Artist/songwriter Chris Tomlin became the 2006 Dove Award Artist of the Year tonight, while earning four other Doves at the 37th Annual GMA Music Awards, announced John W. Styll, president of the Gospel Music Association (GMA) and executive producer of the GMA Music Awards.

Hosts Kirk Franklin And Rebecca St. James

The GMA Music Awards is gospel music’s biggest night of the year, where top artists from every style of gospel music come together for a night of music and celebration as the GMA bestows gospel music’s highest honor – the Dove Award. Hosted by Rebecca St. James and Kirk Franklin, the GMA Music Awards were presented live at the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville. The awards show will air in national syndication April 15 to May 21, 2006.

Chris Tomlin And Jesse Reeves

Tomlin was one of 37 different artists who won Dove Awards, including Steven Curtis Chapman, who received his 50th trophy, an accomplishment unmatched by any other major award show winner. Tomlin’s co-writer and producer Ed Cash was one of the evening’s other big winners, earning four Doves including Producer of the Year. David Crowder Band and lead member David Crowder were three-time winners along with their producer Tedd T.

“There were many spirit-filled and joyful moments during this year’s GMA Music Awards, and it is always great to see new faces emerge alongside already established artists, linking the past to the present and offering a glimpse into the future of gospel music,” said Styll. “Nowhere was that more apparent than in the poignant symbolism of Chris Tomlin’s arriving into the spotlight as this year’s most honoured artist in gospel music on the same night that Steven Curtis Chapman reached the newer artists as he did when he invited Chris to tour with him last year. The storyline of these two artists has now been forever connected by their achievements tonight.”

In the “overall” categories, Dove Awards were presented:

• Artist of the Year: Chris Tomlin


• Male Vocalist of the Year: Chris Tomlin


• Female Vocalist of the Year: Natalie Grant


• Group of the Year: Casting Crowns


• Songwriter of the Year: Christa Wells


• Song of the Year: How Great is Our God (Chris Tomlin, Jesse Reeves, Ed Cash)


• New Artist of the Year: The Afters

Tomlin’s five Dove Awards include Artist and Male Vocalist of the Year. How Great is Our God, a song he wrote from his RIAA Gold-certified CD Arriving, won in both the Song of the Year and Worship Song categories, awards that also went to his co-writers Jesse Reeves and Ed Cash. Tomlin’s fifth Dove Award was for his collaboration on the Special Event Album of the Year Music Inspired by the Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe.

Natalie Grant

David Crowder Band also earned a Dove Award for the Chronicles of Narnia project, along with trophies for Rock/Contemporary Album for A Collision, and Rock/Contemporary Recorded Song for the CD’s lead single, Here is Our King. Band leader David Crowder’s three Dove Awards came for his production and songwriting efforts. Natalie Grant’s Female Vocalist of the Year Award is her first Dove honor and Songwriter of the Year Christa Wells earned that trophy thanks to the song Held, which Natalie recorded on her latest project, Awaken. Casting Crowns’ Dove for Group of the Year is the band’s second consecutive in that category. Texas-based rock quartet The Afters received their New Artist of the Year Dove Award just one week after the band was invited to perform its hit song Beautiful Love on MTV’s TRL.

Brian Littrell

Perhaps because of gospel music’s inherent diversity in musical styles, unexpected artists often show up as Dove Award winners. This year is no different. Reigning “American Idol” Carrie Underwood won her first Dove for Country Recorded Song for Jesus Take the Wheel, a song co-written by Cape Breton’s Gordie Sampson. Backstreet Boy Brian Littrell made his first appearance on the list of Dove Award recipients with a nod for Inspirational Recorded Song for his recording of the Michael English classic In Christ Alone, and the Grammy Awards’ most honoured female artist, Alison Krauss, captured a Dove with her band Union Station for Bluegrass Recorded Song for Living Prayer.

Alison Krauss And Ron Block

Gospel music’s diversity was also on display with rousing and stylistically distinct music performances. Rising stars Israel & New Breed and Martha Munizzi opened the Dove Awards show, which also included performances by Kutless, Third Day, Ernie Haase & Signature Sound, Mark Schultz, Grant, Sawyer Brown and The Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir. Franklin also performed and St. James did duet with all-girl rock band BarlowGirl.

Steven Curtis Chapman

One of the evening’s highlights was a surprise performance honoring Chapman for his 50th Dove Award, which he accepted for Special Event Album of the Year on behalf of all the artists on the Chronicles of Narnia project. Gospel music legends Andraé Crouch, Michael Sweet and Bryan Duncan provided testimonies to Chapman while young artists Jeremy Camp, Crowder, Casting Crowns’ Mark Hall and Third Day’s Mac Powell performed an acoustic set of classic Chapman Dove-winning music. Chapman was unaware of the tribute and was visibly moved by the outpouring of affection from his musical colleagues.

Awards were handed out in 42 categories. Dove Awards go to recordings released during the eligibility year of November 1, 2004 through October 31, 2005 and voted on by the members of the GMA. The complete list of winners can be found at the GMA Music Awards’s web site.

Founded in 1964, the 4,000-member Gospel Music Association is dedicated to exposing, promoting and celebrating the gospel through music. The GMA represents all styles of gospel music including contemporary pop, rock, urban gospel, praise & worship, Southern gospel, country and children’s gospel music. The GMA produces the GMA Music Awards, which recognizes achievement in all genres of gospel music and are voted on by members of the GMA.

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