Gallium nitride (GaN) powders and nanowires were prepared by using tris(N,N-dimethyldithiocarbamato)gallium(III) (Ga(DmDTC)$_3$) and tris(N,N-diethyldithiocarbamato)gallium(III) (Ga(DeDTC)$_3$) as new precursors. The GaN powders were obtained by reaction of the complexes with ammonia in the temperature ranging from 500 to 1100 ${^{circ}C}$. The process of conversion of the complexes to GaN was monitored by their weight loss, XRD, and $^{71}$Ga magic-angle spinning (MAS) NMR spectroscopy. Most likely the complexes decompose to $gamma$ -Ga$_2$S$_3$ and then turn into GaN via amorphous gallium thionitrides (GaS$_x$N$_y$). The reactivity of Ga(DmDTC)$_3$ with ammonia was a little higher than that of Ga(DeDTC)$_3$. Room-temperature photoluminescence spectra of asprepared GaN powders exhibited the band-edge emission of GaN at 363 nm. GaN nanowires were obtained by nitridation of as-ground $gamma$ -Ga$_2$S$_3$ powders to GaN powders, followed by sublimation without using templates or catalysts.