The 2018 Dove Awards nominations are in, and Tauren Wells is leading the field.
Wells earned eight nominations, including New Artist of the Year, Contemporary Christian Artist of the Year and Song of the Year for “Hills and Valleys.” Zach Williams follows with six nominations, while Cory Asbury, Tasha Cobbs Leonard and TobyMac received five each.
Writer and producer Colby Wedgeworth also earned eight nominations. Between the artists, writers and producers, this year’s ballot contains enough overlapping credits to make keeping score an award-worthy accomplishment of its own.
The Artist of the Year category brings together Hillsong United, MercyMe, Needtobreathe, Tasha Cobbs Leonard and Zach Williams. New Artist of the Year includes Asbury, Koryn Hawthorne, Mosaic MSC, Pat Barrett and Wells.
The Song of the Year field stretches across contemporary Christian music, gospel, worship and hip-hop, with nominations for Crowder, Lecrae, Matthew West, Micah Tyler, Lauren Daigle, Mandisa and several of the year’s fastest-rising artists.
Here is a look at the nominees in several of the night’s biggest categories.
Artist of the Year
Hillsong United
MercyMe
Needtobreathe
Tasha Cobbs Leonard
Zach Williams
New Artist of the Year
The New Artist of the Year field includes worship, gospel and contemporary Christian artists whose careers were already moving quickly before the Dove Awards made the introduction official.
Cory Asbury
Koryn Hawthorne
Mosaic MSC
Pat Barrett
Tauren Wells
Song of the Year
“All My Hope”
David Crowder and Ed Cash, songwriters
“Blessings”
Allen Swoope, Asheton Hogan, Lecrae Moore, Maurice Simmonds and Tyrone Williams Griffin Jr., songwriters
“Broken Things”
Andrew Jacob Pruis, Jason Houser and Matthew West, songwriters
“Control (Somehow You Want Me)”
Jason Ingram, Matt Bronleewe and Mike Donehey, songwriters
“Different”
Kyle Lee and Micah Tyler, songwriters
“Hills and Valleys”
Chuck Butler, Jonathan Smith and Tauren Wells, songwriters
“I Just Need U.”
Blake NeeSmith, Bryan Fowler and Kevin McKeehan, songwriters
“I’ll Find You”
Danny Majic, John Mitchell, Justin Franks, Lecrae Moore, Natalie Sims, Sasha Sloan and Victoria Kelly, songwriters
“O’Lord”
Joe Williams and Paul Mabury, songwriters
“Old Church Choir”
Colby Wedgeworth, Ethan Hulse and Zach Williams, songwriters
“Reckless Love”
Caleb Culver, Cory Asbury and Ran Jackson, songwriters
“So Will I (100 Billion X)”
Benjamin Hastings, Joel Houston and Michael Fatkin, songwriters
“Unfinished”
Ben Glover and Colby Wedgeworth, songwriters
Songwriter of the Year: Artist
Lecrae
Matthew West
Tauren Wells
TobyMac
Zach Williams
Contemporary Christian Artist of the Year
For King & Country
MercyMe
Tauren Wells
TobyMac
Zach Williams
Gospel Artist of the Year
CeCe Winans
Jekalyn Carr
Kirk Franklin
Tasha Cobbs Leonard
Travis Greene
Southern Gospel Artist of the Year
Bradley Walker
Gaither Vocal Band
Joseph Habedank
Karen Peck & New River
Mark Lowry
Worship Song of the Year
“Do It Again”
Chris Brown, Mack Brock, Matt Redman and Steven Furtick, songwriters
“Reckless Love”
Caleb Culver, Cory Asbury and Ran Jackson, songwriters
“So Will I (100 Billion X)”
Benjamin Hastings, Joel Houston and Michael Fatkin, songwriters
“Spirit of the Living God”
Jacob Sooter and Mia Fieldes, songwriters
“Tremble”
Andres Figueroa, Hank Bentley, Mariah McManus and Mia Fieldes, songwriters
Pop/Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year
“All My Hope”
Crowder featuring Tauren Wells
“O’Lord”
Lauren Daigle
“When We Pray”
Tauren Wells
“I Just Need U.”
TobyMac
“Old Church Choir”
Zach Williams
Pop/Contemporary Album of the Year
Wonder
Hillsong United
Out of the Dark
Mandisa
All In
Matthew West
Different
Micah Tyler
Hills and Valleys
Tauren Wells
Southern Gospel Album of the Year
We Have This Moment
Gaither Vocal Band
Clear Skies
Ernie Haase & Signature Sound
Still Happy
Goodman Revival
Hope for All Nations
Karen Peck & New River
What’s Not to Love
Mark Lowry
Bluegrass/Country/Roots Album of the Year
Blessed: Hymns and Songs of Faith
Bradley Walker
Unexpected
Jason Crabb
Sing It Again
Jeff & Sheri Easter
Going Home
Little Roy & Lizzy Show
Inspirational Film of the Year
God’s Not Dead: A Light in Darkness
I Can Only Imagine
Paul, Apostle of Christ
Same Kind of Different as Me
The Star
The 49th Annual GMA Dove Awards will be held Oct. 16 at Allen Arena on the campus of Lipscomb University in Nashville. The ceremony will air Oct. 21 on TBN.
See the complete list of nominees at DoveAwards.com.