The GMA Dove Awards celebrate the contributions of artists from every style of Christian/Gospel music. Nominees are determined by over 1,600 professional members, and winners will be voted on by the entire GMA membership of nearly 2,500. Tauren Wells swept the 49th Dove Awards with nominations in seven categories:
Song of the Year, Contemporary Christian Artist of the Year, New Artist of the Year, Songwriter of the Year, Pop/Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year, Pop/Contemporary Album of the Year and Rap/Hip Hop Recorded Song of the Year.
Wells’ Grammy nominated and critically acclaimed solo debut album, Hills and Valleys, debuted top five on the Billboard Top Christian Charts after its June 23, 2017 release. Hills and Valleys earned two Grammy nominations for Best Contemporary Christian Album and Best Contemporary Christian Song. The album’s lead single and title track “Hills and Valleys” became a top 10 Billboard Christian Radio hit. Additionally, the single “Hills and Valleys” has received over 100 million digital streams and its accompanying acoustic style music video has been viewed over 22.2 million times. Hills and Valleys’ third single “When We Pray” peaked at number two Billboard National Airplay chart. In 2017, Wells was a guest on Lionel Richie and Mariah Carey’s “All the Hits” tour.
Wells’ current single, “Known,” is impacting radio now and sitting with a bullet on the Billboard Christian Airplay Chart. Starting September 20, GRAMMY® nominee, Dove Award winner, and Capitol recording artist, Danny Gokey’s first-ever headline tour with this fall’s “Hope Encounter” tour along with special guest, Riley Clemmons.
The Dove Awards will take place on October 16, 2018 in Nashville, TN at Lipscomb University and broadcast on TBN on Sunday, October 21, 2018. Voting for the final winners will run August 20 through August 27. Tickets for the show are available at www.doveawards.com.
ABOUT TAUREN WELLS
Tauren Wells is the former lead-singer for the Christian Pop/Rock band Royal Tailor, which produced two albums over a five-year career, garnering two Grammy nominations and a New Artist of the Year award from the Gospel Music Association Dove Awards. Tauren Wells, debuted Hills and Valleys in 2017, his first full-length solo project and the follow-up to his debut EP, 2016’s Undefeated. His hit single “Hills and Valleys” was one of the most streamed Christian songs of 2017, according to Spotify. Along with featuring Wells as the cover artist, Spotify also placed the song as the first track on their Top Christian Hits of 2017 playlist.
His single “Undefeated” served as the soundtrack for the internet-famous Dude Perfect’s “World Records Edition” episode on YouTube which, along with another Dude Perfect video featuring the No. 1 single “Love Is Action,” has garnered more than 129.3 million views combined. “Undefeated” is also licensed by Fox Sports and heard regionally during NBA coverage. Additionally, the music video for “Hills and Valleys” has had an astounding 22.2 million views to date. His latest music video, for “When We Pray,” is already close to two million views.
He and his wife of eight years, Lorna, are the proud parents to three boys, Kanaan, Lawson and Navy, who was just born in December. The family resides in Houston, Texas. In 2014, Wells, along with his wife, launched the Prisma Worship Arts School, a private music academy with multiple locations in the Houston area.