[1]NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)–New recording artist and Baylor University graduate Shaun Groves was one of the top nominees announced for the 33rd annual Gospel Music Association Dove Awards.
Groves, a member of the First Baptist Church, Franklin, Tenn., was nominated for New Artist of the Year, Pop/Contemporary Recorded Song (which counts as two nominations since Groves performs and also wrote the song), Song of the Year for Welcome Home and Pop/Contemporary Album.
Other nominees with ties to Southern Baptist churches and Baptist universities including Point of Grace, graduates of Ouachita Baptist University; Selah, graduates of Belmont University; and the Riverside Baptist Church in Denver, Colo.
The Dove Award nominations were announced Jan. 23 by 2001 Dove winners Third Day, Nicole C. Mullen and Nichole Nordeman. They joined Gospel Music Association President Frank Breeden at the Frist Center for Visual Arts in Nashville, Tenn. for the event. The 33rd Annual Dove Awards will be held on April 25th at the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville, Tenn.
“2001 was a tremendously successful year for contemporary Christian and gospel music and that is reflected in the Dove Award nominations, which include many of the top-selling artists of the year,” Breeden said. “Our industry’s success is due in part to its many different musical expressions and that diversity is on display as the music our top nominees made ranged from pop to urban, rap/hip-hop to praise & worship and rock music.”
Besides being diverse in their musical styles, the five artists vying for the coveted Artist of the Year combined for sales of more than three million in 2001. They are Steven Curtis Chapman, Nicole C. Mullen, P.O.D., Michael W. Smith, and Third Day. Third Day and P.O.D. also received nods in the Group of the Year category along with Point of Grace, Avalon and Selah. Steven Curtis Chapman and Michael W. Smith will compete for Male Vocalist alongside Third Day’s Mac Powell, David Phelps and Mark Schultz. Nicole C. Mullen’s fellow Female Vocalist nominees include Nichole Nordeman, Rebecca St. James, CeCe Winans and Natalie Grant.
[2]Nominations were announced in 41 categories. The Songwriter of the Year category was not announced Jan. 23. Those nominees will be determined during second round voting by the membership.
Last year’s Songwriter of the Year was Nicole C. Mullen. Dove Awards nominations go to recordings released during the Eligibility Year November 1, 2000 through October 31, 2001 and voted on by the 5,000 member Gospel Music Association.
Dove Award nominations went to:
— Song of the Year, “Above All”; Lenny LeBlanc, Paul Baloche; Integrity Hosanna! Music, LenSongs Publishing (ASCAP); “Alive” Paul Sandoval, Marcos Curiel, Mark Traa Daniels, Noah C. Bernardo Jr.; Souljah Music, Famous Music Publishing, (ASCAP); “Call On Jesus” Nicole C. Mullen; Word Spring Music, Lil’ Jas Music (SESAC); “God Is God” Steven Curtis Chapman; Peach Hill Songs (BMI); “God Of Wonders” Marc Byrd, Steve Hindalong; New Spring Publishing, Never Say Never Songs (ASCAP), StormBoy Music (BMI); “I Can Only Imagine” Bart Mallard; Simpleville Music (ASCAP); “Live Out Loud” Steven Curtis Chapman, Geoff Moore; Peach Hill Songs (BMI), Geoff Moore Songs (SESAC); “Press On” Dan Burgess; Belwin-Mills Publishing (ASCAP); “Wait For Me” Rebecca St. James; Up In The Mix Music, Bibbitsong Music (BMI); “Welcome Home” Shaun Groves; New Spring Publishing (ASCAP).
— Male Vocalist of the Year, Steven Curtis Chapman, David Phelps, Mac Powell, Mark Schultz, Michael W. Smith.
— Female Vocalist of the Year, Natalie Grant, Nicole C. Mullen, Nichole Nordeman, Rebecca St. James, CeCe Winans.
— Group of the Year, Avalon, P.O.D., Point of Grace, Selah, Third Day.
— Artist of the Year, Steven Curtis Chapman, Nicole C. Mullen, P.O.D., Michael W. Smith, Third Day.
— New Artist of the Year, downhere, Sara Groves, Shaun Groves, Joy Williams, Zoegirl.
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