The 20th Annual GMA Dove Awards were held on April 13, 1989, recognizing accomplishments of musicians for the year 1988. The show was held in Nashville, Tennessee.

Award recipients

• Song of the Year
  • "Friend Of A Wounded Heart"; Wayne Watson, Claire Cloninger; Word (ASCAP)
• Songwriter of the Year
  • Steven Curtis Chapman
• Male Vocalist of the Year
  • Wayne Watson
• Female Vocalist of the Year
  • Sandi Patty
• Group of the Year
  • Take 6
• Artist of the Year
  • Amy Grant
• New Artist of the Year
  • Take 6
• Southern Gospel Album of the Year
  • Goin' In Style; The Cathedrals; Lari Goss; Homeland
• Southern Gospel Recorded Song of the Year
  • "Champion Of Love"; The Cathedrals; Phil Cross, Caroly Cross; RiverSong
• Inspirational Album of the Year
  • Make His Praise Glorious; Sandi Patty; Greg Nelson, Sandi Patti Helvering*; Word
• NOTE: The legal name was not changed until 1994.
• Inspirational Recorded Song of the Year
  • "In Heaven's Eyes"; Sandi Patty; Phil McHugh; Word
• Pop/Contemporary Album of the Year
  • Lead Me On; Amy Grant; Brown Bannister; Myrrh
• Pop/Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year
  • "His Eyes"; Steven Curtis Chapman; Steven Curtis Chapman; Sparrow
• Contemporary Gospel Album of the Year
  • Take 6; Take 6; Mark Kibble, Claude V. McKnight III, Mervyn E. Warren; Reprise Records
• Contemporary Gospel Recorded Song of the Year
  • "If We Ever"; Take 6; Public Domain; Reunion
• Traditional Gospel Album of the Year
  • Live...In Chicago; Shirley Caesar; Bubba Smith, Shirley Caesar; Rejoice
• Traditional Gospel Recorded Song of the Year (formerly Traditional Black Gospel)
  • "Hold My Mule"; Shirley Caesar; Shirley Caesar Williams; Word
• Country Album of the Year
  • Richest Man In Town; Bruce Carroll; Bubba Smith; New Canaan
• Country Recorded Song of the Year
  • "Above And Beyond"; Bruce Carroll; Bruce Carroll, Paul Smith; Word
• Rock Album of the Year
  • Russ Taff; Russ Taff; Jack Joseph Puig; Myrrh
• Rock Recorded Song of the Year
  • "Won By One"; Mylon & Broken Heart; Scot Allen, Trent Arganti, Kenneth Bentley, Ben Hewitt, Paul Joseph, Mylon LeFevre, Joe Hardy; Star Song
• Hard Music Album of the Year
  • In God We Trust; Stryper; Stryper, Michael Lloyd; Enigma
• Hard Music Recorded Song of the Year
  • "In God We Trust"; Stryper; Stryper; Benson
• Instrumental Album of the Year
  • A Symphony Of Praise; Sandi Patti; David T Clydesdale; Word
• Praise and Worship Album of the Year
  • Praise 10; Maranatha! Singers; Smitty Price, Tom Coomes; Maranatha!
• Children's Music Album of the Year
  • Wise Guys and Starry Skies; Kathie Hill; Kathie Hill, Randall Dennis; Sparrow
• Musical Album
  • In His Presence, The Ridden King; Dick and Melodie Tunney; Dick and Melodie Tunney; Genevox
• Choral Collection Album
  • Sandi Patty Choral Praise; Greg Nelson; Word Music
• Short Form Music Video of the Year
  • "Lead Me On"; Amy Grant; Tina Silvey; Andrew Doucette; Myrrh
• Long Form Music Video of the Year
  • Carmen Live...Radically Saved; Carman; Cindy Dupree; George J. Flanigen IV and Robert Deaton; Benson
• Recorded Music Packaging of the Year
  • PATRICK POLLEI, JOAN TANKERSLEY; PHILLIP DIXON; Russ Taff; Russ Taff