INO Records has collected eight GMA Dove Award nominations including nods in key categories such as “Song of the Year,” “Group of the Year” and “Female Vocalist of the Year.” The 42nd Annual GMA Dove Awards will be held on Wednesday, April 20, 2010 at Atlanta’s historic Fox Theatre and will be televised nationwide on GMC (http://www.watchgmc.com/), Easter Sunday, April 24, 2011 from 7-9p.m. EST. This year marks the first time the show has taken place outside Nashville in 40 years.
Multi-platinum selling band MercyMe received three total nominations for “Group of the Year,” “Song of the Year” and “Pop/Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year.” The song recognition was for “All Of Creation,” the first single from their May 2010 release of The Generous Mr. Lovewell. The song was also named Billboard’s National Christian Audience and Christian AC Song of the Year.
Horseshoes & Handgrenades, the latest No. 1 album from Disciple, took top honors in the “Rock Album of the Year” category while their No. 1 hit “Dear X, You Don’t Own Me” also garnered attention in the “Rock Recorded Song of the Year” category.
GMA Dove Award winner Laura Story was honored in the “Female Vocalist of the Year” category. Her next album, Blessings, is due out April 12.
Phillips, Craig & Dean’s “Great Are You Lord” is nominated for “Inspirational Recorded Song of the Year.” The song earned the GMA Dove Award winners their 20th No. 1 single in 19 years.
Sara Groves’ Fireflies and Songs was recognized in the “Recorded Music Packaging” category. The singer/songwriter released the album in November of 2009.
About MercyMe:
Since their debut in 2001, GRAMYMY ® nominated, American Music Award and multiple GMA Dove Award winners MercyMe have sold nearly 6 million units in CD and DVD sales, while being one of few Contemporary Christian music groups to have had all of their recordings certified Gold or Platinum, as well as garnering 23 No.1 multi-format Christian radio singles, and four consecutive mainstream radio hits with “I Can Only Imagine,” (No. 4 AC/top 25 on Top 40/Hot AC), “Here With Me” (No. 4 AC), “Homesick” (top 10 AC), and “So Long Self.” In 2009 BILLBOARD named MercyMe’s “Word Of God Speak” the No. 1 Song of The Decade and the group the No. 1 Christian Songs Artist of the Decade, with an additional No. 1 as the Christian AC Song Artist of The Decade as one of the industry’s most notable talents. MercyMe made history as “I Can Only Imagine” surpassed 1 million digital downloads, making it the first song in Christian music to go platinum in the digital domain. The multi-platinum selling band has sold out venues including Radio City Music Hall and has been seen on The Tonight Show, CNN, Fox New Channel’s Fox & Friends, ABC News, CBS’ The Early Show, and on the pages of Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, USA Today, Billboard and more. www.mercyme.org
About Disciple:
Disciple’s fall 2010 release Horseshoes & Handgrenades debuted at No. 1 on the Christian Soundscan charts and bolstered the radio hit “Dear X, You Don’t Own Me.” The band’s previous discography includes Disciple (2005), Scars Remain (2006) and Southern Hospitality (2008). Disciple has been nominated for nine GMA Awards including a win for “Rock Album of the Year” in 2008. Their music has been used on such notable programs as “Best Damn Sports Show,” NFL’s “Total Axxess,” WWE’s “Cyber Sunday,” Speed TV’s “Speed Report,” “Criminal Minds” and “CSI Miami” as well as in venues such as Madison Square Garden in New York City. In 2008, the rockers were tapped to perform one of the songs on “WWE: The Music Vol. 8” for WWE superstar duo Hawkins and Ryder. www.Disciplerocks.com
About Laura Story:
Laura Story, a talented worship leader and songwriter known for penning hit worship songs such as “Indescribable” made famous by Chris Tomlin, made her music debut in 2008 with her first release Great God Who Saves (INO Records). Great God Who Saves garnered her four Dove nominations in 2009, at which she took home her first award for “Inspirational Album of the Year.” This year, she is also nabbed another nomination for “Female Vocalist of the Year.” Her hit single “Mighty To Save” earned a No. 1 Soft AC/Inspo and Top 10 AC hit at Christian radio as well, and now, on April 12, Story will reveal twelve new inspirational tracks on her sophomore release titled Blessings. Story teamed up with producer Nathan Nockels (Passion. Philips, Craig & Dean, Point of Grace) to deliver a worship project that exudes constant threads of pop energy and singer/songwriter warmth. For more information on Story, please go to www.laurastorymusic.com
About Phillips, Craig & Dean:
Since forming, Phillips, Craig & Dean have released 11 albums which has now produced 20 No. 1 radio hits, almost three million records sold, two GMA Dove Award wins and ten GMA Dove Award nominations. www.phillipscraiganddean.com
About Sara Groves:
Since her debut release in 2001, Conversations, Sara Groves has become one of the most critically-acclaimed artists in the Christian music industry, receiving rave reviews across the board for each recording by the likes of Billboard, and consistently topping year-end reader’s polls and album of the year nods from the likes of CCM magazine, Christianity Today online and more. On her latest project, Sara Groves O Holy Night Tour: Live The Prison Show, Groves brings the Christmas spirit to the women of an Illinois prison, Groves was able to connect with the women in treasured conversation sharing personal experiences and the meaning of Christmas before giving two intimate performances to over 1000 enthusiastic women, Since her 2005 release Add to the Beauty, Groves has been immersed in a series of global conversations and experiences, from the flood-ravaged gulf of Louisiana, to the genocide memorials of Rwanda, to the testimonies of Southeast Asia sex trade survivors. These experiences showed the disparity between some of the American pursuits of comfort and wealth and the joy of joining the difficult work of social justice and engaging in the suffering of the afflicted. www.saragroves.com
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