Top nominees announced for the 35th Annual Dove Awards represent the wide range of artists in gospel music today. Contemporary pop’s Steven Curtis Chapman, mainstream breakouts Switchfoot and Stacie Orrico, traditional gospel’s CeCe Winans and rockers Third Day lead the diverse list of nominees. A complete nominations list is posted at Doves Nominees.
Chapman and Toby McKeehan, a multiple nominee himself, announced the Dove Award nominations today at The Gaylord Entertainment Center, where the 35th Annual Doves will be held on Wednesday, April 28, 2004.
“Gospel music expresses itself in many different ways and we applaud all nominated artists for their unique contributions to the gospel music landscape,” said John W. Styll, president of the Gospel Music Association (GMA). “Steven Curtis Chapman, CeCe and Third Day continue to elevate their artistry, making them perennial Dove favorites. At the same time, it is so great to see artists like Switchfoot and Stacie Orrico, while certainly not new to the gospel music community, have the breakout success they have experienced this year. They are all deserving of the recognition these awards are meant to show.”
Sparrow artist Chapman garnered seven nominations, including several for his work on his latest record, All About Love. Additionally, Chapman earned a nod for producing New Artist of the Year nominee Casting Crowns’ self-titled debut record. Switchfoot’s six group nominations, including Artist of the Year, are for their breakout Sparrow/Columbia recording Beautiful Letdown, which has been number one on Billboard’s Top Christian Albums chart for the first five weeks of 2004. Band members and brothers Jonathan and Tim Foreman also individually earned five and four nominations for their songwriting. Third Day’s Offerings II: All I Have To Give helped to produce six nominations for the Essential Records artist, as well as individual writing and production credits for the band members.
Female Vocalist of the Year was one of five nominations for Winans, whose latest, Throne Room, was her first for Pure Springs Gospel/INO/Epic. ForeFront/Virgin artist Stacie Orrico became an MTV favorite this past year with the release of her self-titled sophomore project, which earned her five Dove nominations including Artist of the Year and Female Vocalist of the Year. EMI Gospel’s Smokie Norful found success at gospel and urban radio with his debut album, netting him four Dove nominations. The title track from his debut, “I Need You Now,” won a Top 5 slot at Urban AC radio while also becoming one of the biggest songs of the past two years at Gospel radio.
Other multiple nominees include Mark Schultz, Mercy Me and bandleader Bart Millard, and Casting Crowns. Receiving four nods each are Todd Agnew, Jeremy Camp, Darwin Hobbs, KJ-52, Robert Randolph (of Robert Randolph and the Family Band), Connie Smith and T-Bone.
The five artists vying for the coveted Artist of the Year are MercyMe, Orrico, Michael W. Smith, Switchfoot and Randy Travis. Male Vocalist nominees are Camp, Chapman, Millard, David Phelps and Schultz. Nichole Nordeman, Orrico, Rebecca St. James, Joy Williams and Winans are nominated for Female Vocalist. Artists up for Group of the Year are Jars of Clay, MercyMe, Newsboys, Switchfoot and Third Day. In addition to Casting Crowns, Across the Sky, Agnew, Camp and Kristy Starling are nominated for New Artist of the Year.
Many of the nominated songs and artists will be featured in the upcoming Word Records’ release Dove Hits 2004: 15 of the Year’s Best Dove Award Nominated Artists and Songs. A full song list for Dove Hits 2004 will be announced in the coming weeks. The album releases on April 20, 2004.
Awards will be handed out in 44 categories. The Songwriter of the Year category was not announced today. Those nominees and the winner are announced during the Dove Awards. Last year’s Songwriter of the Year was Nordeman. Dove Awards nominations go to recordings released during the eligibility year November 1, 2002 through October 31, 2003 and voted on by the 4,500 member Gospel Music Association. In categories where nominations go to the artist and songwriter and/or producer, the artist may receive two nominations for that category if they are the artist and songwriter and/or producer for that category.
Founded in 1964, the 4,500-member Gospel Music Association (www.gospelmusic.org) is dedicated to exposing, promoting and celebrating the gospel through music. The GMA represents all styles of gospel music including contemporary pop, rock, urban gospel, praise & worship, Southern gospel, country and children’s gospel music. The GMA produces the Dove Awards, which recognizes achievement in all genres of gospel music.
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