Hillsong UNITED Reacts to their GMA Dove Awards Win

By Timothy Yap Oct 08, 2014 02:54 AM EDT

Hillsong United took tops honors Tuesday night (Oct. 7) at the Gospel Music Assn.'s 45th Annual Dove Awards, winning five Doves, including artist of the year and song of the year for "Oceans (Where Feet May Fail)."

"The song 'Oceans' has opened so many new doors and so many great opportunities to share the message of Jesus," Hillsong United's Jonathan Douglass said backstage. "Only by the grace of God is this song doing what it's doing. . . People keep telling us the song is doing really well, but the way we gauge it is when we talk to people one on one, either back in Sydney [Australia, the worship band's home base] or all over the world. People grab me by the shoulders, look me in the eyes and say, 'I was going through this and that song is what helped me.' That's why we do these albums."

The song, which has been on the top of Billboard's Hot Christian Songs chart for more than 50 weeks, reigned at the Gospel Music Association's 45th annual Christian music awards. The song won for song of the year, pop/contemporary recorded song of the year and worship song of the year.

Jonathon Douglass, one of the band members of Australia-based Hillsong UNITED, geeked out about receiving the artist of the year award from Grammy-winning Christian singer Amy Grant.

"Unfortunately, a lot of Christian music didn't make it to Australia, but your cassettes did, in my mum's car with me," Douglass told Grant during the show. "I can't wait to tell Mum that I met you."