Brandon Lake led the 54th Annual GMA Dove Award nominations with 11 nods. Yet, it was physically impossible for the burgeoning singer/songwriter to go home with a clean sweep considering he was up against himself in multiple categories. Lake did, however, earn four Doves, including the evening’s highest honor, Artist of the Year, as well as Songwriter of the Year (Artist). Additionally, Lake’s “Gratitude” was awarded Worship Recorded Song of the Year, a category in which he held co-writing credit on four of the five nominated tracks. Moreover, the South Carolina native also won Rap/Hip-Hop Recorded Song of the Year for his collaboration with KB on “Graves.” Lake’s wins were publicly announced today (Oct. 20, 2023) during an exclusive broadcast of the yearly award ceremony on Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN). The two-hour show was previously taped on Tuesday evening at Lipscomb University’s Allen Arena in Nashville.
“This has been the most incredible year of my life,” Lake said as he accepted the trophy for Artist of the Year, his wife, Brittany, by his side. “I’m so grateful to be a part of this community.” Lake then thanked several of his fellow artists, including recent tourmate Phil Wickham of which he remarked, “You modeled it for me. You’re my hero.” He also expressed his gratitude to Chris Tomlin, who presented him with the award. “You gave me permission to write as a young boy,” he said.
Earning three Dove Awards previously, Lake is now a seven-time GMA Dove Award winner. Topping the leaderboard at the star-studded ceremony merely capped an extraordinary week for the prolific lyricist, who also summited the Christian radio charts with “Praise You Anywhere” earlier this week and released his highly anticipated third LP, “Coat of Many Colors,” today.
RELATED CONTENT: Brandon Lake Releases Title Track "COAT OF MANY COLORS"
Although Lake’s “Gratitude” was also nominated for Song of the Year, global anthem “Goodness of God” emerged as the winner. Jenn Johnson, who started the song in a moment of sheer thankfulness after adopting her first son, accepted the award on behalf of her co-writers, including her husband, Brian, Ben Fielding, Ed Cash and Jason Ingram.
Meanwhile, rising stars Katy Nichole and Blessing Offor each took home their first Dove Awards, respectively. Nichole was named New Artist of the Year, while Offor was awarded Pop/Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year for his smash, “Brighter Days.”
Nichole, who was also among the night’s performers, delivered a passionate rendition of her Song of the Year contender, “In Jesus Name (God of Possible).” Additional performers included Elevation Worship, who kicked off the telecast with “Praise” and, later, won Worship Album of the Year for “LION: Live From the Loft”; multi-Dove Award winners for KING & COUNTRY, who collaborated with Jordin Sparks for “Love Me Like I Am”; and Jason Crabb and country superstar Dylan Scott, who showcased their hit, “Good Morning Mercy,” which took home the Dove for Bluegrass/Country/Roots Recorded Song of the Year.
Other notable moments included Zach Williams joining “Fancy Like” singer Walker Hayes on their new duet, “Jesus’ Fault”; Lauren Daigle bringing her fresh track, “Be Okay,” to life; and Lake and Wickham reprising their “Summer Worship Nights” tour for a collaborative performance that featured “This Is Our God” and “Gratitude.”
RELATED CONTENT: Tour Spotlight: ‘Summer Worship Nights’ with Phil Wickham & Brandon Lake
Hosted by Tauren Wells, the 54th Annual GMA Dove Awards honored recipients across 37 categories and boasted more than a dozen performances. Fans can catch an encore airing of the show next Friday, Oct. 27, 2023, exclusively on TBN and the TBN app.
2023 GMA Dove Award Winners
Song of the Year
“Goodness of God”
(writers) Ben Fielding, Ed Cash, Jason Ingram, Jenn Johnson, Brian Johnson
Songwriter of the Year (Artist)
Brandon Lake
Artist of the Year
Brandon Lake
New Artist of the Year
Katy Nichole
Rap/Hip-Hop Recorded Song of the Year
“Graves,” KB and Brandon Lake
Pop/Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year
“Brighter Days,” Blessing Offor
Bluegrass/Country/Roots Recorded Song of the Year
“Good Morning Mercy,” Jason Crabb and Dylan Scott
Worship Recorded Song of the Year
“Gratitude (Radio Version),” Brandon Lake
Pop/Contemporary Album of the Year
“Life After Death,” TobyMac
Contemporary Gospel Album of the Year
“Kingdom Book One (Deluxe),” Maverick City Music and Kirk Franklin
Worship Album of the Year
“LION: Live From the Loft,” Elevation Worship
Christmas/Special Event Album of the Year
“Christmas at Home,” Michael W. Smith
Short Form Music Video of the Year (Concept)
“Thank God I Do,” Lauren Daigle
Short Form Music Video of the Year (Performance)
“The Goodness,” TobyMac (feat. Blessing Offor)
Feature Film of the Year
“Jesus Revolution”
Television Series of the Year
“The Chosen”
See a full list of winners at www.doveawards.com.
