the year, awarded to Winans, who gave the final speech of the night.
“I’m known for my music. All over the world, people know me for my music, right? But God only knows me for my relationship with him,” Winans said. “He only knows us according to the way we know him.”
The night ended with a booming performance from Crowder, singing his song “Grave Robber.”
Denny is an opinion writer for the Liberty Champion.