We extend Dade’s theorem to the realm of nearly epsilon-strongly graded rings, and present new characterizations of strongly and epsilon-strongly graded rings. Further, we give conditions for an epsilon-strongly graded ring to be written as a direct sum of strongly graded rings and a ring with trivial gradation. Our results are applied to characterize strongly graded Leavitt path algebras endowed with the canonical gradation. Finally we show that for any n∈Z+ there is a Leavitt path algebra which is a sum of n − 1 strongly graded rings and a ring with trivial gradation.