GMA Dove Awards Nominations for 2009

Chris Tomlin, Natalie Grant, Casting Crowns and Newcomer Francesca Battistelli Emerge as Leading Artist Nominees

Fans Will Vote For Artist and New Artist of the Year For First Time

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Casting Crowns, Steven Curtis Chapman, Fireflight, Marvin Sapp, Third Day, TobyMac and Chris Tomlin have been nominated by the Gospel Music Association (GMA) membership for Artist of the Year at the 40th Annual GMA Dove Awards on April 23, 2009 in Nashville.

Those artists were among the Dove Award nominees announced at a press conference at the Nashville Convention & Visitors Bureau Visitor Information Center. The GMA Dove Awards, gospel music’s biggest night of the year, featuring artists from every style of gospel/Christian music coming together for a night of music and celebration, will be broadcast nationwide live on the Gospel Music Channel from 8 – 10 p.m. (ET/PT) on Thursday, April 23, 2009.

"Christian and gospel music expresses itself in many different ways and we applaud all nominated artists for their unique contributions to the music landscape,” said John W. Styll, president of the Gospel Music Association (GMA). “The powerful messages of redemption, hope and joy found in the music of our Dove nominees come during a season in history when our country and the world need inspiration and encouragement.”

For the first time, fans will become stakeholders in the Dove Awards with an opportunity to vote for the winner of Artist of the Year along with New Artist of the Year, which includes nominees Addison Road, Francesca Battistelli, Fee, Jonathan Nelson, Remedy Drive, Chris Sligh and Tenth Avenue North . Fan voting, which will be conducted through the Gospel Music Channel website (www.gospelmusicchannel.com) and at www.doveawards.com, will open on February 26, the same day online voting opens for GMA members. The cumulative fan vote, which will continue through the live Dove Awards broadcast, will account for one-third of the total vote in those two categories.