Mary Mary's "Get Up" Takes Home The 2009 Dove Award For Urban Recorded Song Of The Year

Groundbreaking Contemporary Gospel Duo Earn Seventh Career Dove Award

(dateline - New York ; source: Columbia Records) The contemporary gospel duo Mary Mary received the Urban Recorded Song of the Year Dove Award for "Get Up," one of the key tracks the group's #1 Gospel album, The Sound, at the 40th Annual Dove Awards ceremony held Thursday, April 23 at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville. Started in 1969, the Gospel Music Association's Dove Awards is the "Biggest Night In Gospel Music" and the longest running and most prestigious televised awards ceremony recognizing achievement in all genres of Christian and Gospel music.

"Get Up" marks the seventh career Dove Award for Mary Mary, who won their first Urban Recorded Song of the Year trophy in 2001 for "Shackles (Praise You)" from Thankful, that year's Urban Album of the Year winner.

Mary Mary's subsequent Dove Awards include 2002's Urban Recorded Song of the Year (for "Thank You" from the "Kingdom Come" soundtrack), 2003's Contemporary Gospel Recorded Song of the Year (for "In The Morning" from Incredible), 2004's Urban Recorded Song of the Year (for "Dance Dance Dance" from Gotta Have Gospel) and 2006's Contemporary Gospel Album of the Year (for "Mary Mary").

Earlier this year, "Get Up" took home the 2009 Best Gospel Performance Grammy while Mary Mary was honored with the 2009 NAACP Image Award for Best Gospel Artist (Traditional or Contemporary).

Mary Mary are currently in the midst of a North American spring tour, the influential gospel performers' first evening's length live shows since taking home their 2009 Grammy Award.

Heralded as "Praiseworthy" by People magazine, Mary Mary's latest album The Sound peaked at #1 on a variety of Billboard Christian and Gospel albums charts shortly after its release in October 2008. The Sound entered the Billboard Top 200 at #7, giving Mary Mary their highest charting -- and second Top 10 -- album on that chart (2005's Mary Mary peaked at #8 on the Top 200). Mary Mary and The Sound achieved one of the highest chart debuts on the Top 200 of any gospel album released in 2008. A bonafide crossover smash, The Sound made a "Hot Shot" debut on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart at #2.