Performers Announced for 34th Annual Dove Awards

NASHVILLE Tenn. – The performers for the 34th Annual Dove Awards were announced, March 25. The awards, a joint production of NorthStar Studios and the Gospel Music Association, celebrates the achievement in all genres of contemporary Christian and Gospel Music. It will be hosted by two of Christian music’s most celebrated artists, CeCe Winans and Steven Curtis Chapman, and will be help on April 10th at the Gaylord Entertainment Center in Nashville.

The performers include a vast array of gospel and Christian contemporary superstars including Amy Grant, Vince Gil, Yolanda Adams, Donnie McClurkin, Sixpence None the Richer, Blind Boys of Alabama. Audio Adrenaline, The Crabb Family, Mark Schultz, Bebo Norman, Nichole Nordeman, Joy Williams and The Katinas. They will be joined by all six New Artist Nominees, Big Daddy Weave, The Rock 'N' Roll Worship Circus, Daily Planet, Souljahz, Paul Colman Trio and Jeff Deyo.

The pre-show which begins at 5:30 p.m. Central Time will be hosted by Rebecca St. James, and will feature rising artists Smokie Norful, Sheri Easter, Karen Peck and Joyce Martin, among others.

Amy Grant, Blind Boys of America and Pat Boone will join Winans during the opening ceremonies, in which most of the awards are presented.

A key performance by Michael W. Smith, Point of Grace, Michael Tait, Anointed and Avalon will offer a tribute to the 20th anniversary of Smith’s signature song “Friends.” Friends is a bonus track on the Dove Hits 2003 CD, currently available in stores nationwide.

The Dove Awards will be available live via radio and pay-per-view webcast from the Gaylord Entertainment Center. Coverage will begin at 5:30 p.m., and will include both the Pre-Awards and the Dove Awards. The live presentation is expected to last five hours. PAX TV will also air the Awards on Saturday, April 19 from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. The Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBM) will televise the Awards twice: Friday, April 25 at 9 p.m.and Saturday, April 26 at 4 p.m.; all times Central.

The following is the complete list of awards and nominees:

song of the year:

Above All (Lenny LeBlanc, Paul Baloche); Back In His Arms Again (Mark Schultz); Breathe (Marie Barnett); Come Unto Me (Nicole C. Mullen); Great Light of the World (Bebo Norman); Here I Am To Worship (Tim Hughes); Holy (Nichole Nordeman); Ocean Floor (Mark Stuart, Bob Herdman, Tyler Burkum, Will McGinnis, Ben Cissell); Spoken For (Bart Millard, Nathan Cochran, Mike Scheuchrer, Robby Shaffer, Jim Bryson, Peter Kipley) ; Yes, I Believe (Joel Lindsey, Tony Wood); Youth of the Nation (Paul Sandoval, Marco Curiel, Mark Traa, Noah Bernardo)

male vocalist of the year:

Bebo Norman; Mac Powell; Mark Schultz; Michael W. Smith; Steven Curtis Chapman

female vocalist of the year:

Joy Williams; Natalie Grant; Nichole Nordeman; Nicole C. Mullen; Rebecca St. James

group of the year:

Audio Adrenaline; MercyMe; Selah; Sixpence None the Richer; Third Day

new artist of the year:

Big Daddy Weave; Daily Planet; Jeff Deyo; Paul Colman Trio; Souljahz; The Rock 'N' Roll Worship Circus

artist of the year:

MercyMe; Michael W. Smith; Steven Curtis Chapman; Third Day; tobyMac

Producer of the Year:

Brown Bannister; Charlie Peacock; Monroe Jones; Nathan Nockels; Steve Hindalong

Rap/Hip Hop/Dance Recorded Song of the Year:

All Around The World – Souljahz; Amazing - Andy Hunter; Here We Go – Grits; Irene – tobyMac; J-Train - tobyMac with Kirk Franklin

Modern Rock/Alternative Recorded Song of the Year:

Blood of Jesus - Rock 'N' Roll Worship Circus; Breathe Your Name - Sixpence None the Richer; Get This Party Started – tobyMac; Our Love Is Loud - David Crowder Band; Revolution - Jars of Clay; Spin - Lifehouse

Hard Music Recorded Song of the Year:

Boom - P.O.D.; Electric - GS Megaphone; Fireproof – Pillar; Symbiotic - Living Sacrifice; Tonight - PAX217; Vapor - Skillet

Rock Recorded Song of the Year:

40 Days - Third Day; Broken - 12 Stones; Get On - Third Day; Speaking In Tongues - The Elms; Tangled Web - Daily Planet

Pop/Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year:

Back In His Arms Again - Mark Schultz; Great Light of the World - Bebo Norman; Holy - Nichole Nordeman; Love Someone Like; Me - Patty Cabrera; Ocean Floor - Audio Adrenaline

Inspirational Recorded Song of the Year:

Before It Was Said – FFH; Come Unto Me - Nicole C. Mullen; Here I Am To Worship - Tim Hughes; Purified - Michael W. Smith; Who You Are - 4Him

Southern Gospel Recorded Song of the Year:

Don't You Wanna Go? - The Crabb Family; I Rest My Case At the Cross - The Perrys; I Wanna Know How It Feels - Karen Peck & New River; I'm Gonna Sing - Gaither Vocal Band; More Than Ever - Gaither Vocal Band

Bluegrass Recorded Song of the Year:

I Sure Miss You - The Crabb Family; I've Come To Take You Home - The Crabb Family ; Me and Jesus - Charlie Sizemore (featuring The Oak Ridge Boys; Duane Allen, Joe Bosnall, William Lee Golden, Richard Sterban); The Devil Can't Touch Your Soul - Rick Hendrix; Walkin' and Talkin' - The Lewis Family ; You Must Be Born Again - Jeff & Sheri Easter

Country Recorded Song of the Year:

God Is Good All the Time - Dave Moody; Leave Here Empty Handed - Safe Thus Far; Standing On the Promises - The Martins; The Most Inconvenient Christmas - The Oak Ridge Boys; The River's Gonna Keep On Rolling - Amy Grant

Urban Recorded Song of the Year:

Get Up - Israel Houghton; Holla - Trin-I-tee 5:7; It's All About You - Smokie Norful ; Meditate - Out of Eden; Ordinary People - Mary Mary

Traditional Gospel Recorded Song of the Year:

Closet Religion - Dottie Peoples; Drug Me - The Canton Spirituals; Endow Me - Twinkie Clark; Holding On - Mississippi Mass Choir; I Love To Praise Him - Marvin Sapp; People Get Ready - Blind Boys of Alabama; Thank You - Yolanda Adams; The Glory of the Blood - Dottie Peoples

Contemporary Gospel Recorded Song of the Year:

Brighter Day - Kirk Franklin; For Love Alone - CeCe Winans; Hosanna - Kirk Franklin; In The Morning - Mary Mary; The Best Is Yet To Come - Donald Lawrence & The Tri-City Singers

Rap/Hip Hop/Dance Album of the Year:

Beautiful - Brent Jones & the T.P. Mobb; Collaborations - KJ-52; Exodus - Andy Hunter; Hindsight - John Reuben; The Art of Translation - Grits

Modern Rock/Alternative Album of the Year:

Contact - The Benjamin Gate; Divine Discontent - Sixpence None the Richer; The Eleventh Hour - Jars of Clay; The Way I Am - Jennifer Knapp; Welcome To the Rock 'N' Roll Worship Circus - Rock 'N' Roll Worship Circus

Hard Music Album of the Year:

Conceived In Fire - Living Sacrifice; Demon Hunter - Demon Hunter; Fireproof – Pillar; Parade of Chaos – ZAO; Truthless Heroes - Project 86

Rock Album of the Year:

12 Stones - 12 Stones; Kutless – Kutless; Lift - Audio Adrenaline; Truth, Soul, Rock & Roll - The Elms; Turn The Tides - 38th Parallel

Pop/Contemporary Album of the Year:

By Surprise - Joy Williams; Myself When I Am Real - Bebo Norman; New Map of the World - Paul Colman Trio; Spoken For – MercyMe; Woven & Spun - Nichole Nordeman

Inspirational Album of the Year:

Be Glad - The Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir; Legacy... Hymns & Faith - Amy Grant; Ronnie Freeman - Ronnie Freeman; Storm- Fernando Ortega; Woven In Time - Steve Green

Southern Gospel Album of the Year:

A Crabb Collection - The Crabb Family; Gold City Camp Meetin' - Gold City; Live At First Baptist Atlanta - Greater Vision; Safe Thus Far - The Hoskins Family; Triumph - Karen Peck & New River

Bluegrass Album of the Year:

50th Anniversary Celebration - Lewis Family; Climbing Up the Ladder – Principles; Faraway Land - Ron Block; Oh Brother... What Now? - Chigger Hill Boys and Terri; Tribute To Gov. Jimmie Davis - The Village Singers

Country Album of the Year:

An Inconvenient Christmas - The Oak Ridge Boys; Everything Good - Gaither Vocal Band; How Sweet the Sound - The Charlie Daniels Band; My, Oh My! - Jeff & Sheri Easter; Rise and Shine - Randy Travis

Urban Album of the Year:

Believe - Yolanda Adams; The Fault Is History – Souljahz; Incredible - Mary Mary; The Kiss - Trin-i-tee 5:7; This Is Your Life - Out of Eden

Traditional Gospel Album of the Year:

Churchin' With Dottie - Dottie Peoples; Come Fly With Me - Luther Barnes; Higher Ground - Blind Boys of Alabama; I Owe You the Praise - The Georgia Mass Choir; Nobody But You - Norman Hutchins; Walking By Faith - The Canton Spirituals

Contemporary Gospel Album of the Year:

Beautiful World - Take 6; I Need You Now - Smokie Norful; Real - Israel Houghton; Speak Those Things: POL Chapter 3 - Fred Hammond; The Rebirth of Kirk Franklin - Kirk Franklin

Instrumental Album of the Year:

Did You Feel the Mountains Tremble – Rivertribe; Hymnsongs - Phil Keaggy; In the Spirit - Kirk Whalum, Ben Tankard, Steven Ford, Abraham Laboriel; Praise & Worship Instrumental - Mike Casteel, Eda Chako-Moore, Amy Cooper, Tracey Phillips, Robbie Shankle; Resting Place - David Hamilton; The Gospel According to Jazz (Part Two) - Kirk Whalum

Praise & Worship Album of the Year:

Blessed - Darlene Zschech; Lifestyle - The Katinas; Not To Us - Chris Tomlin; Worship Again - Michael W. Smith; Worship God - Rebecca St. James

Children's Music Album of the Year:

Club de la Aventura 2; Jonah, A Veggie Tales Movie Original Soundtrack; Meet Me At the Manger; Shout Praises; Toddler Bible Songs

Spanish Language Album of the Year:

Alabanza y Adoracion en Vivo (Desde Espana) - Marcos Vidal; Me Inundas - Rodrigo Espinoza; Navidad - Jaci Velasquez; Proclamare Tu Amor 2 – Generaciones; Spanish Prayer of Jabez – Various; Yo Ire - Steve Green

Special Event Album of the Year:

All Star Hymns - Greater Vision, Gold City, Perrys, Brian Free & Assurance, Cumberland Quartet, Nelons, LordSong, Mike Bowling, Paynes, Southern Brothers, Hoskins Family, Ernie Haase, Old Time Gospel Hour Quartet; City On A Hill: Sing Alleluia - Caedmon's Call, FFH, Jars of Clay, Jennifer Knapp, Phil Keaggy, Nichole Nordeman, Bebo Norman, Fernando Ortega, The Choir, Third Day; Girls of Grace - Point of Grace, Nichole Nordeman, Christy Nockels, Out of Eden, Rachael Lampa, Jennifer Deibler, Jaci Velasquez, Jill Phillips, Joy Williams Passion: Our Love Is Loud - Charlie Hall, Chris Tomlin, David Crowder; Traveling Light - Joel Hanson, Sara Groves, Amy Grant, Bryan White, Jaci Velasquez, Mac Powell, Adore, Fleming & John, Russ Taff, Jenna Lucado, Michael Tait, Ellie Bannister, Derri Daugherty

Musical of the Year:

Agnus Dei; Christmas Is Jesus; God In Us; Land of the Free; The Christmas Shoes

Youth/Children's Musical of the Year:

Christmas Time; Meet Me At the Manger; Stranger In the Manger; The Prayer of Jabez; The Tale of Three Trees

Choral Collection of the Year:

Be Glad; Christ Church Choir's Christmas Tapestry; More Songs For Praise & Worship 2; Song of Praise; The WOW Collection

Recorded Music Packaging of the Year:

Cover Me - Brother's Keeper; Hero - Daily Planet; Hi-Fi Revival - The O.C. Supertones; The Art and Craft of Popular Music - Joy Electric; Unusual - All Together Separate; Welcome To the Rock 'N' Roll Worship Circus - Rock 'N' Roll Worship

Short Form Music Video of the Year:

Brighter Day - Kirk Franklin; Existence - Kevin Max; Holla - Trin-i-tee 5:7; Irene – tobyMac; There She Stands - Michael W. Smith; Wait For Me - Rebecca St. James

Long Form Music Video:

11 Live: Jars of Clay In Concert - Jars of Clay; All The Best... Live - Sandi Patty; Momentum DVD – tobyMac; Newsboys Thrive; From the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum – Newsboys; Worship - Michael W. Smith

For more information, visit www.doveawards.com

By Pauline J.