Phil Wickham, Josiah Queen and Brandon Lake emerged as three of the biggest winners at the 57th annual GMA Dove Awards, while Tasha Cobbs Leonard also collected multiple honours at the ceremony celebrating Christian and Gospel music. The event took place on October 6, 2026, at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee, and its broadcast aired on October 9 through TBN and the TBN+ app.
Wickham was named Artist of the Year, adding one of the ceremony’s leading honours to a successful night. His album Song of the Saints won Worship Album of the Year, while “Follow The Light,” his collaboration with Brandon Engman and Angel, received the Children’s Recorded Song of the Year award. Wickham finished the ceremony with three Dove Awards.
Josiah Queen also secured three awards, led by Song of the Year for “Dusty Bibles.” The track additionally won Pop/Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year, while Queen’s album Mt. Zion was recognised in the Recorded Music Packaging of the Year category. The wins added to the singer-songwriter’s growing profile in contemporary Christian music.
Brandon Lake collected three awards, including Songwriter of the Year (Artist) and Pop/Contemporary Album of the Year for King of Hearts. His collaboration with country star Lainey Wilson, “The Jesus I Know Now,” won Country/Roots Recorded Song of the Year. The pair also performed the song during the ceremony, bringing together contemporary worship and country influences on the Dove Awards stage.
Tasha Cobbs Leonard earned two major honours. Her album TASHA won Contemporary Gospel Album of the Year, while “Church,” her collaboration with John Legend, received Traditional Gospel Recorded Song of the Year. The project marked a significant moment for Cobbs Leonard, whose work has continued to reach audiences across gospel and contemporary Christian music.
Jamie MacDonald was named New Artist of the Year, recognising her emergence as one of the genre’s rising performers. Her win was among the ceremony’s notable moments as established artists and newer voices were recognised across the programme. Brandon Lake’s songwriting honours and Queen’s success with “Dusty Bibles” also highlighted the role of songwriters in the year’s Christian music releases.
CeCe Winans received Gospel Worship Recorded Song of the Year for “More Than This,” featuring Todd Dulaney, marking another Dove Awards win for the veteran gospel singer. Elevation Worship and Chandler Moore won Worship Recorded Song of the Year for “God I’m Just Grateful,” while Jonathan McReynolds and Jamal Roberts were recognised for “Still (Live)” in the Contemporary Gospel Recorded Song of the Year category.
The ceremony also included performances and tributes honouring influential figures in music. Amy Grant and Natalie Grant paid tribute to Dolly Parton, while Jonathan McReynolds, Donald Lawrence, Kierra Sheard, Maurette Brown Clark and Ted Winn joined in a musical tribute to gospel legend Richard Smallwood. Brandon Lake and Lainey Wilson performed their award-winning collaboration, while other performances showcased artists across worship, gospel, country and hip-hop.
Additional winners included Andrea Bocelli, Cody Carnes and Kari Jobe for “The Blessing” in the Inspirational Recorded Song of the Year category, Sarai Rivera for “Tu Voz” in Spanish Language Recorded Song of the Year, and Hulvey for the rap/hip-hop album Could Be Tonight. The animated feature DAVID received two awards, while The Chosen won Television Series of the Year. Hosted by Tauren Wells for the fourth consecutive year, the 57th GMA Dove Awards celebrated achievements across 39 categories, with an encore broadcast scheduled for October 16 on TBN, TBN+ and TBN’s YouTube channel.
