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A visual history · Grammys

The winners who defined Gospel Perf/Song.

11 ceremonies, 2015–2025. 8 different winners.

Who won most recently?
Tasha Cobbs Leonard, Erica Campbell & Israel Houghton featuring Jonathan McReynolds & Jekalyn Carr in 2025 for One Hallelujah.
Who has won the most?
Kirk Franklin, 3 wins (2016, 2020, 2024).
  1. One HallelujahTasha Cobbs Leonard, Erica Campbell & Israel Houghton featuring Jonathan McReynolds & Jekalyn Carr
  2. All ThingsKirk Franklin
  3. KingdomMaverick City Music & Kirk Franklin
  4. Never LostCeCe Winans
  5. Movin' OnJonathan McReynolds & Mali Music
  6. Love TheoryKirk Franklin
Years explored
2015–2025
Different winners
8
Category leader
Kirk Franklin · 3
About this record

Best Gospel Performance/Song was first awarded in 2015, so it does not run the full 1959–2025 window.

It merged Best Gospel Song, a songwriters' award, with the performers' award Best Gospel/Contemporary Christian Music Performance. Neither predecessor is tracked here yet, so this span starts where the merged award does.

2015–2025

11 ceremonies

20152025

01 / The reigns

8 winners shaped this category.

The timeline turns the 2015–2025 record into a sequence of reigns. Longer bands reveal sustained runs; color shows the credited label.

  1. 01
    Kirk Franklin3 wins
  2. 02
    CeCe Winans2 wins
One band per year, because no winner has gone back-to-back in the years on record. Colored by label; scroll sideways for the full run.
Smokie Norful'15
Kirk Franklin'16
Tamela Mann'17
CeCe Winans'18
Tori Kelly featuring Kirk Franklin'19
Kirk Franklin'20
Jonathan McReynolds & Mali Music'21
CeCe Winans'22
Maverick City Music & Kirk Franklin'23
Kirk Franklin'24
One Hallelujah'25

02 / The power map

Who stood behind the winners?

Elevation Worship Records leads the recorded label credits with 1 win, 2015–2025. The full distribution shows whether power was concentrated or shared.

Elevation Worship Records1 win
Sony1 win
Tribl1 win
Wins by label
  1. Elevation Worship Records133%
  2. Sony133%
  3. Tribl133%

8 further wins have no label on record and are not counted in the 3 above.

8 of these 11 wins have no label on record, so the chart covers the other 3.

03 / The near misses

The names that kept coming back without the ending they wanted.

Counting nominations in this category only, 2015–2025.

Most nominated, never won this award

  1. 01
    Melvin Crispell III
    3 noms
  2. 02
    Travis Greene
    3 noms
  3. 03
    Brian Courtney Wilson
    2 noms
  4. 04
    DOE
    2 noms
  5. 05
    Erica Campbell
    2 noms
  6. 06
    Jekalyn Carr
    2 noms

Most losses in this category

  1. 01
    Melvin Crispell III
    3L · 0W
  2. 02
    Travis Greene
    3L · 0W
  3. 03
    Brian Courtney Wilson
    2L · 0W
  4. 04
    DOE
    2L · 0W
  5. 05
    Erica Campbell
    2L · 0W
  6. 06
    Jekalyn Carr
    2L · 0W

04 / The archive

Every year.
Every winner.

The complete reference behind the story, showing 2015–2025. Open any year to see the rest of the field when nominee records are available.

YearWinnerLabel
2025Tasha Cobbs Leonard, Erica Campbell & Israel Houghton featuring Jonathan McReynolds & Jekalyn Carr (One Hallelujah)
beat 4 others
  • Yolanda Adams (Church Doors)
  • Melvin Crispell III (Yesterday)
  • Ricky Dillard (Hold On (Live))
  • DOE (Holy Hands)
Unknown
2024Kirk Franklin (All Things)
beat 4 others
  • Stanley Brown featuring Hezekiah Walker, Kierra Sheard & Karen Clark Sheard (God is Good)
  • Erica Campbell (Feel Alright (Blessed))
  • Zacardi Cortez (Lord Do It For Me (Live))
  • Melvin Crispell III (God Is)
Unknown
2023Maverick City Music & Kirk Franklin (Kingdom)
beat 4 others
  • Erica Campbell (Positive)
  • DOE (When I Pray)
  • PJ Morton featuring Zacardi Cortez, Gene Moore, Samoht, Tim Rogers & Darrel Walls (The Better Benediction)
  • Tye Tribbett (Get Up)
Tribl/Fo Yo Soul/RCA Inspiration
2022CeCe Winans (Never Lost)
beat 4 others
  • Dante Bowe featuring Steffany Gretzinger & Chandler Moore (Voice of God)
  • Dante Bowe (Joyful)
  • Anthony Brown & Group Therapy (Help)
  • Elevation Worship & Maverick City Music (Wait On You)
Elevation Worship Records
2021Jonathan McReynolds & Mali Music (Movin' On)
beat 4 others
  • Melvin Crispell III (Wonderful Is Your Name)
  • Ricky Dillard featuring Tiff Joy (Release (Live))
  • Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins Presents: The Good News (Come Together)
  • Travis Greene (Won't Let Go)
Unknown
2020Kirk Franklin (Love Theory)
beat 4 others
  • Gloria Gaynor & Yolanda Adams (Talkin' 'bout Jesus)
  • Travis Greene featuring Jekalyn Carr (See the Light)
  • Koryn Hawthorne featuring Natalie Grant (Speak the Name)
  • Tasha Cobbs (This Is a Move (Live))
RCA Inspiration/Fo Yo Soul
2019Tori Kelly featuring Kirk Franklin (Never Alone)
beat 4 others
  • Jekalyn Carr (You Will Win)
  • Koryn Hawthorne (Won't He Do It)
  • Jonathan McReynolds featuring DOE (Cycles)
  • Brian Courtney Wilson (A Great Work)
Unknown
2018CeCe Winans (Never Have To Be Alone)
beat 4 others
  • Tina Campbell (Too Hard Not To)
  • JJ Hairston & Youthful Praise featuring Bishop Cortez Vaughn (You Deserve It)
  • Le'Andria (Better Days)
  • The Walls Group (My Life)
Unknown
2017Tamela Mann (God Provides)
beat 4 others
  • Shirley Caesar featuring Anthony Hamilton (It's Alright, It's OK)
  • Jekalyn Carr (You're Bigger (Live))
  • Travis Greene (Made a Way (Live))
  • Hezekiah Walker (Better)
Unknown
2016Kirk Franklin (Wanna Be Happy?)
beat 4 others
  • Anthony Brown and Group Therapy (Worth (Live))
  • Travis Greene (Intentional)
  • Israel & New Breed (How Awesome Is Our God (Live))
  • Brian Courtney Wilson (Worth Fighting For (Live))
Unknown
2015Smokie Norful (No Greater Love)
beat 4 others
  • Erica Campbell featuring Lecrae (Help)
  • Karen Clark Sheard (Sunday AM)
  • Mali Music (I Believe)
  • The Walls Group (Love on the Radio)
Unknown