It was a bittersweet victory last night for Christian music artist Steven Curtis Chapman.

He won "Artist of the Year" at the Dove Awards, but the victory came after an emotional journey for Chapman and his family.

His 5-year-old daughter Maria Sue was killed last May when she was accidentally hit by a vehicle driven by her older brother.

Chapman says the tragedy has allowed the family to communicate their hope and their faith with the world.

"Paul says if our hope is only for this, if it's only to get some of these, to get a hit record or whatever, it might be from whatever your world is," he began while accepting the award. "If we can say anything as a family, a broken family that's lost its little girl, it's just let this hope make us so bold. Jesus is coming so let's bring Him. Thank you very much."

Some of the other Dove winners include Casting Crowns for "Group of the Year" and Tenth Avenue North for "New Artist of the Year."

Miss California Carrie Prejean received a standing ovation at the ceremony when she introduced her favorite band, Mercyme.

Prejean believes she was denied the Miss USA title because she stood by her Christian beliefs, saying marriage should be between a man and a woman.