GMA Music Awards
Encyclopedia
The Gospel Music Association (GMA) Dove Awards are presented annually by the Gospel Music Association
for outstanding achievements in the Christian music
industry. The awards are usually presented during a ceremony in Nashville, Tennessee
, that features performances by a number of the industry's newest and most successful artists. From 2004-2006, they were officially called the GMA Music Awards, but have since returned to the better known title of Dove Awards.
The awards were established in 1969, and represent a wide variety of musical styles, including metal
, pop
, rock
, rap & hip hop
, country
, gospel
, and praise & worship.
The 42nd GMA Dove Awards took place on April 20, 2011 at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia. It will be broadcast on gmc
.
. They were not held in 1979 (except for the GMA Hall of Fame) as they were moved to April 1980, for Gospel Music Week, where they've been held annually since. The only exception was the 1999 awards, which were moved to late March.
The first two awards ceremonies (1969 and 1970) were held in Memphis, Tennessee
, but were then moved to Nashville
, where they've been held until 2010. A GMA press release revealed that the 42nd Dove Awards
will be held in Atlanta's historic Fox Theatre on April 20, 2011. This will be the first time the awards have ever been presented outside of Tennessee.
The 2012 Dove Awards will be held in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
won the "Songwriter of the Year" award 9 out of 10 years and "Male Vocalist of the Year" 7 of 12 years, with some of those wins coming in years when he released no new material (however, these often include years when he had multiple hit singles as well as years where he co-wrote songs with other artists).
Since the voters are all GMA members and usually work in the industry, critics charge they would more than likely tend to vote for whichever bands have the most "buzz" at the moment or are associated with their area of the industry, as with most award voterships. Supporters of the GMA contend that this is likely less prevalent than in secular awards due to Christians placing a high value on ethical behavior. However, once in a while the GMA would hand out an award that would suggest otherwise, such as the year Inspirational singer Carman
won an award for Rap Song of the Year for a novelty song called "R.I.O.T"
formed a committee to adjust the voting process with "safeguards to prevent any future irregularities in Dove Awards balloting." James Blackwood
issued a statement in support of the organization's decision and strongly urged all other participants in the Dove Awards to subscribe and adhere to the code of ethics to be set forth by the Gospel Music Association
.
with Marabeth Jordon, a member of former Group winner First Call. Although English returned his awards to the GMA after news of his affair became public the week following the awards presentation, the GMA declined to reissue his awards to another winner. English's name remained on the winner's list against his stated wishes.
and Sixpence None the Richer
, the GMA published a new definition of gospel music. According to the definition, to be considered eligible for the Dove Awards, gospel music must have lyrics that are:
Prior to the definition, the only qualified music was that sold in Christian Booksellers Association affiliated stores. The new standards resulted in complaints by some fans and artists after thirteen entries were disqualified as being too secular in the 1999 Dove Awards.
The rules were rescinded afterwards, and many groups disqualified by the rulings in 1999 were winners in 2000.
The controversy grew in 2004 when Switchfoot
and Stacie Orrico
were major winners with music that was predominantly secular in nature. Switchfoot also drew criticism with an endorsement contract with Budweiser
beer. Some considered the Budweiser deal inappropriate for artists nominated for a GMA Dove Award.
This controversy continued in 2006, as top pop artists who are not in the genre won major awards, as Carrie Underwood
and Brian Littrell
were major GMA Dove Award winners. Also, rumors were circulating about the possible nomination of Kanye West
's rap track "Jesus Walks"; this song was not nominated due to the illicit content of the song and the record.
multiplexes, with United Paramount Network to broadcast taped coverage five weeks later. However, when GMAMA co-host Deion Sanders
announced on May 15, 2004 that he was leaving Viacom
's The NFL Today
, intending to join ESPN
's NFL Countdown, UPN cancelled the broadcast of the awards.
The GMA Music Awards coverage did not air for eight months, finally broadcast in late December 2004 on Pax (now Ion Television).
Charles Humbard, the son of the late pastor Rex
, and his Gospel Music Channel
signed an agreement in 2008 to air the Dove Awards live, making it the first Dove Awards television broadcast in four years. However, after two years, the awards were not broadcast live in 2010, owing to changes in the channel's change to airing mostly television reruns.
Gospel Music Association
The Gospel Music Association was founded in 1964 for the purpose of supporting and promoting the development of all forms of Gospel music. There are currently about 4,000 members worldwide...
for outstanding achievements in the Christian music
Christian music
Christian music is music that has been written to express either personal or a communal belief regarding Christian life and faith. Common themes of Christian music include praise, worship, penitence, and lament, and its forms vary widely across the world....
industry. The awards are usually presented during a ceremony in Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
, that features performances by a number of the industry's newest and most successful artists. From 2004-2006, they were officially called the GMA Music Awards, but have since returned to the better known title of Dove Awards.
The awards were established in 1969, and represent a wide variety of musical styles, including metal
Christian metal
Christian metal, also known as white metal, is a form of heavy metal music usually defined by its message in a song's lyrics as well as the band's dedication to Christianity...
, pop
Contemporary Christian music
Contemporary Christian music is a genre of modern popular music which is lyrically focused on matters concerned with the Christian faith...
, rock
Christian rock
Christian rock is a form of rock music played by individuals and bands whose members are Christians and who often focus the lyrics on matters concerned with the Christian faith. The extent to which their lyrics are explicitly Christian varies between bands...
, rap & hip hop
Christian hip hop
Christian hip hop is hip hop music characterized by a Christian worldview, with the general purposes of evangelization , edifying members of the church and/or simply entertaining.-History:Since hip-hop started in the 1970s, various hip-hop artists have...
, country
Christian country music
Christian country music is music that is written to express either personal or a communal belief regarding Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music...
, gospel
Gospel music
Gospel music is music that is written to express either personal, spiritual or a communal belief regarding Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music....
, and praise & worship.
The 42nd GMA Dove Awards took place on April 20, 2011 at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia. It will be broadcast on gmc
Gospel Music Channel
gmc is an American satellite and cable television channel, known from its 2004 launch until February 1, 2010 as Gospel Music Channel. It is also available in high-definition as a separate channel called gmcHD ....
.
Date and location
The GMA Dove Awards awards were originally held in September, during the National Quartet ConventionNational Quartet Convention
The National Quartet Convention is an annual gathering of Southern Gospel quartets and musicians. It is currently held at Freedom Hall on the grounds of the Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville, Kentucky.-History:...
. They were not held in 1979 (except for the GMA Hall of Fame) as they were moved to April 1980, for Gospel Music Week, where they've been held annually since. The only exception was the 1999 awards, which were moved to late March.
The first two awards ceremonies (1969 and 1970) were held in Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
, but were then moved to Nashville
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
, where they've been held until 2010. A GMA press release revealed that the 42nd Dove Awards
42nd GMA Dove Awards
The 42nd Annual GMA Dove Awards were held on April 20, 2011 at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia. The show will be broadcast on gmc on April 24, 2011. It will be hosted by Sherri Shepherd from The Newlywed Game....
will be held in Atlanta's historic Fox Theatre on April 20, 2011. This will be the first time the awards have ever been presented outside of Tennessee.
The 2012 Dove Awards will be held in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
Categories
The 2008 Awards included:- Song of the YearDove Award for Song of the YearThe following is a list of recipients of the GMA Dove Award for Song of the Year:* 2011 "Sometimes I Cry" * 2010 "By Your Side" * 2009 "Give Me Your Eyes" * 2008 "East to West"...
- Songwriter of the YearDove Award for Songwriter of the YearWinners of the Gospel Music Association Dove Award for Songwriter of the Year are:* 2010 Jennie Lee Riddle* 2009 Steven Curtis Chapman* 2008 Cindy Morgan* 2007 Aaron Shust* 2006 Christa Wells* 2005 Mark Hall* 2004 Mark Hall* 2003 Nichole Nordeman...
- Male Vocalist of the Year
- Female Vocalist of the Year
- Group of the Year
- Artist of the Year
- New Artist of the Year
- Producer of the Year
- Rap/Hip Hop Recorded Song of the Year
- Rock Recorded Song of the Year
- Rock/Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year
- Pop/Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year
- Inspirational Recorded Song of the Year
- Southern Gospel Recorded Song of the Year
- Bluegrass Recorded Song of the Year
- Country Recorded Song of the Year
- Urban Recorded Song of the Year
- Traditional Gospel Recorded Song of the Year
- Contemporary Gospel Recorded Song of the Year
- Worship Song of the Year
- Rap/Hip Hop Album of the Year
- Rock Album of the Year
- Rock/Contemporary Album of the Year
- Pop/Contemporary Album of the Year
- Inspirational Album of the Year
- Southern Gospel Album of the Year
- Bluegrass Album of the Year
- Country Album of the Year
- Urban Album of the Year
- Traditional Gospel Album of the Year
- Contemporary Gospel Album of the Year
- Instrumental Album of the Year
- Children's Music Album of the Year
- Spanish Language Album of the Year
- Special Event Album of the Year
- Christmas Album of the Year
- Praise & Worship Album of the Year
- Musical of the Year
- Youth/Children's Musical of the Year
- Choral Collection of the Year
- Recorded Music Packaging of the Year
- Short Form Music Video of the Year
- Long Form Music Video of the Year
Issues and criticisms
Some critics argue that the GMA Dove Award voters tend to be musically conservative and biased in favor of traditional gospel and pop artists over other genres. Another common criticism is that most GMA Dove Awards tend to go to either well-established acts that receive heavy radio airplay, or those that fall into the aforementioned categories. Evidence for such claims includes the fact that Steven Curtis ChapmanSteven Curtis Chapman
Steven Curtis Chapman is an American musician, songwriter, record producer, actor, author, and social activist.After starting his career in the late 1980s as a singer/songwriter of contemporary Christian music, Chapman has since been recognized as one of the most prolific singers in the genre,...
won the "Songwriter of the Year" award 9 out of 10 years and "Male Vocalist of the Year" 7 of 12 years, with some of those wins coming in years when he released no new material (however, these often include years when he had multiple hit singles as well as years where he co-wrote songs with other artists).
Since the voters are all GMA members and usually work in the industry, critics charge they would more than likely tend to vote for whichever bands have the most "buzz" at the moment or are associated with their area of the industry, as with most award voterships. Supporters of the GMA contend that this is likely less prevalent than in secular awards due to Christians placing a high value on ethical behavior. However, once in a while the GMA would hand out an award that would suggest otherwise, such as the year Inspirational singer Carman
Carman (singer)
Carmelo Domenic Licciardello known by his stage name, Carman, is a contemporary Christian music artist and evangelist.-Biography:...
won an award for Rap Song of the Year for a novelty song called "R.I.O.T"
The 1971 voting scandal
An indication that gospel music was fast approaching professionalism was a bona fide scandal over the 1971 GMA's Dove Awards. The incident involved one of gospel music's premier groups, the Blackwood Brothers, who had captured nine out of fourteen awards. They were accused of having conducted an extensive campaign to enlist new members to the GMA and to encourage members to vote for particular award nominees in the Dove Award balloting. Though no specific bylaw of the organization had been broken, the tactic created an industrywide concern over "voting irregularities and ethical ballot influence and solicitation." The GMA Board voted to nullify the entire process, thereby invalidating all the awards, except for the GMA Hall of Fame inductees, that had been presented at the October 8, 1971 banquet held in Nashville, in which the Gospel Music AssociationGospel Music Association
The Gospel Music Association was founded in 1964 for the purpose of supporting and promoting the development of all forms of Gospel music. There are currently about 4,000 members worldwide...
formed a committee to adjust the voting process with "safeguards to prevent any future irregularities in Dove Awards balloting." James Blackwood
James Blackwood
James Webre Blackwood was an American Gospel singer and one of the founding members of legendary Southern Gospel quartet The Blackwood Brothers.-Biography:...
issued a statement in support of the organization's decision and strongly urged all other participants in the Dove Awards to subscribe and adhere to the code of ethics to be set forth by the Gospel Music Association
Gospel Music Association
The Gospel Music Association was founded in 1964 for the purpose of supporting and promoting the development of all forms of Gospel music. There are currently about 4,000 members worldwide...
.
The Michael English scandal
Shortly after the 1994 show, Male Vocalist winner Michael English admitted to an extramarital affairExtramarital sex
Extramarital sex occurs when a married person engages in sexual activity with someone other than his or her marriage partner.Where extramarital sexual relations breach a sexual norm it may also be referred to as adultery, fornication, philandery, or infidelity...
with Marabeth Jordon, a member of former Group winner First Call. Although English returned his awards to the GMA after news of his affair became public the week following the awards presentation, the GMA declined to reissue his awards to another winner. English's name remained on the winner's list against his stated wishes.
Definition of gospel music
In 1998, due to controversy caused by two popular singles by Amy GrantAmy Grant
Amy Lee Grant is an American singer-songwriter, musician, author, media personality and actress, best known for her Christian music. She has been referred to as "The Queen of Christian Pop"...
and Sixpence None the Richer
Sixpence None the Richer
Sixpence None the Richer is an American rock/pop band that formed in New Braunfels, Texas, eventually settling in Nashville, Tennessee. They are best known for their songs "Kiss Me" and "Breathe Your Name" and their covers of "Don't Dream It's Over" and "There She Goes". The name of the band is...
, the GMA published a new definition of gospel music. According to the definition, to be considered eligible for the Dove Awards, gospel music must have lyrics that are:
Prior to the definition, the only qualified music was that sold in Christian Booksellers Association affiliated stores. The new standards resulted in complaints by some fans and artists after thirteen entries were disqualified as being too secular in the 1999 Dove Awards.
The rules were rescinded afterwards, and many groups disqualified by the rulings in 1999 were winners in 2000.
The controversy grew in 2004 when Switchfoot
Switchfoot
Switchfoot is an American rock band from San Diego, California. The band's members are Jon Foreman , Tim Foreman , Chad Butler , Jerome Fontamillas , and Drew Shirley .After early successes in the Christian rock scene, Switchfoot first gained mainstream...
and Stacie Orrico
Stacie Orrico
Stacie Joy Orrico is a Contemporary Christian and R&B singer-songwriter and occasional actress. In 1998, she signed to ForeFront Records when she was 12 years old, and recorded her first album Genuine , which sold 13,000 in the first week of release.After her first album she signed to a new record...
were major winners with music that was predominantly secular in nature. Switchfoot also drew criticism with an endorsement contract with Budweiser
Budweiser
Budweiser is a German adjective describing something or someone from the city of České Budějovice in Southern Bohemia, Czech Republic.Beer brewing in České Budějovice dates back to the 13th century...
beer. Some considered the Budweiser deal inappropriate for artists nominated for a GMA Dove Award.
This controversy continued in 2006, as top pop artists who are not in the genre won major awards, as Carrie Underwood
Carrie Underwood
Carrie Marie Underwood is an American country singer-songwriter and actress who rose to fame as the winner of the fourth season of American Idol, in 2005...
and Brian Littrell
Brian Littrell
Brian Thomas Littrell is an American singer-songwriter, best known as a member of the Backstreet Boys. He is also a contemporary Christian recording artist and released a solo album, Welcome Home, in 2006...
were major GMA Dove Award winners. Also, rumors were circulating about the possible nomination of Kanye West
Kanye West
Kanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...
's rap track "Jesus Walks"; this song was not nominated due to the illicit content of the song and the record.
The 2004 television non-broadcast
In 2004, a major fiasco occurred with the GMA Music Awards (the first year with the name change), with a taped broadcast that never aired. The GMA contracted to screen the awards live in selected Regal CinemaRegal Cinema
The Regal Cinema is an Art deco Movie theater located at Colaba Causeway, in Mumbai, India. Built by Framji Sidhwa, the first film to be aired at the Regal was Laurel and Hardy starrer The Devil's Brother in 1933.-History:...
multiplexes, with United Paramount Network to broadcast taped coverage five weeks later. However, when GMAMA co-host Deion Sanders
Deion Sanders
Deion Luwynn Sanders , nicknamed "Prime Time" and "Neon Deion", is a former National Football League cornerback and Major League Baseball outfielder who currently works as an NFL Network analyst...
announced on May 15, 2004 that he was leaving Viacom
Viacom
Viacom Inc. , short for "Video & Audio Communications", is an American media conglomerate with interests primarily in, but not limited to, cinema and cable television...
's The NFL Today
The NFL Today
The NFL Today is an American sports series that precedes the American football program The NFL on CBS on CBS Sports. The program usually airs at noon on Sundays of the National Football League regular season...
, intending to join ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
's NFL Countdown, UPN cancelled the broadcast of the awards.
The GMA Music Awards coverage did not air for eight months, finally broadcast in late December 2004 on Pax (now Ion Television).
Charles Humbard, the son of the late pastor Rex
Rex Humbard
Alpha Rex Emmanuel Humbard was a well-known American television evangelist whose Cathedral of Tomorrow show was shown on over 600 stations at the peak of its popularity....
, and his Gospel Music Channel
Gospel Music Channel
gmc is an American satellite and cable television channel, known from its 2004 launch until February 1, 2010 as Gospel Music Channel. It is also available in high-definition as a separate channel called gmcHD ....
signed an agreement in 2008 to air the Dove Awards live, making it the first Dove Awards television broadcast in four years. However, after two years, the awards were not broadcast live in 2010, owing to changes in the channel's change to airing mostly television reruns.
See also
- Christian pop cultureChristian pop cultureChristian pop culture , is the vernacular Christian culture that prevails in any given society. The content of popular culture is determined by the daily interactions, needs and desires, and cultural 'movements' that make up everyday lives of Christians...
- Australian Gospel Music Awards
- Gospel Music Association of CanadaGMA CanadaGMA Canada is the Gospel Music Association of Canada . Created in 1974, the organization is a not for profit association whose mission is to promote the growth and ministry of Christian music arts in Canada...
Covenant AwardsCovenant AwardsThe Covenant Awards are handed out annually by GMA Canada, the Gospel Music Association of Canada . Created in 1974, the association is a non-profit organization whose mission is to promote the growth and ministry of Christian music arts in Canada...