The first performers and presenters for the 38th Annual GMA Dove Awards were announced last week. The 38th Annual Dove Awards will be held April 25 at the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville, Tenn. The show will be hosted by Natalie Grant, Brian Littrell and Donnie McClurkin. Tickets are available through http://www.doveawards.com.

The show will feature more than a dozen performances that will showcase and reflect the diversity that exists in Christian/gospel music. The artists that will be performing this year are Brian Free & Assurance, Steven Curtis Chapman, The Crabb Family, DecembeRadio, Family Force 5, Kirk Franklin, Mark Hall (of Casting Crowns), Leeland, Littrell, Mandisa, MercyMe, Mac Powell (of Third Day), Red, Aaron Shust, Stellar Kart, Take 6, TobyMac and Chris Tomlin.

Presenters include Bob & Larry from VeggieTales, songwriter/producer Ian Eskelin, teenage activist Zach Hunter, country music legend Brenda Lee, child actor Grayson Russell, Michael W. Smith, and New Artist of the Year nominee Ayiesha Woods. Additional performers, presenters and special segments will be announced soon.

The 38th Annual GMA Dove Awards will be produced by Steve Gilreath Television for the sixth straight year. Dove Awards will be handed out in 43 categories. Many of the awards will be presented during opening ceremonies beginning at 5:30 p.m., while all the performances and seven awards will be presented during the broadcast portion of the Doves beginning at 8 p.m.

Securing first-run syndication through broadcast network affiliates and independent stations nationwide is Central City Productions/Timeless International which also produces and syndicates the Stellar Awards. Broadcast affiliates in New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Washington D.C., Atlanta, Cleveland, New Orleans and Nashville are among the more than 120 television stations, including seven of the top ten Nielsen markets, that have already cleared the GMA Dove Awards for the 2007 broadcast. Click here for a list of scheduled air times and dates. Following the broadcast syndication, The Gospel Music Channel will have the cable premiere of the GMA Dove Awards.

The American Bible Society is the Designated Charity for the Dove Awards. Founded in 1816 and headquartered in New York City, the mission of the American Bible Society is to make the Bible available to every person in a language and format each can understand and afford, so that all people may experience its life-changing message.