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57th Dove Awards Honor Dolly Parton, Crown New Voices

57th Dove Awards Honor Dolly Parton, Crown New Voices

Last updated on: October 16, 2026 at 10:49 pm by DeWayne Hamby

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57th Dove Awards Honor Dolly Parton, Crown New Voices 2026-10-16T22:49:04-04:00 DeWayne Hamby

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On gospel music’s biggest night, the 57th annual GMA Dove Awards honored the past, present and future of the genre with awards, tributes and recognition. Held Oct. 6 at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, the evening included tributes to pioneers Dolly Parton and Richard Smallwood while also recognizing Phil Wickham and newcomer Jamie MacDonald.

Amy Grant and Natalie Grant pay tribute to Dolly Parton at the 57th annual Dove Awards. Image courtesy of the Gospel Music Association.

“She felt like she belonged to all of us,” Amy Grant said during an introduction to the Parton segment. “Her music crossed generations and genres and boundaries of all kinds. Faith was woven into who she was, how she lived, and the music she made. She was creatively generous and she was not afraid to stand up and be the person she was made to be. Dolly, we’ve never known the world without you in it, and I will miss your everything.”

Grant then joined Natalie Grant to finish Parton’s recording of “How Great Thou Art” before moving into “I Will Always Love You.”

Parton was also recognized with a Dove Award with The Grascals for Bluegrass Song of the Year for “Broken Angels.”

“We got a chance to co-write it with her just last year,” said singer Jamie Johnson. “It was her last co-write collaboration. It’s a song about recovery. I’m 11 and a half years sober. Her brother passed away from the disease, so it was very near and dear to her heart and her family. We wrote the song out of love just to tell them. We realized the song can’t save somebody. At least you can tell them you love them, and they can, if they ask, get help.”

Gospel legend Richard Smallwood was honored by Jonathan McReynolds and Kierra Sheard, who performed “The Center of My Joy,” “I Love the Lord” and “Total Praise.”

Phil Wickham was named Artist of the Year, and Jamie MacDonald took home New Artist of the Year. Wickham, Brandon Lake and Josiah Queen led the night with three Dove Awards each. Lake was also named Songwriter of the Year.Lake teamed with country singer Lainey Wilson for a performance of “The Jesus I Know,” which won Country/Roots Song of the Year.

“I’m so excited just to be here,” Wilson said. “I will say this: I feel like I’ve learned so much from the people I get to sit and write songs with. And I remember that day, I walked in, and immediately we were just talking about our relationship with Jesus, and I said, ‘I feel like that Jesus that I know now is not the one that I grew up knowin’, the one shakin’ his fists and the one I was scared of.’ And it’s because of folks like that who continue to pour into me that I feel like I am finally starting to have an authentic relationship with Jesus Christ. … I’m learning a lot about identity, and there’s a line in the song that says, ‘He says who I am and it’s not what I do,’ and so I just want to remind all y’all creators in this room, we’re not just singers, we’re not just songwriters; we are connectors, and that’s what we’re supposed to be doing. Just like Dolly Parton, we’re supposed to be loving on people and lifting them up.”

Josiah Queen’s “Dusty Bibles” won Song of the Year. Afterward, Queen emphasized a call to faithfulness beyond the platform.

“I feel like I’m saying people not willing to compromise and willing to stand on the truth,” Queen said. “And I think the biggest thing that I want to urge people, and along with my wife, is that God doesn’t just call us or pastors or all these people to tell people about Jesus. He does, but there’s significantly more people who are out in the workforce, out in the schools, and they have people in their lives that God’s entrusted to them. I’m just saying people not afraid to just be all in for Jesus, to tell all their friends.”

Gospel music shone throughout the evening. Tasha Cobbs Leonard won two awards, including one for “Church,” her collaboration with John Legend. CeCe Winans won Gospel Worship Recorded Song of the Year for the second year in a row. Veteran Southern Gospel artist Karen Peck earned her ninth career Dove Award.

57th Annual GMA Dove Awards Winners (Full List)

SONG OF THE YEAR

“Dusty Bibles”

Writers: Josiah Queen, Zac Lawson, Dylan Thomas, John Michael Howell

Publishers: Josiah Queen Publishing, Capitol CMG Genesis, John Michael Howell Publishing, ZVC SONGZ, Kobalt Songs Music Publishing LLC, Dylan Thomas Publishing Designee

SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR (ARTIST)

Brandon Lake

SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR (NON-ARTIST)

Jacob Sooter

ARTIST OF THE YEAR

Phil Wickham

Record Label: Fair Trade Services

NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR

Jamie MacDonald

Record Label: Capitol CMG Label Group

PRODUCER OF THE YEAR

Jonathan Smith

RAP/HIP HOP RECORDED SONG OF THE YEAR

“ROB HELL”

indie tribe, nobigdyl., Torey D’Shaun (ft. Jon Keith)

Writers: nobigdyl., Torey D’Shaun, Jon Keith

ROCK/CONTEMPORARY RECORDED SONG OF THE YEAR

“No Survivors”

Jeremy Camp (ft. Skillet)

Writers: Jeremy Camp, Jordan Sapp, Paul Duncan, Emily Weisband

POP/CONTEMPORARY RECORDED SONG OF THE YEAR

“Dusty Bibles”

Josiah Queen

Writers: Josiah Queen, Zac Lawson, Dylan Thomas, John Michael Howell

INSPIRATIONAL RECORDED SONG OF THE YEAR

“The Blessing”

Andrea Bocelli, Cody Carnes, Kari Jobe

Writers: Cody Carnes, Kari Jobe, Chris Brown, Steven Furtick

SOUTHERN GOSPEL RECORDED SONG OF THE YEAR

“No Rock”

Jeff & Sheri Easter

Writers: Sheri Easter, Jason Cox, Kenna Turner West

COUNTRY/ROOTS RECORDED SONG OF THE YEAR

“The Jesus I Know Now”

Brandon Lake, Lainey Wilson

Writers: Brandon Lake, Lainey Wilson, Emily Weisband, Luke Laird

BLUEGRASS RECORDED SONG OF THE YEAR

“Broken Angels”

The Grascals, Dolly Parton

Writers: Dolly Parton, Jamie Johnson

CONTEMPORARY GOSPEL RECORDED SONG OF THE YEAR

“Still (Live)”

Jonathan McReynolds, Jamal Roberts

Writers: Jonathan McReynolds, Terrell Demetrius Wilson, Orlando Joel Palmer, David Lamar Outing II, Britney Delagraentiss

TRADITIONAL GOSPEL RECORDED SONG OF THE YEAR

“Church”

Tasha Cobbs Leonard, John Legend

Writers: Tasha Cobbs Leonard, Kenneth Leonard Jr, Brunes Charles, Jonas Myrin, ANTHNY, Annatoria Chitapa

GOSPEL WORSHIP RECORDED SONG OF THE YEAR

“More Than This [Radio Edit]”

CeCe Winans (ft. Todd Dulaney)

Writers: CeCe Winans, Todd Dulaney, Kyle Lee

SPANISH LANGUAGE RECORDED SONG OF THE YEAR

“Tu Voz”

Sarai Rivera

Writer: Sarai Rivera

SPANISH LANGUAGE WORSHIP RECORDED SONG OF THE YEAR

“Solo Hay Uno”

Joel Rocco, Enoc Parra

Writers: Andreu Pradas, Marcos Andrés Salice, Joel Rocco

WORSHIP RECORDED SONG OF THE YEAR

“God I’m Just Grateful”

Elevation Worship, Chandler Moore

Writers: Chandler Moore, Pat Barrett, Steven Furtick, Abubakar Baker Shariff-Farr, Joshua Coleman

CHILDREN’S RECORDED SONG OF THE YEAR

“Follow The Light”

Brandon Engman, Phil Wickham, Angel

Writers: Brock Monroe Baker, Molly Kate Kestner

CHRISTMAS RECORDED SONG OF THE YEAR

“We Three Kings”

We Are Messengers

Writer: Traditional

RAP/HIP HOP ALBUM OF THE YEAR

COULD BE TONIGHT

Hulvey

Producers: xander., Micah Palace, Zac Lawson, Michael Howell, Ace

ROCK/CONTEMPORARY ALBUM OF THE YEAR

Plastic Wine

Strings & Heart

Producers: Angelo Espinosa, Emmanuel Espinosa, Scott Mills

POP/CONTEMPORARY ALBUM OF THE YEAR

King Of Hearts

Brandon Lake

Producers: Hank Bentley, Jacob Sooter, Micah Nichols, Rodrick Simmons, Pete Mol

SOUTHERN GOSPEL ALBUM OF THE YEAR

Good Answers

Karen Peck & New River

Producers: Wayne Haun, Kris Crunk, Cliff Duren, Johnathan Crumpton

BLUEGRASS/COUNTRY/ROOTS ALBUM OF THE YEAR

American Morning: Side A – EP

Chosen Road

Producer: Dave Clark

CONTEMPORARY GOSPEL ALBUM OF THE YEAR

TASHA

Tasha Cobbs Leonard

Producers: Kenneth Leonard Jr., Zaytoven, Juberlee, B.A.M., Adale Jackson, Alexandria Dollar

TRADITIONAL GOSPEL ALBUM OF THE YEAR

Revival: Live in Dallas

Lisa Knowles-Smith & The Brown Singers

Producers: Lisa Knowles-Smith, Frederick Perry Jr

GOSPEL WORSHIP ALBUM OF THE YEAR

Live at Redemption Church

Red Worship

Producers: Terrance White, Adale Jackson, Elijah Humphries

SPANISH LANGUAGE ALBUM OF THE YEAR

Lamento en Baile

Daddy Yankee

Producers: Daddy Yankee, OMB, XOUND, La Companioni, Nando Pro, OBRINN, Subelo NEO, Sergio George, JBD JBD, Abel Xanders, Nekxum, Nayhlo, Orlan Navarro

WORSHIP ALBUM OF THE YEAR

Song Of The Saints

Phil Wickham

Producers: Jonathan Smith, Shane Becker, Micah Nichols

CHRISTMAS/SPECIAL EVENT ALBUM OF THE YEAR

DAVID (Soundtrack from the Angel Original Film)

Various Artists

Producers: Chad Carouthers, Joseph Trapanese, Jonathan Smith, Bryan Lawson

MUSICAL/CHORAL COLLECTION OF THE YEAR

We Shall Behold Him: A Tribute to Dottie Rambo

Creators: Bradley Knight, Dusty Wells, Johnathan Crumpton

Arranger/Orchestrator: Bradley Knight

RECORDED MUSIC PACKAGING OF THE YEAR

Mt. Zion

Josiah Queen

Art Director: Aaron Stearns

Graphic Artists: Aaron Stearns, Nathan Blaine, Trent Nicholson

Photographer: Rashun Ludgood

SHORT FORM MUSIC VIDEO OF THE YEAR (CONCEPT)

“World On Fire”

for KING & COUNTRY, Taylor Hill

Director: Kadin Tooley

Producers: Katie Babbage, Fadwa Ward, Patrick Tohill, Crashbang

SHORT FORM MUSIC VIDEO OF THE YEAR (PERFORMANCE)

“Have Your Way”

Katy Nichole

Directors: Greg Fromholz, Joey von Meding

Producer: Joshua Wurzelbacher

LONG FORM MUSIC VIDEO OF THE YEAR

The Resurrection Of A King

Tommee Profitt

Director/Producer: Tommee Proffit

FEATURE FILM OF THE YEAR

DAVID

Directors: Brent Dawes, Phil Cunningham

Producers: Jacqui Cunningham, Phil Cunningham, Tim Keller, Rita Mbanga, Steve Pegram, Timothy Hoffman, Nikky Kho, Edelgard Slabbert

TELEVISION SERIES OF THE YEAR

The Chosen

Director: Dallas Jenkins

Producers: Jamie Elliott, Adam Drake, Kerri Navarro

Watch the 57th Dove Awards below.

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