for King & Country, Tauren Wells, We The Kingdom, Tasha Cobbs Leonard Top 51st GMA Dove Awards

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for King & Country. Photo: Don Claussen/Trap The Light Photography for Dove Awards

The 51st Annual GMA Dove Awards winners were announced Friday evening (Oct. 30), and broadcast on TBN.

for King & Country earned their first Artist of the Year win, the evening’s top honor, only six years after earning their first No. 1 Christian Airplay hit with “Fix Your Eyes.” They earned their first Dove Award in 2013, for New Artist of the Year. This year has been a whirlwind of collaborations and accolades for the brother duo, who earned another No. 1 hit with “Together” featuring Tori Kelly and Kirk Franklin, and took home Grammy honors earlier this year for “God Only Knows” featuring Dolly Parton. Their video clip for the song also earned Short-Form Video of the Year at this year’s Dove Awards. The duo also released their Christmas Album, A Drummer Boy Christmas.

“We just heard the news about the Artist of the Year award,” for King & Country’s Joel Smallbone, said via a video message on Friday evening. “We’re very grateful. [We] loved seeing you all finding new ways, in times like this … to come together and do something new, do something fresh. Love seeing the diversity and the representation. Good on you…We’re proud to receive this award.”

Tasha Cobbs Leonard performs onstage for the 2020 Dove Awards at TBN Studios. Photo: Don Claussen/Trap The Light Photography for Dove Awards

Tasha Cobbs Leonard was named Gospel Artist of the Year. We The Kingdom earned New Artist of the Year honors.

Like every awards show this year, the GMA Dove Awards took precautions due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and offered pre-taped performances and interviews from artists including Jeremy Camp, and Jonathan McReynolds. for King & Country opened the show with “Amen,” featuring LeCrae and Tony Williams, while Leonard performed “Release the Sound” and Leeland collaborated with Mandisa and Sinach on “Way Maker.”

A performance of “Famous For (I Believe)” from Tauren Wells, Christine D’Clario, Jenn Johnson and Jekalyn Carr during the 2020 Dove Awards. Photo: Don Claussen

This year’s show featured Contemporary Christian Artist of the Year winner Tauren Wells collaborating with Christine D’Clario, Jenn Johnson and Jekalyn Carr on “Famous For (I Believe),” which has been a Top 10 Christian radio hit for Wells this year, following his Gold-certified hit “Known” and his Platinum-certified “Hills and Valleys.”

Kanye West also picked up his first GMA Dove Award win, earning Rap/Hip-Hop Recorded Song of the Year for “Follow God,” from his album Jesus Is King, which became the first album to simultaneously top the all-genre Billboard 200 chart, Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, Top Rap Albums chart, and the Top Christian Albums and Top Gospel Albums charts. He also became the first artist to hold the entire Top 10 on the Hot Christian Songs and Hot Gospel Songs charts with tracks from the album.

Jonathan McReynolds performs onstage during the 2020 Dove Awards at TBN Studios. Photo: Don Claussen/Trap The Light Photography for Dove Awards

A partial list of this year’s GMA Dove Awards winners is below. For a full list of this year’s winners, visit doveawards.com.

ARTIST OF THE YEAR: for KING & COUNTRY

CONTEMPORARY CHRISTIAN ARTIST OF THE YEAR: Tauren Wells

NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR: We The Kingdom

SONG OF THE YEAR: “Way Maker” – (Writer) Osinachi Kalu Okoro Egbu, (Publisher) Integrity Music Europe

WORSHIP RECORDED SONG OF THE YEAR: “The Blessing (Live)” – Kari Jobe, Cody Carnes, Elevation Worship, (Writers) Kari Jobe Carnes, Cody Carnes, Chris Brown, Steven Furtick

SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR (ARTIST): Zach Williams

SOUTHERN GOSPEL ARTIST OF THE YEAR: Joseph Habedank

GOSPEL ARTIST OF THE YEAR: Tasha Cobbs Leonard

INSPIRATIONAL FILM OF THE YEAR: I Still Believe (Directors) Andrew Erwin, Jon Erwin, (Producers) Kevin Downes, Andrew Erwin, Jon Erwin

CONTEMPORARY GOSPEL RECORDED SONG OF THE YEAR: “People” – Jonathan McReynolds

GOSPEL WORSHIP ALBUM OF THE YEAR: Broken Record – Travis Greene, (Producers) Travis Greene, Brunes Charles

RAP/HIP HOP ALBUM OF THE YEAR: MOOD // DOOM – Social Club Misfits, (Producers) Young Sidechain, Dirty Rice, Cardec, Ben Lopez, Colby Wedgeworth, Tedd Tjornhom, Martin Santiago, Dave James, Rey King, Jordan Sapp

RAP/HIP HOP RECORDED SONG OF THE YEAR: “Follow God” – Kanye West

SPANISH LANGUAGE ALBUM OF THE YEAR: Aleluya (En La Tierra) – Elevation Worship, (Producers) Chris Brown, Steven Furtick

 

Jessica Nicholson
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