(CelebrityAccess) — Australian Christian pop duo King & Country were named as the artist of the year at the 51st Annual GMA Dove Awards.
“We just heard the news about the Artist of the Year award,” Joel Smallbone, one-half of for KING & COUNTRY, said in a video message Friday. “[We] loved seeing you all finding new ways, in times like this … to come together and do something new, do something fresh. Love seeing the diversity and the representation. Good on you.”
Other winners for the night included We The Kingdom, who were named new artist of the year and Tasha Cobbs Leonard, who took home the award for gospel artist of the year.
Joseph Habedank won the award for southern gospel artist of the year, and Tauren Wells was named contemporary Christian artist of the year.
The awards, which were held without an audience this year, featured pre-taped performances and artist interview segments that were televised by the Trinity Broadcast Network.
A partial list of winners:
ARTIST OF THE YEAR: for KING & COUNTRY
CONTEMPORARY CHRISTIAN ARTIST OF THE YEAR: Tauren Wells
NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR: We The Kingdom
SONG OF THE YEAR: “Way Maker” – (Writer) Osinachi Kalu Okoro Egbu, (Publisher) Integrity Music Europe
WORSHIP RECORDED SONG OF THE YEAR: “The Blessing (Live)” – Kari Jobe, Cody Carnes, Elevation Worship, (Writers) Kari Jobe Carnes, Cody Carnes, Chris Brown, Steven Furtick
SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR (ARTIST): Zach Williams
SOUTHERN GOSPEL ARTIST OF THE YEAR: Joseph Habedank
GOSPEL ARTIST OF THE YEAR: Tasha Cobbs Leonard
INSPIRATIONAL FILM OF THE YEAR: I Still Believe (Directors) Andrew Erwin, Jon Erwin, (Producers) Kevin Downes, Andrew Erwin, Jon Erwin
CONTEMPORARY GOSPEL RECORDED SONG OF THE YEAR: “People” – Jonathan McReynolds
GOSPEL WORSHIP ALBUM OF THE YEAR: Broken Record – Travis Greene, (Producers) Travis Greene, Brunes Charles
RAP/HIP HOP ALBUM OF THE YEAR: MOOD // DOOM – Social Club Misfits, (Producers) Young Sidechain, Dirty Rice, Cardec, Ben Lopez, Colby Wedgeworth, Tedd Tjornhom, Martin Santiago, Dave James, Rey King, Jordan Sapp
RAP/HIP HOP RECORDED SONG OF THE YEAR: “Follow God” – Kanye West
SPANISH LANGUAGE ALBUM OF THE YEAR: “Aleluya (En La Tierra)” – Elevation Worship, (Producers) Chris Brown, Steven Furtick
