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.

Three Dove Awards for Casting Crowns and four Dove Awards for the group’s lead vocalist and songwriter Mark Hall are the culmination of a record-breaking year for the Atlanta-based pop worship band. In addition to their fourth consecutive Group of the Year Award, the band’s Doves also included Best Pop/Contemporary Album of the Year for The Altar and the Door, which made an unprecedented debut at No. 2 on the Billboard Top 200 Albums Chart when it released in 2007. “East to West,” which earned Hall (and Bernie Herms) Song of the Year honors was also recognized as Pop/Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year for the group and personally for Hall as the co-writer. Hall’s participation on the multi-artist worship project Glory Revealed brought him individual Dove Awards for Special Event Album of the Year for the CD and Inspirational Recorded Song of the Year for the single “By His Wounds” (with Steven Curtis Chapman, Brian Littrell and Mac Powell).

In the other top overall categories, Chris Tomlin and Natalie Grant repeat for the third straight year as Male Vocalist and Female Vocalist of the Year, respectively. Brandon Heath was awarded New Artist of the Year, while Cindy Morgan, who was named New Artist of the Year 15 years ago, returned to the stage as 2008’s Songwriter of the Year.

Good fortune came by twos for Tomlin, Morgan, David Crowder*Band, Ernie Haase & Signature Sound, Israel & New Breed, Michael W. Smith, Trin-i-tee 5:7, Steven Curtis Chapman, Brian Littrell, Mac Powell and Bernie Herms, as these artists received two Doves each.

The live Dove Awards telecast, which was also broadcast on XM Satellite radio, featured 12 extraordinary performances, including Casting Crowns, The Clark Sisters, David Crowder*Band, Marvin Sapp, and Point Of Grace. Performing for the first time on the Dove Awards, Switchfoot offered “This Is Home,” a song that will be on the soundtrack for the upcoming Walt Disney Pictures/Walden Media film “The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian.”

Many others were multi-artist appearances, including the show opener with the New Artist of the Year nominees showing why they are among the best of the new generation of Christian artists. Female vocalist Natalie Grant shared her spotlight with country icon Wynonna in a powerhouse duet of “Bring It All Together.” American Idol® previous finalists Phil Stacey and Chris Sligh made their Dove Awards debut alongside Mandisa and Amy Grant in a musical salute to Michael W. Smith and his 25 years of artistry, singing some of their favorite “Smitty” songs such as “Thy Word,” “Place in This World,” “Secret Ambition” and “Agnus Dei.”

One of the evening’s exclusive highlights was the world premiere of the first song written and recorded for Compassionart, a newly formed charity founded by Delirious? frontman/songwriter Martin Smith that is dedicated to seeing works of art generate income for the poorest of the poor. Chris Tomlin, Steven Curtis Chapman, Israel Houghton, Michael W. Smith, Paul Baloche and Christy Nockels, all who have written songs for Compassionart, performed “So Great” from the upcoming charity-focused CD that will release in the fall.

Appropriately, the Dove Awards closed with a nod to the historic stage they took place on – with a “Opry at the Doves” – starting with Ricky Skaggs and The Whites with “Solid Rock” and Southern gospel favorites Jeff and Sheri Easter, The Hoppers and Karen Peck and New River singing “I Wouldn’t Take Nothin” and then the rousing finale: Charlie Daniels leading a “choir” of artists including Third Day’s Mac Powell, The Isaacs, Angella Christie to close the evening’s festivities with the classic “I’ll Fly Away.”

Some of the notable presenters included Kirk Franklin, Regina Belle, Skillet, Donnie McClurkin, Larry Gaitlin, Bishop Paul Morton, Donnie McClurkin, Aaron Shust, Mark Lowry, Sandi Patty, Rob Beckley (Pillar), Mark Schultz, Leonardo, comics Anita Renfroe and Michael Jr. , Super Bowl championship NFL player Ben Utecht and best-selling author Denise Jackson.

Gospel Music Channel is the exclusive television home for the GMA Dove Awards for 2008 and the next four years. GMC is the fastest growing television network in America and can be seen in 40 million homes across the country on DIRECTV channel 338, cable systems including Comcast, Time Warner, Cox, Charter, and Knology as well as on Verizon FiOS. After the live show, GMC presented two encore broadcasts tonight and plans multiple rebroadcasts.

Participating for the first time was GodTube, one of the fastest-growing broadcast websites, which had an exclusive live-streaming of the Pre-Telecast Awards, where 37 statues were handed out with comic Nazareth hosting and Tenth Avenue North, New Harvest and Phil Wickham performed. GodTube also provided backstage press room access simultaneous with the Gospel Music Channel live broadcast, offering online viewers access to their favorite artists as they met the press after receiving their Dove Awards.

The American Bible Society (www.bibles.com) was the presenting sponsor of the 2008 telecast and the designated charity of the 39th Annual GMA Dove Awards.

The 39th Annual GMA Dove Awards were produced for the Gospel Music Channel by Steve Gilreath. The show was directed by Ron de Moreas, an accomplished director of concerts, awards shows, live events and series television, including the Salt Lake Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony, Survivor: Central Park Finale, Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards and many others.

About GMA: Founded in 1964, the Gospel Music Association serves as the face and voice for the gospel/Christian music community and is dedicated to exposing, promoting and celebrating the gospel through music of all styles including pop, rock, praise & worship, black gospel, R&B, hip-hop, Southern gospel, country, and more. The GMA community consists of 4,000 members including agents, artists, church leaders, managers, promoters, radio personnel, record company executives, retailers, songwriters and other industry visionaries. The GMA produces the GMA Dove Awards, GMA Music Week, GMA Music in the Rockies, and the GMA Academy. For more information, please visit www.gospelmusic.org.

About Gospel Music Channel Gospel Music Channel (www.GospelMusicChannel.com) is the first and only 24/7 television network dedicated to the rich history and contemporary sounds of gospel/Christian music and its many different genres and artists. From rock to rap, country to soul, Southern to hip-hop, Gospel Music Channel crosses cultures and generations. From the soulful sounds of CeCe Winans and Aretha Franklin to the country roots of Carrie Underwood and Tim McGraw, and the contemporary stylings of Casting Crowns, Kirk Franklin and Natalie Grant and everyone in between, the Gospel Music Channel’s got it all. The network’s program schedule features artist biographies, music specials, live concerts, and hosted music videos for the entire family.