Nominees for GMA Dove Awards 2025: Brandon Lake Leads with 9 Nods (Full List)
The Gospel Music Association (GMA) has officially announced the nominees for the 56th Annual GMA Dove Awards, and Brandon Lake leads the pack with an impressive nine nominations, affirming his remarkable impact across genres and collaborations over the past year. The prestigious event, a cornerstone of Christian and Gospel music, is set to take place on October 7, 2025, at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, celebrating a vibrant year of creativity, worship, and groundbreaking music.
Artist of the Year Contenders
Joining Brandon Lake in the coveted Artist of the Year category are CeCe Winans, Forrest Frank, Josiah Queen, Lauren Daigle, and Phil Wickham. These nominees reflect a powerful mix of seasoned voices and boundary-pushing talent shaping today’s faith-based music landscape.
This year’s nominee announcements added a personal touch, shared through surprise FaceTime calls by previous Dove Award winners including CAIN, Jekalyn Carr, Katy Nichole, Karen Peck, and Pastor Mike Jr. on the GMA Dove Awards Instagram account.
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A New Wave of Emerging Artists
The 2025 class of first-time nominees showcases a vibrant and diverse group of rising stars from across genres, such as Abbie Gamboa, Caleb Gordon, Leanna Crawford, Marcus Cole, Megan Woods, Miles Minnick, ONE HOUSE, JWLKRS Worship, Gabriel EMC, and Zane & Donna King, among others. These newcomers signal the future of Christian music with fresh perspectives and innovative sounds.
Theme: Creation Sings
The theme for this year’s Dove Awards is Creation Sings, inspired by the beauty of worship as a reflection of God’s glory in all of creation. Host Tauren Wells shared, “Our music is just a reflection of a much greater song… one that began when God spoke the world into existence. From the rhythms of the ocean to the harmonies of human praise, all of creation is echoing His glory.”
The show will air exclusively on TBN and the TBN+ App on Friday, October 10 at 7:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. ET, and will also be simulcast on SiriusXM The Message. A re-airing is scheduled for Friday, October 17 at the same times.
GMA President Jackie Patillo expressed excitement for the celebration ahead: “We love honoring the incredible gifts of our community of artists, songwriters, producers, and creatives. I look forward to celebrating with you at Bridgestone Arena this October.”
This year’s Dove Awards nominees were selected from over 2,800 submissions, voted on by the GMA Professional Membership. Final round voting runs from August 7 to August 14, 2025.
Notable Nominations: Songs and Albums
Among the standout categories:
Song of the Year includes powerful entries like:
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“Counting My Blessings” by Seph Schlueter, Jordan Sapp, and Jonathan Gamble
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“Hard Fought Hallelujah” by Brandon Lake, Jelly Roll, Steven Furtick, Chris Brown, and Benjamin William Hastings
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“The Prodigal” by Josiah Queen and Jared Marc
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“Up!” by Forrest Frank and Connor Price
New Artist of the Year honors rising talents such as Abbie Gamboa, Patrick Mayberry, and Strings and Heart, while Worship Recorded Song of the Year features live favorites like “At The Altar” by ELEVATION RHYTHM and “What A God” by SEU Worship.
The Pop/Contemporary and Gospel Worship categories highlight hits like “Still Waters (Psalm 23)” by Leanna Crawford and “Come Jesus Come” by CeCe Winans and Shirley Caesar.
The Rap/Hip Hop Album of the Year nods include strong entries like Christlike California by Miles Minnick, SORRY I CHANGED AGAIN by Aaron Cole, and The People We Became by nobigdyl.
Also recognized are contributions in film and television, such as The Chosen, God. Family. Football., and The King of Kings.
Celebrate the Sound of Heaven
This year’s Dove Awards promises an unforgettable night filled with worship, celebration, and artistic excellence. Music lovers can explore curated nominee playlists on Apple Music, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pandora, ensuring the spirit of the Dove Awards reaches hearts far and wide.
For the complete nominee list and updates, visit doveawards.com.
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