Grammy Award for Best Roots Gospel Album

Not to be confused with Grammy Award for Best Gospel Album.

The Grammy Award for Best Roots Gospel Album has been an award category at the annual Grammy Awards since 2015.

Grammy Award for Best Roots Gospel Album
Awarded for	quality gospel performances in the American Roots subgenres (folk, bluegrass, 'southern' gospel, regional roots music, etc.)
Country	United States
Presented by	National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences
First award	2015
Currently held by	Cory Henry, Church (2025)
Website	grammy.com

The award was first approved by the board of trustees of the Grammy Awards in June 2014.^[1]

According to NARAS, the award was introduced to "provide a category for traditional Southern gospel and other "roots" gospel albums as both a protector of the heritage of this music and an acknowledgement of the growing interest and support of these genres." It is similar to the Grammy Award for Best Southern, Country or Bluegrass Gospel Album category which was active from 1991 to 2011.

The category is open for solo artists, duos, groups and other collaborations and is for albums only. In the Gospel genre field, it will sit with other categories such as Best Gospel Album and Best Contemporary Christian Music Album.

The Grammy is awarded to the performer(s) on the winning recording. If there is no identifiable artist (e.g. in soundtrack or various artist albums), the award is given to the (compilation) producer(s).

Recipients

Mike Farris was the first recipient of the award in 2015.

Joey + Rory won in 2017. Rory accepted the award almost one year after Joey died.

2022 winner Carrie Underwood.

OVerview of Grammy Award for Best Roots Gospel Album nominees

Year[I]	Performing artist(s)	Work	Nominees	Reference
2015[2]	Mike Farris	Shine for All the People	T. Graham Brown – Forever Changed Gaither Vocal Band – Hymns The Martins – A Cappella Tim Menzies – His Way of Loving Me
2016	The Fairfield Four	Still Rockin' My Soul	Karen Peck and New River – Pray Now Point of Grace – Directions Home (Songs We Love, Songs You Know)
2017	Joey + Rory	Hymns That Are Important to Us	Gaither Vocal Band – Better Together The Isaacs – Nature's Symphony In 432 Gordon Mote – Hymns and Songs of Inspiration Various Artists – God Don't Never Change - The Songs of Blind Willie Johnson
2018	Reba McEntire	Sing It Now: Songs of Faith & Hope	The Collingsworth Family – The Best of the Collingsworth Family, Volume 1 Larry Cordle – Give Me Jesus Joseph Habedank – Resurrection Karen Peck and New River – Hope for All Nations
2019	Jason Crabb	Unexpected	Ernie Haase & Signature Sound - Clear Skies The Isaacs - Favorites: Revisited By Request The Martins - Still Standing Gordon Mote - Love Love Love
2020[3]	Gloria Gaynor	Testimony	Steven Curtis Chapman - Deeper Roots: Where the Bluegrass Grows Joseph Habedank - Deeper Oceans Tim Menzies - His Name is Jesus Various Artists; Jerry Sally, producer - Gonna Sing, Gonna Shout
2021[4]	Fisk Jubilee Singers	Celebrating Fisk! (The 150th Anniversary Album)	Mark Bishop - Beautiful Day The Crabb Family - 20/20 The Erwins - What Christmas Really Means Ernie Haase and Signature Sound - Something Beautiful: Our Favorite Songs of Bill & Gloria Gaither
2022[5]	Carrie Underwood	My Savior	Harry Connick Jr. - Alone With My Faith Gaither Vocal Band - That's Gospel, Brother Ernie Haase & Signature Sound - Keeping On The Isaacs - Songs For The Times
2023[6]	Tennessee State University Marching Band	The Urban Hymnal	Gaither Vocal Band - Let's Just Praise the Lord Keith & Kristyn Getty - Confessio - Irish-American Roots Willie Nelson - The Willie Nelson Family Karen Peck & New River - 2:22
2024	Blind Boys of Alabama	Echoes of the South	The Blackwood Brothers Quartet - Tribute To the King Becky Isaacs Bowman - Songs That Pulled Me Through the Tough Times Brian Free & Assurance - Meet Me at the Cross Gaither Vocal Band - Shine: The Darker the Night, the Brighter the Light
2025	Cory Henry	Church	Authentic Unlimited - The Gospel Sessions, Vol. 2 Mark D. Conklin - The Gospel According to Mark The Harlem Gospel Travelers - Rhapsody The Nelons - Loving You	[7]
2026	Winner TBA on 1 February 2026		The Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir - I Will Not Be Moved (Live) Gaither Vocal Band - Then Came the Morning The Isaacs - Praise & Worship: More Than A Hollow Hallelujah Karen Peck & New River - Good Answers Candi Staton - Back to my Roots	[8]

Artists with multiple nominations

(As of 2026)

4 nominations

• Gaither Vocal Band
• The Isaacs

3 nominations

• Ernie Haase & Signature Sound
• Karen Peck & New River

2 nominations

• The Martins
• Tim Menzies
• Joseph Habedank
• Gordon Mote

See also

• List of Grammy Award categories