Chris Tomlin was the big winner at the 37th annual Dove Awards for gospel music, which took place April 5th at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville and which also honored Steven Curtis Chapman for winning a record 50th award.
Tomlin won five of the 10 categories in which he was nominated, including artist of the year, male vocalist and song of the year.
The songwriter’s “How Great Is Our God” won in both the song of the year and worship song categories. His fifth Dove was for collaboration on the special event album, Music Inspired by the Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.
David Crowder was a three-time winner, as was the David Crowder Band. Crowder won for his production and songwriting credits, while his band won for the Chronicles of Narnia project, rock/contemporary album for A Collision and rock contemporary recorded song for the album’s lead single, “Here is Our King.”
Natalie Grant was named top female vocalist, her first Dove after several nominations.
Chapman won his 50th award, the most of any artist in gospel music history, for special event album of the year for the Chronicles of Narnia project. Crowder, Jeremy Camp, Casting Crowns‘ Mark Hall and Third Day‘s Mac Powell performed an acoustic set of Chapman’s music to mark the occasion.
Grant, Relient K, David Crowder Band, Joy Williams, BarlowGirl, Switchfoot, Jeremy Camp, Casting Crowns, The Crabb Family, and Israel Houghton also received multiple nominations from the Gospel Music Association.
Secular artists were also represented. Country singer and reigning “American Idol” winner Carrie Underwood won her first Dove for a country recorded song for her No. 1 “Jesus Take the Wheel.”
Backstreet Boy Brian Littrell won his first Dove for inspirational recorded song for his recording of the Michael English song “In Christ Alone.” And bluegrass group Alison Krauss + Union Station took home bluegrass recorded song honors for “Living Prayer.”