Nominations for the 51st Annual GMA Dove Awards were announced by the Gospel Music Association (GMA). This year’s nominees include a mix of new and veteran musicians with CCM artists Zach Williams and for King & Country leading the pack with five nominations each.
Also garnering attention are first-time nominees Kanye West and Gloria Gaynor
West, who released Jesus is King in October 2019 through GOOD Music, is nominated for Rap/Hip Hop Recorded Song of the Year, Rap/Hip Hop Album of the Year and Traditional Gospel Album of the Year.
Nominated for Bluegrass/Country/Roots Recorded Song of the Year for “He Won’t Let Go” and Bluegrass/Country/Roots Album of the Year for Testimony, Gaynor has already received a Grammy Award for Best Roots Gospel Album.
Other artists topping the nomination list include Lauren Daigle, Hillsong Worship, Jonathan McReynolds, and Kirk Franklin, each receiving four nods this year.
“The GMA is honored to continue its legacy of celebrating our diverse creative community and the music that moves us and ministers to us all, especially during these trying times,” GMA president Jackie Patillo said in a statement.
On a recent episode of the Between the Grooves podcast, embedded below, hosts James Kurtis and Drew Brown broke down some of the nominees before welcoming Community Music‘s Lucas & Evelyn Cortazio to talk about adapting worship services and the church connecting online.
This year, the GMA Dove Awards will be a broadcast-only celebration, themed #CarryTheChange for “recognizing an array of new songs and first-time nominees, as well as esteemed performers and hit songs that have been a bright light during this difficult time,” the organization said in a statement on their website.
Between August 20 and 27, voting runs to select the winners, which will be announced in the live awards show on October 30 on Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN). Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the awards show will be feature pre-recorded performances and acceptance speeches. For more information about the GMA Dove Awards visit doveawards.com.
The 2020 nominations were presented by artists Brooke Ligertwood (Hillsong Worship), Joel Smallbone (for KING & COUNTRY), Anthony Brown, Christine D’Clario, Joseph Habedank, and Aaron Cole from their homes.
Below are the nominations announced live on GMA Facebook or GMA YouTube. View the complete list of 2020 Nominees here.
- Artist of the Year: for King & Country, Hillsong Worship, Lauren Daigle, Tasha Cobbs Leonard, Zach Williams
- Gospel Artist of the Year: Jekalyn Carr, Jonathan McReynolds, Kirk Franklin, Tasha Cobbs Leonard, Travis Greene
- Rap/hip-hop Album of the Year: Aaron Cole’s Not By Chance, Andy Mineo’s Work in Progress, Gawvi’s Heathen, Kanye West’s Jesus Is King, Social Club Misfits’ Mood // Doom
- Rock/Contemporary Album of the Year: Apollo LTD’s Out of Body, Demon Hunter’s War, Disciple’s Love Letter, Red’s Declaration, Skillet’s Victorious
- Pop/Contemporary Album of the Year: Jeremy Camp’s The Story’s Not Over, Tauren Wells’ Citizens of Heaven, Unspoken’s Reason, We the Kingdom’s Live at the Wheelhouse, Zach Williams’ Rescue Story
- Spanish language Album of the Year: Alex Campos’ Soldados, Barak’s Shekinah (Live), Elevation Worship’s Aleluya (En La Tierra), Jesus Adrian Romero’s Origen y Esencia, Un Corazon y Lead’s Sinergia
- New Artist of the Year: Chris Renzema, Cochren & Co., Elle Limebear, Switch, We the Kingdom
