The Gospel Music Association Dove Awards have been criticised for naming Lecrae the Artist of the Year, saying that he has repeatedly rejected the label "Christian rapper".

Lecrae received the accolade on Tuesday night, after his 2014 album Anomaly debuted at no.1 on the album charts – of any genre.

A spokesperson for Urban Family Communications, Meeke Addison, criticised his winning on the grounds that he has repeatedly rejected the label "Christian rapper".

"What he has consistently and repeatedly rejected is the genre of 'Christian rap.' He has repeatedly rejected it," she said.

"So why then does this Christian award outlet need to award him 'artist of the year'? Why? It is unfair to actual Christian rappers."

Addison said she could not understand why such a high honour would be given to someone who did not want to be identified as a Christian artist.

Often an artist is either hemmed in by the genre label of "Christian music" or reaches the mainstream by keeping their faith private.

Lecrae wants to surpass that dynamic: "My music is not Christian – Lecrae is," he told The Atlantic. "And you hear evidence of my faith in my music."

His approach is working; he became the first artist to top both the Billboard 200 and the gospel charts with Anomaly.

He also co-owns a record label, Reach Records, with his childhood friend which is explicitly evangelical. The website says: "the heartbeat of Reach is Romans 1:16, 'For I am not ashamed of the gospel for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.'"