Gospel Music Association Announces Winners of GMA Academy Regional Talent Competition

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Aspiring artists and songwriters from across the country competed in Nashville last weekend for the Gospel Music Association’s GMA Academy Nashville Artist and Song Regional Talent Competition. Six winners were named to move on to the National Competition at the GMA Music in the Rockies Artist & Song of 2008 Competition, the Christian music industry’s official talent competition for unsigned artists and songwriters.

At this year’s GMA Academy in Nashville Artist and Song Competition, the song winners performed at the Friday night concert hosted by INO Recording Artist Mark Harris and the artist winners performed at a closing night concert at the Academy, hosted by Word Recording Artist Nicole C. Mullen. The winners are:

• 1st Place Artist Winner – Desiree' Olson of Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. (www.MySpace.com/DesireeOlson)

• 2nd Place Artist Winner – Erik Bledsoe of Nashville, Tenn. (www.ErikB.com; www.MySpace.com/ErikBledsoe)

• 3rd Place Artist Winner – Torrie Hill of Birmingham, Ala. (www.myspace.com/torriehillmusic)

• 1st Place Song Winner – "A New Song" by Jason Dyba of Nashville, Tenn. (www.MySpace.com/dybamusic)

• 2nd Place Song Winner – "I'll See My Lord" by Zack Tyson of Cullman, Ala. (www.MySpace.com/ZackTyson)

• 3rd Place Song Winner – "Jesus Is Coming Back Again" by Gerald Trottman of Hendersonville, Tenn. (www.GeraldTrottman.com; www.MySpace.com/hisrefuge)

The talent competitions were held at Christ Church in Nashville last Friday and Saturday, along with intensive training classes led by music industry professionals that are designed to help aspiring artists and songwriters sharpen their skills and advance their careers. This same competition has produced such best-selling and Dove-Award winning artists as Jars of Clay, Matthew West, BarlowGirl, Stacie Orrico and Nichole Nordeman. The current American Idol champ Jordin Sparks competed and won one of her first major talent competitions at GMA Academy in 2004.