NASHVILLE, Tenn. — This year’s GMA Dove Awards highlighted the power of collaboration and unity, as Brandon Lake swept the night’s biggest honors and brought down the house alongside Jelly Roll with one of the ceremony’s most memorable performances.
Held Tuesday at Bridgestone Arena for the first time in the show’s history, the 56th annual Dove Awards celebrated faith-driven artistry across genres, from worship and hip-hop to Latin and country, with messages of humility, hope and shared purpose emphasized throughout the night.
Lake took home the most awards of the night with five, including Songwriter of the Year and Song of the Year for “Hard Fought Hallelujah,” a collaboration with Jelly Roll.
Accepting the award, Lake gestured toward the crowd. “I was telling my great friend Dr. John Maxwell about this collaboration,” he said. “He told me, ‘Stay in the church, but never stop moving toward the lost.’ That’s what this is about.”
“Millions of lives have been saved,” he added, addressing Jelly Roll. “I get all the testimonies. I want to thank you so much for sticking your neck out for me and treating me like a little brother.”
Jelly Roll, who has often credited his faith for his personal transformation, spoke candidly about redemption, challenging audiences to live out their faith.
“I was thinking about Matthew, when he talks about belief, when he said, ‘When I was hungry, you fed me, when I was thirsty …’ I’m standing here because people took time with me. The world is hearing about Jesus like they have never before. Put faith on your feet and feet on your faith,” he said.
The duo also closed the night with a rousing performance of “Hard Fought Hallelujah,” joined by Grammy-winning pianist Jon Batiste.
Forrest Frank, who has become one of the most-streamed independent voices in Christian pop, won Artist of the Year, Pop/Contemporary Album of the Year for Child of God and Pop/Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year for “YOUR WAY’S BETTER.”
Despite his success, the 30-year-old artist controversially announced he wouldn’t be attending the ceremony a day prior due to a “personal conviction” that the “greatest award of all time” is salvation.
From the start, host Tauren Wells, who also performed his new song “Let the Church Sing,” framed the evening around the night’s mission: elevating the name of Jesus and pointing viewers to the hope found in the Gospel.
“We’re not just celebrating artists,” he said. “We want to honor everyone in this creative community, writers, producers, musicians, production crews, label representatives, agents, publishers, managers, interns, social media managers, photographers, radio reps and everyone who shines in the shadows.”
Later in the show, Wells also addressed cultural divisions directly, telling the audience about the role faith should play in healing.
“If the spirit in the world is pride, we don’t fight pride with pride. We fight pride with humility. If the spirit of the world is divisiveness, we fight with unity. If the spirit of the world is deception, we must fight with truth,” he emphasized. “The Church at its worst is an industry and a business and an organization. The Church at its best is a family.”
That spirit carried through the night’s worship performances. CeCe Winans, who won Gospel Worship Recorded Song of the Year for “Come Jesus Come” with Shirley Caesar, shared a message of faithfulness and perseverance.
“I’ve been in this industry since I was probably about 19 … and all I can say is that God is faithful,” Winans said. “We don’t do what we do for this. We do what we do for Jesus. All of us in here, we have an incredible opportunity. We get a chance to worship all over the world and do what we do. But we have an awesome responsibility, and that is to bring as many people as we can when Jesus returns.”
“Let’s remember why we do what we do so that God will be glorified, and so that as many souls as possible can come to know who Jesus is.”
Elevation Worship, joined by Brandon Lake and Chris Brown, took home Worship Recorded Song of the Year for “I Know a Name.”
Accepting the top song award, Lake recalled the unlikely way it was born. “Stephen Furtick wrote this song in my house, and we didn’t think much of it. And that’s why I love these stories of songs like ‘Gratitude’ and this one, ‘I Know a Name,’” he said. “Then I got the demo a few days later, and I was just flying like 90 down the highway. I was like, we got a song, y’all.’ … Collaboration is everything.”
Phil Wickham, whose song “The Jesus Way” earned Inspirational Recorded Song of the Year, read from Philippians while accepting his award, telling the audience, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility, value others above yourselves.”
The ceremony showcased the broad reach of Christian and gospel music. Performers included CeCe Winans, Lauren Daigle, Tamela Mann, Leanna Crawford, for KING + COUNTRY, Lecrae and ELEVATION RHYTHM.
Presenters included Aspen Kennedy, Karen Peck, Sarah Jakes Roberts, Lee Vasi and Sonya Isaacs, with appearances by Colton Dixon, Joel Courtney and John O’Leary, the latter two fresh off their collaboration in “Soul on Fire,” a faith-based film inspired by O’Leary’s true story.
A multi-artist Latin medley led by Israel & New Breed and Unified Sound featured Aaron Moses, Adrienne Bailon-Houghton, Christine D’Clario, Lucia Parker, Alex Campos and members of Miel San Marcos, earning one of the evening’s loudest ovations. Their rendition of “Coritos de Fuego” and “Amigo” celebrated the church’s global unity in multiple languages.
In honor of the Grand Ole Opry’s 100th anniversary, Opry members Lady A, Steven Curtis Chapman and Vince Gill performed a mashup of hymns and songs, including Lady A’s hit 2009 “I Run to You.” Country star Carrie Underwood also performed “If It Was Up To Me” alongside Ben Fuller as a surprise guest.
Crawford, who won New Artist of the Year, reflected on her nine-year journey in Nashville and unlikely rise to success.
“I moved to Nashville because I felt like I was called to write songs to hopefully encourage people and point them to Jesus,” she said. “There’s been a lot of ups and downs, a lot of moments that I wanted to just throw in the towel and give it up. But by God’s grace, He put people in my life that encouraged me, lifted me up, and pointed me back to Him.”
Autumn Nelon, accepting Southern Gospel Album of the Year for Loving You, fought back tears as she spoke about her late family members who died in a plane crash last year.
“This moment is incredibly special and honestly, a little bittersweet. It’s the first award that I’ve ever accepted without my family. This album is the last thing that we ever made together, and to see it honored like this just means more than words could ever express.”
“I wish more than anything that my family was standing here beside me today, but I know they’re honored and looking down and saying, ‘You did it, kid,’” she added.
Hulvey, who won Rap/Hip Hop Album of the Year for Cry, urged the audience to stay spiritually ready before closing in prayer.
“Maybe there’s bitterness in this room. Maybe there’s things that we don’t even want to share with anyone that’s just harboring deep within us. Strip it off. Because when He comes back, we’re going to be held accountable for the way we love each other.”
The 56th Annual GMA Dove Awards will air exclusively on TBN and the TBN+ app on Oct. 10 at 7:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. ET and simulcast on SiriusXM The Message.
2025 Dove Awards major winners
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Artist of the Year: Forrest Frank (absent)
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Song of the Year: “Hard Fought Hallelujah” — Brandon Lake, Jelly Roll
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Pop/Contemporary Album of the Year: Child of God — Forrest Frank
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Pop/Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year: “YOUR WAY’S BETTER” — Forrest Frank
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Worship Recorded Song of the Year: “I Know a Name” — Elevation Worship, Chris Brown, Brandon Lake
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Gospel Worship Recorded Song of the Year: “Come Jesus Come” — CeCe Winans, Shirley Caesar
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Inspirational Recorded Song of the Year: “The Jesus Way” — Phil Wickham
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Rap/Hip Hop Album of the Year: Cry — Hulvey
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Southern Gospel Album of the Year: Loving You — The Nelons
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New Artist of the Year: Leanna Crawford
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Spanish Language Album of the Year: Kintsugi — Un Corazón
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Feature Film of the Year: “The King of Kings”
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Television Series of the Year: “The Chosen”
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Producer of the Year: Jeff Pardo
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Songwriter of the Year (Artist): Brandon Lake
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Songwriter of the Year (Non-Artist): Mitch Wong
Leah M. Klett is a reporter for The Christian Post. She can be reached at: leah.klett@christianpost.com
