GMA Dove Awards Nominations Announced In Nashville

“Gospel and Christian music artists share an expressed intent to honor God through music and the freedom to create their art without stylistic boundaries. This year’s Dove nominations are a testament to that,” said Gospel Music Association (GMA) President/CEO John W. Styll, who also noted that the GMA Board of Directors this year expanded the five artist categories - Artist, New Artist, Group, Male Vocalist and Female Vocalist of the Year- from five to seven nominees. “The GMA Board of Directors decided to increase the number of nominees in these categories because it has been a challenge in the past for the artist categories to fairly represent and celebrate the breadth and depth of our music’s diversity. We believe our goal was accomplished with this year’s nominations.”

Gospel Music Channel, the nation’s first and only 24/7 all-gospel/Christian music television network, becomes the exclusive television home for the GMA Dove Awards thanks to a multi-year agreement revealed today by Styll and Charles Humbard, founder and president, Gospel Music Channel (GMC).

The 39th Annual GMA Dove Awards will be handed out at Nashville’s famed Grand Ole Opry House. While the awards are the purpose of the show, music performances will definitely share center stage at the Dove Awards, showcasing some of gospel music’s hottest and most diverse artists. In addition to the live broadcast, GMC will present back-to-back encore broadcasts that night and additional re-airings following.

“Gospel Music Channel is the perfect partner for GMA and the Doves. We share a similar approach to presenting gospel music to the world and the Dove Awards is GMA’s primary vehicle in that endeavor,” said Styll. “With their ever-increasing distribution, we are excited to grow the profile of the Dove Awards as the channel grows.”

“Gospel/Christian music’s biggest night now has a dedicated home on gospel/Christian Music fans’ favorite television network,” commented Humbard. “Our relationship with the GMA dates back to the launch of Gospel Music Channel, including our licensing of the Doves library from which we produce our popular Best of The Doves series, and this is a natural next step. The Dove Awards live telecast will be a centerpiece of GMC’s schedule for years to come and we’ll build programming, marketing and PR events around it to elevate it even further.”