DOVE AWARDS Spread Praise Among Christian/Gospel Artists

NASHVILLE MUSIC CITY – The GMA Dove Awards were handed out last night in Nashville with TobyMac, Mark Hall and Casting Crowns flying highest, but certainly not alone.

Televised live on the Gospel Music Channel and held at the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville, the 39th Annual GMA Dove Awards show featured some impressive numbers: a different artist bestowed with a Dove Award in every major category, statuettes awarded to more than 35 different artists and a dozen performances including more than 30 artists.

The Dove Awards in the overall categories went to:

Artist of the Year: TobyMac
Female Vocalist of the Year: Natalie Grant
Male Vocalist of the Year: Chris Tomlin
Group of the Year: Casting Crowns
New Artist of the Year: Brandon Heath
Songwriter of the Year: Cindy Morgan
Song of the Year: “East to West,” written by Mark Hall and Bernie Herms
Producer of the Year: Ian Eskelin

“The parade of artists taking the Dove Awards’ stage this year as award recipients and performers once again displays the depth and breadth of Christian and gospel music. It was a joy to see so many different artists recognized for their creative contributions and on the same night to be uplifted by one brilliant and moving performance after another,” said John W. Styll, president and CEO of Gospel Music Association (GMA) and executive producer of the GMA Dove Awards.

In being named Artist of the Year, TobyMac reclaimed a title he earned 12 years ago in 1996 as a member of dcTalk . He was recognized for a year in which his latest CD, Portable Sounds debuted at No. 10 on the Billboard Top 200 Albums Chart; his hit singles “I’m For You” and “Made To Love” earned him R&R’s Christian CHR Artist of the Year; and his video for his rock hit “Boomin” was named the Gospel Music Channel’s Video of the Year. Portable Sounds was named Rock/Contemporary Album of the Year and “Boomin” got the Dove Award for Short Form Video of the Year.