Brandon Lake, Steven Furtick & Phil Wickham Lead Nominations for 56th Annual GMA Dove Awards

Posted on Thursday, July 31, 2025 by Lindsay Williams

View the nominees for the 56th annual GMA Dove Awards

Nominations for the 56th Annual GMA Dove Awards have been unveiled, with Brandon Lake, Steven Furtick and Phil Wickham each scoring top-tier placement on this year’s leaderboard. Lake and Furtick tally nine nods each, while Wickham earns eight nominations.

Lake’s Platinum-certified crossover hit, “Hard Fought Hallelujah (feat. Jelly Roll),” and “King of Hearts” lead single “That’s Who I Praise” are set to go head-to-head in the coveted Song of the Year category. “Hard Fought Hallelujah (feat. Jelly Roll)” will also vie for Bluegrass/Country/Roots Recorded Song of the Year and Short Form Music Video of the Year (Performance). Meanwhile, “That’s Who I Praise” will contend for Pop/Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year. Lake’s additional nominations are comprised of honors for “I Know A Name,” with Elevation Worship, and Naomi Raine’s “Rest On Us (Flow) [Live],” which he co-wrote. Moreover, Lake is recognized among the nominees for Artist of the Year and Songwriter of the Year (Artist).

While best known as the senior pastor of Charlotte, North Carolina’s Elevation Church and, now, a member of Christian music supergroup Sons Of Sunday, Furtick’s nominations affirm just how prolific he is as a lyricist as he maintains co-writing credit on numerous nominated selections recorded by Lake, Elevation Worship and Elevation Rhythm.

Once again up for Artist of the Year, Wickham’s slate of nominations includes honors for recent single “The King Is In The Room,” personal creed “The Jesus Way” and 2024’s full-length holiday offering, “Hallelujah! It’s Christmas,” among others. Incidentally, Wickham and Lake’s documentary chronicling their annual “Summer Worship Nights” co-bill, “For the One,” is a contender for Feature Film of the Year.

Rising acts like Forrest Frank and Josiah Queen, who secure seven and four nominations respectively, stand out among this year’s crop of nominees with Frank placing two entries in the Song of the Year bracket, courtesy of “Good Day” and “UP! (feat. Connor Price),” and Queen notching a nod in the same category for his debut single, “The Prodigal.” Additionally, buzzworthy newcomers such as Leanna Crawford, Patrick Mayberry, Jamie MacDonald, Megan Woods, bodie, JWLKRS Worship, Abbie Gamboa, SEU Worship and Emerson Day all land first-time nominations.

Aside from the star-studded nominee announcement, for the first time since 1999, the GMA Dove Awards will return to Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on Oct. 7, 2025. The show will air exclusively on TBN and the TBN+ app on Oct. 10 at 7:30 p.m. ET. Eight-time Dove Award winner Tauren Wells is slated to co-host for the third consecutive year.

Ahead of the 2025 awards ceremony, the Gospel Music Association will celebrate the opening of the first-ever Museum of Christian & Gospel Music in downtown Nashville on Oct. 3. The museum is just steps away from the historic Ryman Auditorium and is poised to display everything from artists’ personal memorabilia to one-of-a-kind artifacts, custom outfits, instruments and more; as well as house the inaugural GMA Hall of Fame, which will showcase the legacy and impact of hundreds of luminaries who have shaped the genre.


2025 GMA Dove Award Nominees


Song of the Year

Counting My Blessings,” Seph Schlueter
(Writers) Seph Schlueter, Jordan Sapp, Jonathan Gamble

 

Good Day,” Forrest Frank
(Writers) Forrest Frank

 

Goodbye Yesterday,” Elevation Rhythm (feat. Gracie Binion)
(Writers) Gracie Binion, Steven Furtick, Mitch Wong, Josh Holiday

 

Hard Fought Hallelujah,” Brandon Lake (feat. Jelly Roll)
(Writers) Brandon Lake, Jelly Roll, Steven Furtick, Chris Brown, Benjamin William Hastings

 

Still Waters (Psalm 23),” Leanna Crawford
(Writers) Leanna Crawford, Jonathan Gamble, Justin Mark Richards

 

That’s My King,” CeCe Winans
(Writers) Kellie Gamble, Jess Russ, Lloyd Nicks, Taylor Agan

 

That’s Who I Praise,” Brandon Lake
(Writers) Brandon Lake, Steven Furtick, Benjamin William Hastings, Zac Lawson, Micah Nichols

 

The Prodigal,” Josiah Queen
(Writers) Josiah Queen, Jared Marc

 

The Truth,” Megan Woods
(Writers) Megan Woods, Matthew West, Jeff Pardo

 

UP!,” Forrest Frank (feat. Connor Price)
(Writers) Forrest Frank, Connor Price


Artist of the Year

Brandon Lake

CeCe Winans

Forrest Frank

Josiah Queen

Lauren Daigle

Phil Wickham


New Artist of the Year

Abbie Gamboa

Caleb Gordon

Leanna Crawford

Patrick Mayberry

Strings and Heart


Songwriter of the Year (Artist)

Benjamin William Hastings 

Brandon Lake 

Chris Brown

Forrest Frank

Matthew West


Pop/Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year

Desperate,” Jamie MacDonald

Goodbye Yesterday,” Elevation Rhythm (feat. Gracie Binion)

Still Waters (Psalm 23),” Leanna Crawford

That’s Who I Praise,” Brandon Lake

Your Way’s Better,” Forrest Frank


Worship Recorded Song of the Year

At the Altar,” Elevation Rhythm (feat. Tiffany Hudson & Abbie Gamboa)

I Know A Name,” Elevation Worship (feat. Chris Brown & Brandon Lake)

Mighty Name of Jesus (Live),” The Belonging Co. (feat. Hope Darst)

The King Is In The Room,” Phil Wickham

What A God (Live),” SEU Worship (feat. ONE HOUSE, Kenzie Walker, Chelsea Plank & Roosevelt Stewart)


Pop/Contemporary Album of the Year

“Child of God,” Forrest Frank

“Heaven On My Mind,” TobyMac

“I Believe - Devotional,” Phil Wickham

“The EXILE,” Crowder

“The Prodigal (Deluxe Edition),” Josiah Queen


Worship Album of the Year

“Here I Am” EP, JWLKRS Worship

“Move of God (Live),” SEU Worship

“Sold Out, Sincerely,” Benjamin William Hastings

“We Must Respond (Live),” Bethel Music

“When Wind Meets Fire,” Elevation Worship


Feature Film of the Year

“For the One”

“Reagan”

“The Best Christmas Pageant Ever”

“The Forge”

“The King of Kings”


Television Series of the Year

“God. Family. Football.”

“House of David”

“Jesus: Refugee, Renegade, Redeemer” with Bear Grylls

“The Chosen”

“When Hope Calls”

 

For a full list of nominees, visit doveawards.com.

Tags
Abbie GamboaBenjamin William HastingsBethel MusicBodieBrandon LakeCeCe WinansChelsea PlankChris BrownConnor PriceCrowderDove AwardsElevation RhythmElevation WorshipEmerson DayForrest FrankGracie BinionHope DarstJamie MacDonaldJosiah QueenJWLKRS WorshipKenzie WalkerLauren DaigleLeanna CrawfordMatthew WestMegan WoodsNaomi RaineONE HOUSEPatrick MayberryPhil WickhamRoosevelt StewartSeph SchlueterSEU WorshipSons of SundayStrings and HeartTauren WellsThe Belonging CoTiffany HudsonTobyMacbodieMusic News

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