Inside the 2026 GMA Dove Awards Portrait Studio
Industry
Music
SERVICES PROVIDED
Photography
Video
Project Overview
The Gospel Music Association invited us back for an eighth consecutive year to host the Dove Awards Portrait Studio. This year, we wanted to create an elevated, welcoming studio with photographs artists would be excited to share and keep. We started brainstorming the set months before the event, thinking through the experience from the moment someone entered the space to the finished portraits they received.
Finding the direction
We spent a lot of time sharing and developing ideas before landing on the final creative direction. Early concepts included a wood-paneled church interior with a backlit cross, but as we thought through the set, it felt too rustic. We also explored building walls covered in hymnal pages, but decided that leaned more toward a lifestyle setting. We ultimately chose a layered architectural approach, inspired by the awards-show portrait references that felt closest to what we envisioned.
During brainstorming, we used AI to help visualize our ideas through concept boards. Once we settled on the final direction, we used it to create renderings based on the actual materials and components we planned to use so we could see how the space would come together.
Bringing the set to life
The final design used four 4-by-8-foot flats painted with a concrete-inspired texture and staggered within our 20-by-20-foot space. A 16-by-12-foot black gloss vinyl floor and three black pedestals completed the set. Once we’d sourced the materials and textured paint, we gathered at Westlight Studios to paint the flats and take a few preliminary test shots while the paint was still drying. The set and equipment were then loaded into a box truck for transport to Bridgestone Arena.
On show day, load-in began at 9 a.m., with access to the portrait studio space at 10 a.m. We had about four and a half hours to build the full set and be ready for photos. That meant installing the floor, hanging lights, positioning the flats and putting the final touches on the setup.
For the portraits, we wanted to keep our subjects’ faces well lit and preserve natural skin tones while retaining some contrast. Our lighting setup combined a large overhead softbox with a front key light and secondary fill. To add depth and drama, we hung two bar lights in the spaces between the flats. Their reflections in the black floor became one of our favorite details in the finished portraits.
Making it an impactful experience
Once the studio was ready, we focused on making the photo experience feel comfortable and flow naturally. Music helped set a relaxed tone, and our team guided each guest through posing and movement.
The pedestals gave artists somewhere to sit or lean, and winners a place to display their Dove Awards. Having those options helped us vary the poses and compositions as we photographed nearly 100 people in just a few hours.
By the end of the evening, those sessions had added up to more than 4,000 images. Once teardown was complete, our team spent the next 48 hours selecting and editing portraits ahead of Friday’s telecast. Seeing the finished images being shared that Friday was especially rewarding after the weeks of preparation and work that went into them.
From concept to final delivery, the studio took an estimated 220 man-hours across our team. We’re grateful to use our God-given talents to welcome and encourage these artists and to be part of an evening that celebrates what God has done through Christian music. We’re already looking forward to next year!
Technical setup and crew
Camera & Lens: Canon 5D Mark IV | Sigma 24-35mm f/2 HSM Art
Agency: Wander Creative
Producer & Creative Director: Matt Hadley
Technical Producer: Joseph An
Photographer: Caroline Condor
Gaffer: Bryson Sams
Photographer’s Assistant & Talent Direction: Katie Rose
Studio Hosts: Kyrsten Johns & Jake Townsend
Digital Workflow & Technical Support: Franklin Taylor
Production Assistant: Sam Cannon
Photo Editing: Matt Hadley & Caroline Condor
Client: GMA Dove Awards
Client Creative Direction & Coordination: Alexandra Smith
