Brandon Lake, CeCe Winans, and Forrest Frank Lead 2025 GMA Dove Award Nominations

Brandon Lake, CeCe Winans, and Forrest Frank Lead 2025 GMA Dove Award Nominations

Nashville, TN | August 2025 — The Gospel Music Association (GMA) has officially announced the nominees for the 2025 Dove Awards, and this year’s lineup is a powerful reflection of creativity, worship, and spiritual impact. Leading the nominations are worship leader Brandon Lake, gospel icon CeCe Winans, and genre-blending newcomer Forrest Frank, each recognized for their outstanding contributions to Christian music.

🌟 Top Nominees

• Brandon Lake, known for his passionate worship anthems and collaborations with Maverick City Music, received multiple nominations including Song of the Year, Worship Recorded Song of the Year, and Artist of the Year.
• CeCe Winans, fresh off her More Than This world tour, continues to shine with nominations in categories such as Gospel Artist of the Year, Traditional Gospel Recorded Song of the Year, and Inspirational Album of the Year.
• Forrest Frank, whose unique blend of worship and indie-pop has captivated younger audiences, earned nods for New Artist of the Year, Pop/Contemporary Album of the Year, and Recorded Music Packaging.

🎶 A Celebration of Diversity and Devotion

The Dove Awards, now in their 54th year, honor excellence in Christian and gospel music across a wide range of genres—from worship and hip-hop to Southern gospel and Spanish-language recordings. This year’s nominations reflect a vibrant tapestry of voices united by one mission: to glorify God through music.

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“These artists are not just making music—they’re shaping culture and leading hearts into deeper worship,” said Jackie Patillo, President of the GMA. “We’re thrilled to celebrate their impact.”

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📺 Awards Ceremony Details

The 2025 GMA Dove Awards will be held in October at Allen Arena in Nashville, with performances and appearances from top artists, songwriters, and industry leaders. The event will be broadcast nationally, allowing fans around the world to join in the celebration.

The Dove Awards are voted on by the GMA’s professional membership. This year’s nominees were selected from over 2,800 submissions. Final round voting will take place from Aug. 7 through Aug. 14.

Select nominees for the 56th Annual GMA Dove Awards (find the full list here):

Artist of the Year:

• Brandon Lake
• CeCe Winans
• Forrest Frank
• Josiah Queen
• Lauren Daigle
• Phil Wickham

Song of the Year:

• “Counting My Blessings” – Seph Schlueter, Jordan Sapp, Jonathan Gamble
• “Good Day” – Forrest Frank
• “Goodbye Yesterday” – Gracie Binion, Steven Furtick, Mitch Wong, Josh Holiday
• “Hard Fought Hallelujah” – Brandon Lake, Jelly Roll, Steven Furtick, Chris Brown, Benjamin William Hastings
• “Still Waters (Psalm 23)” – Leanna Crawford, Jonathan Gamble, Justin Mark Richards
• “That’s My King” – Kellie Gamble, Jess Russ, Lloyd Nicks, Taylor Agan
• “That’s Who I Praise” – Brandon Lake, Steven Furtick, Benjamin William Hastings, Zac Lawson, Micah Nichols
• “The Prodigal” – Josiah Queen, Jared Marc
• “The Truth” – Megan Woods, Matthew West, Jeff Pardo
• “Up!” – Forrest Frank, Connor Price

New Artist of the Year:

• Abbie Gamboa
• Caleb Gordon
• Leanna Crawford
• Patrick Mayberry
• Strings and Heart

Worship Recorded Song of the Year:

• “At The Altar” – ELEVATION RHYTHM, Tiffany Hudson, Abbie Gamboa
• “I Know A Name” – Elevation Worship, Chris Brown, Brandon Lake
• “Mighty Name Of Jesus (Live)” – Hope Darst, The Belonging Co.
• “The King Is In The Room” – Phil Wickham
• “What A God (Live)” – SEU Worship, ONE HOUSE, Kenzie Walker, Chelsea Plank, Roosevelt Stewart

Pop/Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year:

• “Desperate” – Jamie MacDonald
• “Goodbye Yesterday” – ELEVATION RHYTHM, Grace Binion
• “Still Waters (Psalm 23)” – Leanna Crawford
• “That’s Who I Praise” – Brandon Lake
• “Your Way’s Better” – Forrest Frank

Gospel Worship Recorded Song of the Year:

• “Come Jesus Come” – CeCe Winans, Shirley Caesar
• “God Is In Control” – DOE
• “One Hallelujah” – Tasha Cobbs Leonard, Erica Campbell, Israel Houghton (featuring Jonathan McReynolds, Jekalyn Carr)
• “Rest On Us (Flow) [Live]” – Naomi Raine
• “Yahweh” – Jason Nelson (ft. Melvin Crispell III)

For a full list of nominees and ticket information, visit doveawards.com.