By GMA Dove Awards
The 56th Annual GMA Dove Awards aired on the TBN cable network Oct. 10. Brandon Lake was most awarded with five wins, including Songwriter of the Year (Artist) at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena. Artist of the Year went to Forrest Frank and New Artist of the Year went to Leanna Crawford.
CeCe Winans took home two awards including Gospel Worship Recorded Song of the Year for the soulful ballad “Come Jesus Come” with Shirley Caesar. Winans led the arena in a poignant, acoustic rendition of the song that was originally done by Stephen McWhirter. In a crowd-pleasing surprise, Ben Fuller welcomed eight-time Grammy Award winner Carrie Underwood to the stage to sing their nominated song, “If It Was Up to Me.”
Newly minted Grand Ole Opry member Steven Curtis Chapman was joined on stage for a special Opry 100 performance with Opry members Lady A and Vince Gill. They sang a medley of gospel songs that have been sung by Opry members over the last 100 years such as “I Saw the Light,” “I Run to You,” “Go Rest High on That Mountain” and “Will the Circle Be Unbroken.”
There were exciting performances throughout the evening ranging from the country-chill of the Gaither Vocal Band to the hard-rocking group For King and Country and platinum-selling rapper Lecrae. Tamela Mann, who performed her recent No. 1 hit, “Deserve to Win,” won Best Contemporary Gospel Album of the Year.
Actor Aspen Kennedy of the movie “The Forge” walked the red carpet as did choir king Ricky Dillard and singer Jason Nelson, who also was nominated for a Dove Award.
The finale was a big moment. Brandon Lake’s platinum-selling “Hard fought hallelujah” collaboration with Jelly Roll won Song of the Year and they performed it. The segment opened with surprise guest Jon Batiste playing piano and singing the first verse before a hundred voice choir appeared with Lake taking over the lead vocals as Batiste continued to play the keys. Midway through, Jelly Roll joined and they traded dramatic song lines during a riveting lighting show as rain poured down on them and earned them a thunderous standing ovation. The program was hosted for the third year in a row by eight-time Dove Award winning singer, Tauren Wells.