Lecrae Hosts Dove Awards Alongside MercyMe's Bart Millard, Rapper Duets with Natalie Grant
The 45th Annual GMA Dove Awards took place Tuesday night in Nashville, Tenn. with Lecrae and Bart Millard of MercyMe hosting.
Over 42 awards were distributed to today's leading Christian artists, including Hillsong UNITED, Switchfoot, Kari Jobe and Mandisa, among many others. Furthermore, the night saw unique pairings, debut performances and special recognitions in an unforgettable evening led by Lecrae and Millard. During the Dove Awards, the rapper and the MercyMe front man shared several laughs as they presented the night's events.
"Some of our jokes we made up on the fly," Millard admitted after the ceremony. "I love Lecrae, we have been friends for a while and he is just one of my favorite people."
Get Our Latest News for FREE
Despite the busy night of hosting, Lecrae still made time for a stunning performance alongside Natalie Grant. Ahead of his hosting duties, Lecrae admitted his excitement over the Dove Awards.
"I can't wait to be a part of what I believe will be a historic evening," the Christian hip hop star said in a press release before the show. "Co-hosting with a great friend and talented artist makes it even better. Be careful, though, who knows what will happen when Bart and I get together."
For his part, Millard added, "I'm so excited to be part of this year's Dove Awards. The Doves are unique because they bring all styles of Gospel music together. Lecrae and I are just a small example of how different and yet unified this community is in sharing a message of love and hope through music."
Millard also quipped that he would be blending his style with Lecrae's hip-hop style.
"To prove how unified we are, I will be freestylin' my fresh rhymes while Lecrae sings the chorus to 'I Can Only Imagine' over and over," he said.
The 45th Annual GMA Dove Awards took place at Lipscomb University's Allen Arena on Oct. 7, and the ceremony will be broadcasted on the Trinity Broadcasting Network on Oct. 12. Among the several Christian artists awarded with Doves included Skillet, Chris Tomlin, Karen Peck and New River, and Ellie Holcomb who earned the coveted New Artist of the Year award.
