Updated Oct. 10: The 54th annual GMA Dove Awards has added performers Blanca and Jekalyn Carr, Elevation Worship, Ernie Haase & Signature Sound, Take 6, Jason Crabb and Dylan Scott. There will also be a special performance from TobyMac, GRITS, Hulvey and Social Club Misfits to honor the history and future of Christian hip-hop.
Original story from Oct. 3:
The 54th annual GMA Dove Awards will feature a slate of some of the year’s biggest Contemporary Christian and Gospel music hitmakers.
for King & Country, Brandon Lake, Katy Nichole, Tasha Cobbs Leonard, Miel San Marcos and Zach Williams with Walker Hayes are the initial round of performers revealed to be taking the stage at Lipscomb University’s Allen Arena in Nashville, where the show will be taped Oct. 17. Tauren Wells was previously announced as the host of this year’s show.
Lake leads nominations with 11 nods, including artist of the year, and three nominations in the song of the year category. Over the past year, he topped the Christian Airplay chart with his solo song “Gratitude,” currently in the top five on that chart with “Praise You Anywhere,” and earned a top 10 Christian Airplay hit with the Brooke Ligertwood duet “Honey in the Rock,” and No. 11 as part of Maverick City Music’s “Fear Is Not My Future,” also featuring Chandler Moore.
for King & Country is up for artist of the year, as well as for pop/contemporary recorded song of the year alongside Jordin Sparks for “Love Me Like I Am,” which spent two weeks atop the Christian Airplay chart earlier this year. The sibling duo is currently in the top 10 on the Christian Airplay chart with “What Are We Waiting For?,” the title track of their latest album.
Cobbs Leonard has three nominations: gospel worship album of the year (for Hymns (Live)), traditional gospel recorded song of the year (“It Is Well”) and gospel worship recorded song of the year (“The Moment (Live)”). Earlier this year, she earned a two-week Gospel Airplay No. 1 with “The Moment,” and a top 10 Hot Gospel Songs hit with the Lecrae collaboration “Your Power.”
Nichole is nominated for new artist of the year, while her “In Jesus Name (God of Possible)” is up for song of the year. “God Is in This Story,” her collaboration with Big Daddy Weave, is up for pop/contemporary recorded song of the year. Her album Jesus Changed My Life is also nominated for pop/contemporary album of the year. She is currently in the top 5 on the Billboard Christian Airplay chart with “Hold On.”
Williams, known for hits including “Old Church Choir,” will team with “Fancy Like” hitmaker Walker Hayes for a performance, presumably a rendition of their collaboration “Jesus’ Fault,” which is up for bluegrass/country/roots recorded song of the year.
Miel San Marcos is nominated for Spanish Language recorded song of the year, for “Coritos (En Vivo).” Meanwhile, Miel San Marcos Kids is nominated for children’s recorded song of the year for “Danzo En El Rio.”
Tickets for the GMA Dove Awards’ Oct. 17 taping at Allen Arena have already sold out. The awards show will air exclusively on TBN and the TBN App on Oct. 20 at 8 p.m. ET and 10 p.m. ET, with an audio simulcast airing on SiriusXM. Encore presentations of the broadcast will air on TBN on Oct. 27 at 8 p.m. ET and 10 p.m. ET.