Dove Awards 2012: David Mann, Chondra Pierce Host, Mary Mary Attend (VIDEO)
The 43rd Annual GMA Dove Awards has recognized today's top Christian artists as David Mann and Chondra Pierce led the ceremony.
Christian and gospel music's biggest event of the year took place Thursday and saw names such as Jason Crabb, Natalie Grant, Kari Jobe, and many others.
Ahead of his hosting duties, Mann appeared on the red carpet at the Dove Awards alongside his wife Tamela.
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The cast member on Tyler Perry's series "Mr. Brown" appeared calm as he told The Christian Post about he and his wife's new show, "Hangin' With the Manns."
Before working with Tyler Perry, Mann and his wife were members of Kirk Franklin's vocal ensemble "The Family."
Tamela chimed in to answer how she and her husband of over 21 years have stayed happily married.
"We really like each other," she joked.
Mann's co-host at the Doves, comedian Chondra Pierce, also graced the red carpet ahead of the ceremony.
Named "Queen of Clean Comedy," Pierce told CP that she was thrilled to be assisting Mann in hosting this year's Doves. She has written six best-selling books and starred in CMT's special "This Ain't Prettyville."
Also visiting Atlanta's historic Fox Theater for the Doves Thursday was the sister duo Mary Mary consisting of Erica Atkins-Campbell and Trecina Atkins-Campbell.
The sisters, born just two years apart, have received three Grammy Awards for their albums while also achieving number one on the Billboard Top Gospel Albums.
After performing during the ceremony, the singers told CP about their upcoming reality series as well as their new album, "Go Get It." The album with be the sister's fourth, following "Thankful" from 2000, "Incredible" from 2002, and 2005's "Mary Mary."
The duo are often credited along with singer Kirk Franklin for expanding urban contemporary gospel music's fan base.
Franklin, who also attended the awards ceremony Thursday, earned his 15th and 16th Dove Awards for Contemporary Gospel Album and Contemporary Gospel Recorded Song of the Year. He is the number one higest-selling gospel artist of all time.
Dove Awards 2012: David Mann, Chondra Pierce Host, Mary Mary Attend
