Some of Christian and gospel music’s most gifted performers were honored at the 53rd annual GMA Dove Awards show where history was made this year.
The top award was taken home by CeCe Winans, who won Artist of the Year and Song of the Year for her No. 1 Billboard hit, “Believe for It.” The multi-Grammy-winning gospel singer became the first African American female solo artist to be named Artist of the Year at the Dove Awards.
When she accepted her Artist of the Year award, Winans belted out the hymn, “To God Be the Glory.”
Winans added, “It is amazing when we come together, love each other and stand for righteousness what God will do. … I am believing for God to move in this industry like He has never moved before.”
Held on the campus of Nashville’s Lipscomb University, the awards ceremony, for which this year’s theme was “Sound of Heaven,” aired on TBN. The show kicked off with Gospel Music Association President and CEO Jackie Patillo and Lipscomb University President Candice McQueen welcoming the audience of gospel and contemporary Christian music fans.
Other winners included David Crowder who earned Rock/Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year for “Higher Power.” He started off the night’s performances by singing his hit song, “Good God Almighty.”
Worship leader Phil Wickham was awarded Worship Album of the Year for his album Hymn of Heaven, along with Worship Recorded Song of the Year and Songwriter of the Year.
During Friday night’s show, he took to the stage to perform “House of the Lord.”