The Gospel Music Association (GMA) Dove Awards are presented annually by the

Gospel Music Association The Gospel Music Association (GMA) is a nonprofit organization founded in 1964 for the purpose of supporting and promoting the development of all forms of gospel music. As of 2011, there are about 4,000 members worldwide. The GMA's membership co ...

for outstanding achievements in the

Christian music industry The Christian music industry is one aspect of the broader music industry, with a focus on Christian music and subgenres such as gospel music, southern gospel, contemporary Christian music, contemporary worship music, and even traditional church mus ...

. The awards for Male and Female Vocalist of the Year Award has been awarded every year that the GMA has given the awards since 1969. Eighteen different men and seventeen different women have won the award in forty-three years.

James Blackwood James Webre Blackwood (August 4, 1919 – February 3, 2002) was an American gospel singer and one of the founding members of legendary Southern gospel quartet The Blackwood Brothers. He is the only person in any field of music to have been nomin ...

won seven of the first eight (1969–1970, 1972–1975, 1977) Male Vocalist of the Year awards and is tied for the most with

Steven Curtis Chapman Steven Curtis Chapman (born November 21, 1962) is an American contemporary Christian music singer, songwriter, record producer, actor, author, and social activist. Chapman began his career in the late 1980s as a songwriter and performer of conte ...

(1990–1991, 1995, 1997–1998, 2000–2001).

Sandi Patty Sandra Faye "Sandi" Patty (born July 12, 1956) is an American Christian music singer, known for her wide soprano vocal range and expressive flexibility. Biography Early life Patty was born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, into a family of musician ...

has the most Vocalist of Year awards overall with eleven (1982–1992). Other multiple award winners include

Natalie Grant Natalie Diane Grant (born December 21, 1971) is an American singer and songwriter of contemporary Christian music. She received the Gospel Music Association's Dove Award for Female Vocalist of the Year four consecutive years (2006, 2007, 2008 an ...

(five), Sue Chenault Dodge (three), Michael English (three),

Larnelle Harris Larnelle Steward Harris (born July 6, 1947) is an American gospel singer and songwriter. During his 40-plus years of ministry, Harris has recorded 18 albums, won five Grammy Awards and 11 Dove Awards, and has had several number one songs on the ...

(three),

Russ Taff Russell Taff (born November 11, 1953) is an American gospel singer and songwriter who grew up in Farmersville, California. He has sung a variety of musical styles throughout his career including: pop rock, traditional Southern gospel, contempora ...

(three),

Chris Tomlin Christopher Dwayne Tomlin (born May 4, 1972) is an American contemporary Christian music singer, songwriter, and worship leader from Grand Saline, Texas, United States, who has sold over 7 million records. He is a member of Passion Conferences an ...

(three),

Twila Paris Twyla (also Twila) is a given name. Notable people with the name include: Twyla * Twyla Hansen (born 1949), American poet, a Nebraska State Poet * Twyla Herbert (1921–2009), American songwriter * Twyla King (1937-2022), American newspaper edito ...

(three),

Francesca Battistelli Francesca Battistelli (born May 18, 1985) is an American Christian singer and songwriter. She was originally an independent artist and had released an independent album, ''Just a Breath'', in 2004. Her first studio album on Fervent Records, '' M ...

(two),

Jeremy Camp Jeremy Thomas Camp (born January 12, 1978) is an American contemporary Christian music singer and songwriter from Lafayette, Indiana. He has released eleven albums, four of them RIAA-certified as Gold, and two live albums. Camp's original musi ...

(two),

Cynthia Clawson Cynthia Clawson (born October 11, 1948 in Houston, Texas) is a Grammy Award-winning American gospel singer. She has been called "The most awesome voice in gospel music" by Billboard Magazine, and has received five Dove Awards, 15 Dove Award nom ...

(two), Steve Green (two),

Brandon Heath Brandon Heath Knell (born July 21, 1978) is an American contemporary Christian musician, singer, and songwriter from Nashville, Tennessee. He has released six studio albums: ''Don't Get Comfortable'' (2006), ''What If We'' (2008), ''Leaving Ede ...

(two),

Dallas Holm Dallas Holm (born November 5, 1948) is an American singer-songwriter of Christian music, whose musical ministry has spanned almost four decades. His 1977 live album, with the group Praise, featured his best known song, "Rise Again". The group ...

(two),

Nicole C. Mullen Aileen Nicole Coleman-Mullen, known professionally as Nicole C. Mullen, (born January 3, 1967) is an American singer, songwriter, and choreographer. She was born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio. Music career While studying at Christ for the ...

(two),

Nichole Nordeman Nichole Ellyse Nordeman (born January 3, 1972) is an American Contemporary Christian music, contemporary Christian singer and songwriter. Biography Nordeman was raised in Colorado Springs, Colorado, where she played the piano in church. She go ...

(two),

Evie Evie may refer to: People and fictional characters * Evie (given name) * Evie (singer), American contemporary Christian music singer Evelyn Tornquist (born 1957) * Evie (wrestler), ring name of New Zealand female professional wrestler Cheree Crowl ...

(two),

Jaci Velasquez Jacquelyn "Jaci" Davette Velasquez (Spanish ''Jaci Velásquez'', born October 15, 1979) is an American actress and contemporary Christian and Latin pop singer and songwriter, performing in both English and Spanish. Velasquez has sold almost ...

(two), and

Cece Winans Priscilla Marie Winans Love, known professionally as CeCe Winans, (born October 8, 1964) is an American gospel singer. She rose to prominence as a member of the duo BeBe & CeCe Winans; before launching an acclaimed solo career. Winans has been a ...

(two). Chapman's seventh and most recent Vocalist of the Year award in 2001 came eleven years after his first in 1990—the longest span between awards. In the awards forty-three year history, only in 1969, 1976, 1996, 1999, 2002, and 2006, did both the male and female award winners win for the first time in the same year. The most recent winners were

Jason Crabb Jason Douglas Crabb (born March 3, 1977) is a Christian music singer and musician. He has been the lead vocalist for the group The Crabb Family.

and Grant; it was Crabb's first win. GMA officials rescinded the Dove Awards of 1971 due to solicitation of votes by the James Blackwood family. James Blackwood and Sue Chenault would have won the male and female vocalist of the year awards, respectively. If the awards had not been removed, Blackwood would have had the most male vocalist of the year awards with eight. The only other year in which there were no awards was in 1979 when they were moved from October to April.

Winners

Footnotes

References

External links

Gospel Music AssociationDove Awards
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gma Dove Award Gospel music awards