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Five-time Dove Awards winner Wayne Haun leads all nominees in this year's Gospel Music Association's 44th annual Dove Awards. The songwriter/producer earns the most nods with a total of 15 to top the list of nominations for Christian and gospel music excellence that were revealed Wednesday morning, August 21, at the David Lipscomb University's Allen Arena in Nashville, Tennessee.

Haun's fellow Songwriter of the Year nominee Matt Redman bags the second most number of nominations with nine, tied with Artist of the Year contender Chris Tomlin. Worship leader Tomlin is pitted against actress/gospel singer Tamela Mann, Grammy-nominated Francesca Battistelli, and Christian hip-hop artists, Lecrae and tobyMac.

"American Idol" season eleven finalist Colton Dixon lands nominations in three categories that include the New Artist of the Year, where he is going up against bands Capital Kings, for King & Country, Rhett Walker Band and gospel singer Tasha Cobbs. His original song "Never Gone", which he debuted at the 2012 American Idols Live! tour, is one of five songs nominated for the Rock/Contemporary Song of the Year.

The 2013 GMA Dove Awards will take place on October 15 at same venue where the nominations were announced, marking the return of the ceremony to Nashville after being held for the past two years in Atlanta. Voting will commence on September 3 and end on September 24. The full nomination list can be obtained on the official site.