Nominations for the 41st Annual GMA Dove Awards were announced this morning at Belmont University’s Curb Café with lead singer Dawn Michele of powerhouse rock band Fireflight recognized with her first appearance in the Female Vocalist of the Year category. The Orlando-based band also receives a nomination for its hit song, “You Gave Me A Promise,” off 2008’s breakout album Unbreakable, in the category of Rock/Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year.
After being nominated for Artist of the Year at last year’s Dove ceremony, Fireflight has continually toured the country, playing packed venues, in addition to writing and recording its newly released third album, For Those Who Wait. Released Feb. 9, the anticipated project debuts at No. 5 this week on the Nielsen SoundScan Current Contemporary Christian Album Chart, and the lead single “Desperate” takes a leap to No.9 on Christian radio’s CHR chart, tied as the biggest chart mover of the week. The hit song also holds the No.1 spot at the Christian Rock format for a second week, marking Fireflight’s fifth career No. 1 song.
On top of radio success and Dove nominations, superior album reviews continue to pour in for the band’s new album, even inspiring the staff of JesusFreakHideout.com to vote Fireflight’s For Those Who Wait its No.1 “Most Anticipated Album of 2010.”
The 41st Annual Dove Awards will be held on Wednesday, April 21, 2010 at Nashville’s famed Grand Ole Opry House and televised nationwide on gmc (http://www.gmclife.com), Sunday, April 25, 2010 from 8 p.m. – 10 p.m. EST. gmc is the fastest-growing network in television and can be seen in 46 million homes on various cable systems around the country, on DIRECTV on channel 338 and on Verizon FiOS on channel 224.
Fireflight is currently playing to an average of more than 9,000 fans a night in arenas across the nation as part of the WinterJam Tour. For tour dates, and more on Fireflight, please visit www.fireflightrock.com, www.myspace.com/fireflight or www.providentpress.com.
With its stunning new 10-song collection, Fireflight exceeds expectations, following its 2008 breakout sophomore album Unbreakable, which delivered two No.1 singles at Rock and launched Fireflight’s music into new realms, including the NBC network, ESPN’s Winter X Games and voted Taco Bell’s “Best of the Beat” in 2009.
About Fireflight:
Orlando-based rock band Fireflight’s breakout sophomore album Unbreakable released in March 2008, at No. 10 on Billboard’s Heatseekers chart, following NBC’s launch of the title track in network TV promos for “Bionic Woman.” Along with stellar 5-star reviews, Unbreakable garnered two No.1 rock singles with “The Hunger,” and the blockbuster title track, which held the top spot at Christian rock radio for 4 weeks. The “Unbreakable” music video logged more than a million plays on YouTube, and the song itself confirmed as a download for the wildly popular Rock Band™ video game. Fireflight was named Gospel Music Channel’s first “Listen Up” Artist of the Month in April 2008. Fireflight’s music has been featured on E! Entertainment’s “Style Network” and in music-video reels at both American Eagle and Journey’s stores across the country. In 2009, Fireflight won Taco Bell’s inaugural fan-voted “Best of the Beat” contest and performed at ESPN’s “Winter X Games 13.”
Fireflight debuted nationally with 2006’s The Healing of Harms, producing two No. 1 rock singles with “You Decide” and “Waiting.” For nearly a decade, the band has remained tireless road warriors on the concert circuit averaging 140 shows a year. Fireflight is: Dawn Michele, lead vocals; Justin Cox, guitar; Glenn Drennen, guitar; Wendy Drennen, bass; and Phee Shorb, drums.
About the 41st Annual GMA Dove Awards
The GMA Dove Awards is Christian/Gospel music’s biggest night of the year, where top artists from every style of gospel music come together for a night of music and celebration as the GMA bestows the industry’s highest honor — the Dove Award. The 41st Annual Dove Awards will be held on Wednesday, April 21, 2010 at Nashville’s famed Grand Ole Opry House.
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