Phil Wickham won Artist of the Year, Josiah Queen’s “Dusty Bibles” took Song of the Year, and CeCe Winans earned Gospel Worship Recorded Song of the Year at the 2026 Dove Awards. The GMA Dove Awards winners list also includes Brandon Lake, Jamie MacDonald and Tasha Cobbs Leonard.
The 57th annual ceremony took place October 6 at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena, with Tauren Wells hosting. Its television premiere followed October 9. Below are selected major results, the details behind Wickham’s and Winans’ wins, and a link to the complete official record.
GMA Dove Awards winners list: Major 2026 results
These headline categories offer a quick starting point. Song of the Year includes the winning song’s writers, while artist and production honors recognize the people named.
| Category | Winner |
|---|---|
| Artist of the Year | Phil Wickham |
| Song of the Year | “Dusty Bibles” — writers Josiah Queen, Zac Lawson, Dylan Thomas and John Michael Howell |
| New Artist of the Year | Jamie MacDonald |
| Songwriter of the Year (Artist) | Brandon Lake |
| Songwriter of the Year (Non-Artist) | Jacob Sooter |
| Producer of the Year | Jonathan Smith |
The GMA Dove Awards winners list should be read category by category: Artist of the Year and Songwriter of the Year recognize different achievements. Winning one does not imply winning the other.
What did Phil Wickham and CeCe Winans win?
Wickham’s three wins spanned Artist of the Year, Worship Album of the Year for Song of the Saints, and Children’s Recorded Song of the Year for “Follow The Light,” credited to Brandon Engman, Wickham and Angel.
Winans won Gospel Worship Recorded Song of the Year for “More Than This [Radio Edit],” featuring Todd Dulaney. The credited writers are Winans, Dulaney and Kyle Lee.
For listeners using the GMA Dove Awards winners list to find that recording, the version label matters. Search for the radio edit and check Dulaney’s feature credit rather than assuming every result with the same title is the winning version.
The two artists also illustrate why the category names deserve attention. Worship Album and Gospel Worship Recorded Song are separate awards, covering different types of releases. A headline grouping Wickham and Winans together should not suggest they competed for the same prize.
Worship and gospel winners
This section of the GMA Dove Awards winners list groups several related categories so readers can compare individual recordings with albums.
| Category | Winning release and artist |
|---|---|
| Worship Recorded Song of the Year | “God I’m Just Grateful” — Elevation Worship and Chandler Moore |
| Worship Album of the Year | Song of the Saints — Phil Wickham |
| Gospel Worship Recorded Song of the Year | “More Than This [Radio Edit]” — CeCe Winans featuring Todd Dulaney |
| Gospel Worship Album of the Year | Live at Redemption Church — Red Worship |
| Contemporary Gospel Recorded Song of the Year | “Still (Live)” — Jonathan McReynolds and Jamal Roberts |
| Contemporary Gospel Album of the Year | TASHA — Tasha Cobbs Leonard |
| Traditional Gospel Recorded Song of the Year | “Church” — Tasha Cobbs Leonard and John Legend |
| Traditional Gospel Album of the Year | Revival: Live in Dallas — Lisa Knowles-Smith & The Brown Singers |
These results appear in GMA’s announcement and the published category breakdowns.
For a short listening session, choose a recorded-song winner. For a longer introduction to an artist or group, start with an album winner. That simple distinction makes the results more useful than an undifferentiated collection of names.
More winners across pop, rock and country
The GMA Dove Awards winners list extends beyond worship and gospel recordings into several other styles.
| Category | Winning release and artist |
|---|---|
| Pop/Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year | “Dusty Bibles” — Josiah Queen |
| Pop/Contemporary Album of the Year | King of Hearts — Brandon Lake |
| Rock/Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year | “No Survivors” — Jeremy Camp featuring Skillet |
| Rock/Contemporary Album of the Year | Plastic Wine — Strings & Heart |
| Rap/Hip Hop Recorded Song of the Year | “ROB HELL” — indie tribe, nobigdyl., Torey D’Shaun featuring Jon Keith |
| Rap/Hip Hop Album of the Year | COULD BE TONIGHT — Hulvey |
| Country/Roots Recorded Song of the Year | “The Jesus I Know Now” — Brandon Lake and Lainey Wilson |
| Southern Gospel Album of the Year | Good Answers — Karen Peck & New River |
The category results identify both the winning release and its associated artist or collaborators.
These categories provide a practical discovery route: pick a style you already enjoy, then try one winner from a neighboring category. You do not need to know every nominee to find something worth hearing.
Where to find the complete official results
For the complete GMA Dove Awards winners list, consult the Gospel Music Association’s official announcement. It includes additional categories and credits for writers, producers, directors and other contributors. gospelmusic.org
The tables here are selected results, not a complete reproduction of every award. Readers researching a particular collaborator should use the detailed credits rather than rely only on the artist displayed beside a release.
How are Dove Awards winners chosen?
The GMA Dove Awards winners list reflects an industry voting process. According to GMA’s balloting guide, submissions undergo eligibility screening before professional members vote for nominees and then winners.
For 2026, the stated release eligibility period ran from May 1, 2025, through April 30, 2026. That explains why a winning release may carry a 2025 date even though the ceremony took place in 2026.
It also gives the results useful context: these awards are not simply a ranking of whichever songs currently have the most streams. Treat them as a way to discover recognized work, while leaving room for your own listening preferences.
How to watch the ceremony
After checking the GMA Dove Awards winners list, viewers can catch the performances through TBN’s advertised viewing options. An encore is scheduled for October 16 at 7:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. Eastern.
TBN also advertises a limited on-demand window for TBN+ Premium subscribers following the October 9 premiere. Check its current listing before subscribing specifically for the show, particularly near the end of that window. TBN+
Keep the dates separate when searching: October 6 was the ceremony, October 9 was the television premiere, and October 16 is the scheduled encore.
Build a listening queue from the results
Use the GMA Dove Awards winners list as a listening guide: begin with one song, follow it with an album from a different category, and save the release you most want to revisit.
When searching a music service, enter both the title and artist, then check any “Live” or “Radio Edit” designation. This small step helps you hear the recognized recording instead of a cover or alternate version.
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