GMA Dove Award facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Dove Award |
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Dove Awards logo
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| Presented by | Gospel Music Association |
| Country | United States |
| First awarded | 1969 |
A Dove Award is a special prize given by the Gospel Music Association (GMA) in the United States. It celebrates amazing achievements in the world of Christian music. The awards shows happen every year. They are usually held in Nashville, Tennessee. In 2011 and 2012, they were held in Atlanta, Georgia. These shows feature live music performances and are shown on the TBN television channel.
The Dove Awards started in 1969. They recognize many different types of Christian music. This includes rock, pop, hip hop, country, and urban music.
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History of the Dove Awards
The idea for the Dove Awards came from Gospel singer and songwriter Bill Gaither. He suggested it at a meeting of the Gospel Music Association in 1968. Bill Gaither also thought of using a dove as the symbol for the award. The design of the award was created by gospel singer Les Beasley and designer Bob McConnell.
The very first GMA Dove Awards were held in October 1969. They took place at the Peabody Hotel in Memphis, Tennessee. In 1971, the awards moved to Nashville.
The 1971 awards show had some problems with voting. Because of this, the 3rd GMA Dove Awards were not officially counted by the Gospel Music Association. There was no awards show in 1979. This was because the Gospel Music Association decided to change the awards from autumn to spring. Since then, every show has been held in the spring. The first time the awards were shown on TV was in 1984. This was the 15th GMA Dove Awards, and it aired on the Christian Broadcasting Network.
The awards stayed in Nashville until 2011. Then, in 2012, they were held at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia. The awards returned to Nashville in 2013. Since then, they have been held at the Allen Arena at Lipscomb University.
Award Categories
There are many different categories for the Dove Awards. In 2012, there were 42 categories! Because there are so many, and because they want to show many live performances, only the most popular awards are given out during the televised show.
General Awards
The "General Field" has seven awards that are not limited to one type of music:
- Song of the Year: This award goes to the person who wrote the song and the company that published it.
- Dove Award for Songwriter of the Year: This award is for the person who writes the songs. Since 2015, there have been two awards in this group. One is for songwriters who are also performers, and one is for songwriters who are not performers.
- Male Vocalist of the Year
- Female Vocalist of the Year
- Group of the Year
- Artist of the Year
- New Artist of the Year
- Producer of the Year
Other awards are given for specific music styles. There are also awards for things like album artwork and music videos.
Music Style Awards
- Inspirational: For songs and albums that inspire people.
- Pop: For popular Christian songs and albums.
- Southern Gospel: For Southern Gospel songs and albums.
- Gospel (Soul/Black): For Traditional and Contemporary Gospel songs and albums.
- Musicals: For musicals and youth/children's musicals.
- Praise & Worship: For worship songs and albums.
- Country & Bluegrass: For Country and Bluegrass songs and albums.
- Rock: For Rock and Rock/Contemporary songs and albums.
- Rap/Hip Hop & Urban: For Rap/Hip Hop and Urban songs and albums.
Other Awards
- Instrumental Album of the Year
- Children's Music Album of the Year
- Spanish Language Album of the Year
- Special Event Album of the Year
- Christmas Album of the Year
- Choral Collection of the Year
- Recorded Music Packaging
- Short Form Music Video of the Year
- Long Form Music Video of the Year
- Inspirational Film of the Year
Rules for Awards
In 1998, the GMA made new rules about what music could win a Dove Award. They said that all nominated music had to be:
- Based on Christian beliefs from the Bible.
- An expression of worship to God.
- A story about a relationship with God through Christ.
- Clearly from a Christian point of view.
Before these new rules, music only needed to be sold in stores connected to the Christian Booksellers Association. Some people thought these stricter rules came about after the Amy Grant album Behind the Eyes won an award earlier that year. Some felt that album's songs were not Christian enough.
These new rules caused some complaints from fans and artists. In 1999, thirteen entries were not allowed to be nominated because they were seen as too secular. After that, the rules were changed again. Many groups that were not allowed to be nominated in 1999 went on to win awards in 2000.
As of 2019, the GMA's rule for eligible music is that it must be "based on the Christian faith from the Holy Bible or clearly from a Christian point of view."
See also
In Spanish: GMA Dove Awards para niños
- Christian pop culture
- Gospel Music Association of Canada Covenant Awards
- List of religion-related awards
