Friday, July 10, 2009

Mark Schultz releasing new studio album in August!

Platinum-selling, Dove Award winning recording artist, Mark Schultz, releases his long-awaited, fifth studio album, Come Alive, Aug. 25 on Word Records. One of Christian music’s most acclaimed singer/songwriters, Schultz’s first new studio album in nearly three years is also his most personal recording to date, inviting listeners to “come alive” through these songs birthed by stories of hope, loss, joy and redemption.

New for Schultz, working with more than one or two producers for an album, Come Alive features the distinct and masterful touches from multiple GRAMMY Award winner Brown Bannister (Amy Grant, Third Day, CeCe Winans), Shaun Shankel (BeyoncĂ©, Hilary Duff), Bernie Herms (Natalie Grant, Avalon) and Paul Mills (Third Day, Bluetree). The album also features collaborations with such hit making songwriters as Bart Millard and Barry Graul of Mercy Me, Matthew West, Joy Williams and Herms. The combination of talent and Schultz’s own vision for this album results in his most thought-provoking, musically diverse project to date.

“I would hope that when people listen to this CD they can identify with the struggles within the songs, but at the same time know that God is the same God through the struggles as He is during the triumphant moments. Christ, who began a good work, will finish a good work. It may not be on your own timeline or not even the way you imagined it, but He promises He will. There’s a bigger picture out of our control, but God has made these promises and I want to hold onto that.”

“He Is,” the first radio single from Come Alive to release July 10, is an expression of this hope that was inspired by the stories of two families battling cancer.

“Payton Cram was a girl who came to one of my concerts in Michigan with her dad,” recalls Schultz. “I was really amazed at her maturity for her young age, even as she had cancer. When the cancer started to get bad, I flew up and spent a day with her and prayed with her and her family. She was a beautiful girl. She was never going to blame God for her cancer. She never asked ‘Why me?’ She just always knew there was a bigger purpose in it.”

During the same time Payton was fighting cancer, Mark learned from his wife, Kate, about a missionary family whose fourth child was born on a Friday and on Sunday they found out the mother had terminal cancer. “The father of the family said, ‘Well, we can’t praise God on Friday and curse him on Sunday…We have to trust that He knows what’s going on,’ and that’s when the idea of ‘He Is’ was born,” says Schultz. “He is, He was and always will be. It’s a pretty important message–no matter what kind of rough road you are riding through.”

Another poignant song on the album, “What It Means to Be Loved,” is “the only song I’ve ever played in concert that received a standing ovation before the end of the first chorus was over,” recalls Schultz. Kate was again a source of inspiration for the song: “My wife said to me, ‘Since you are adopted, I think we should adopt kids too. I think we should adopt kids with special needs…maybe someday we adopt kids with special needs that doctors know are only going to live for a year or two,’” recalls Schultz. “I replied, ‘Honey, why would we do that?’ She answers, ‘Because, before they go to heaven, I want them to know what a great Christmas is like and what a great birthday is like and let them know they were loved well before they get to heaven.’ That’s the kind of wife I’m married to.”

This conversation was sparked by the story his wife told him about a family who was expecting a child and were told that tests revealed health issues that meant the baby probably wouldn’t live long. Although the doctor’s suggested terminating the pregnancy, the mother decided she would love the child as long as she could. Schultz channeled those emotions into the “What It Means to Be Loved” lyrics: I want to give her the world / I want to hold her hand/ I want to be her mom just as long as I can and live every moment until that day comes/ I want to show her what it means to be loved. Schultz’ clear, compelling voice conveys the sense of sadness, yet shares the spirit of hope and abundant love that lie at the heart of the song.

“As Christians, we are called to be love,” says Schultz. “If that means loving a baby that will be here seven minutes or 70 years, it doesn’t make any difference.”

Pulling from real life experiences for the new record, many of the songs on Come Alive were also inspired when Schultz rode his bicycle from coast to coast to raise over $250,000 to benefit the James Fund, which provides assistance for widows and orphans. Along the way he learned much about himself, the human condition and God’s sovereignty. Those revelations reverberate throughout his new album.

“The album is a powerful work of art, full of emotion and featuring the most prolific and moving work Mark Schultz has ever written,” says Mark Bright, Word Entertainment President and CEO. “His ability to capture life’s most fragile moments in song, and lead people closer to God by revealing His glory in every situation, is what makes Mark Schultz such a gifted artist.”

Taking the songs from Come Alive on the road, Schultz will debut new music and fan favorites on a 40-plus-city tour beginning with the festival circuit this summer and leading into his “Come Alive” tour featuring platinum-selling group Point Of Grace that launches Sept. 10 in Decatur, IL. For the latest list of tour dates, visit www.markschultzmusic.com.

Lauded at No. 1 on Billboard’s “Hot Christian Adult Contemporary Songwriters” list and with nine No. 1 radio hits, Schultz was the centerpiece of the U.S. Army campaign “Letters From War,” named Christian Music Today’s Male Vocalist in 2003, and featured on the national TV programs, 48 Hours, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, CNN and more. His 2005 release, Mark Schultz Live…A Night of Stories & Songs, sold RIAA certified Platinum and garnered Schultz his first GMA Dove Award.

For additional information on Mark Schultz, visit www.markschultzmusic.com or www.wordlabelgroup.com.

Jeremy Camp Headlining tour with Natalie Grant and Bebo Norman

Making his passion known this past year with the release of "Speaking Louder Than Before," BEC Recordings artist Jeremy Camp is introducing his fall tour named after the recently released CD and with a purpose at hand. As his first headlining tour in almost two years, Camp will be joined by reigning Dove Female Artist of the Year Natalie Grant and label-mate Bebo Norman. The "Speaking Louder Than Before" The Tour is kicking off in Florida on September 10th (dates below). The tour will also be sponsored by Compassion International.

Tickets for the anticipated tour will go on sale Friday, July 10th in addition to a special iTickets / iTunes promotion. For those who purchase tickets via iTickets from July 10th until July 24th, they will receive a code for two free downloads at iTunes ("Beyond Measure" by Jeremy Camp and "Never Saw You Coming" by Bebo Norman). The codes will be given out for each ticket purchased (not per order).

Earlier this year, Camp and his management company began a ministry called "Speaking Louder Ministries," a direct correlation to his recent release, which produced his seventeenth No. 1 radio single ("There Will Be a Day"). The purpose behind "Speaking Louder Ministries" is tri-fold: bringing a raised awareness to the local outreaches in the cities that Jeremy Camp performs, helping equip the church body and local community to get involved in ministry together, and impacting the needs of the community/organization with physical goods. For more information and specific local market info go to the ministry homepage.

On the fall tour, Speaking Louder Ministries will partner with a local radio station to promote the local outreach. At each concert, there will be a booth present as a distribution point to draw a larger awareness for the ministry organization.

This 30+ city tour will make a huge impact in each market, and Camp is thrilled about this opportunity. "I'm really looking forward to the tour and to what's being planned with Speaking Louder Ministries," shares Camp. "We'll have unique opportunities in each and every town that we play on this tour to be a part of local ministry. I'm hoping to see the body of Christ engaged and fired up to help local ministries in need. This will be more than just a typical concert experience, we will be working and worshiping together for the Kingdom of God."

See below for the tour dates as well as additional information regarding each artist on the "Speaking Louder Than Before" The Tour. Tour publicity contact also listed below.

About Jeremy Camp: Since his debut BEC Recordings' project in 2002 (Stay), Jeremy Camp has made a definitive mark in the industry with his ability to compose hit songs and capture audiences of all ages selling more than three million records. Following his Gold-selling debut, Camp has released four additional studio projects, which have garnered a total of three RIAA Gold-Selling albums. With 17 career No. 1 radio hits under his belt, Jeremy Camp is clearly a powerhouse on the radio waves nationwide across all formats (CHR, AC, INSPO, and Rock). Jeremy has the most consecutive No. 1 singles at AC Monitored since 2003 when R&R began their Christian chart. His debut single from "Speaking Louder Than Before," "There Will Be A Day" hit the top on three formats on AC Indicator (16 weeks), CHR (10 weeks) and AC Monitored (6 weeks). Jeremy Camp has also been honored with multiple Dove-nominations and five awards, a 2007 American Music Award nomination, and three-time ASCAP Christian Music Awards "Songwriter of the Year" (2008, 2006, 2005) winner including "Song of the Year" (2006). In 2008, Jeremy Camp was voted for the fifth consecutive year in a row by readers on Christianity Today's music site as the "Best Male Artist."

About Natalie Grant: One of the genre's biggest names and GMA Dove Award Female Vocalist of the Year for four consecutive years, Curb recording artist Natalie Grant is among a select number of artists to have also achieved a formidable foothold at mainstream media and radio. A powerhouse vocalist, heart-gripping songwriter and charismatic performer, she's eager to push boundaries and thus has become Christian music's top selling Adult Contemporary female solo artist in 2005, 2006 and 2008. Recently, Grant received RIAA Gold certification of her 2005 breakthrough album, Awaken. In addition to her music, she is an outspoken advocate for victims of human trafficking. The Home Foundation, which Grant created in 2005, has raised over a quarter of a million dollars to fight the trafficking of women and children for the purpose of sexual exploitation. For further information, visit www.thehomefoundation.net or www.nataliegrant.com

About Bebo Norman: Norman's 1999's national debut, Ten Thousand Days, received much acclaim for a new artist. The follow-up, Big Blue Sky, was voted No. 1 Christian album of 2001 by the editors at Amazon.com. Myself When I Am Real (2002) earned seven Dove Award nods and charted the defining hit, "Great Light of the World." In 2007, Norman partnered with Seattle's BEC Recordings to release his first Christmas project that garnered him another Dove nomination. In 2008, he released his self-titled album, which was said of Billboard as "the beginning of a vibrant new chapter in an already distinguished career." For more information: www.myspace.com/bebonorman

Friday, June 5, 2009

Ayiesha Wood's song Happy in My Life in Ruins movie

GRAMMY- nominated singer Ayiesha Woods’ hit song “Happy” will be used in the movie My Life In Ruins, which begins showing in theaters nationwide today, June 5th.

My Life in Ruins is romantic comedy film set amongst the ruins of ancient Greece, starring Nia Vardalos, Richard Dreyfuss, Alexis Georgoulis, Rachel Dratch, Harland Williams and British comedy actor and impressionist Alistair McGowan. The film is about a tour guide whose life takes a personal detour, while her group gets entangled in comic situations among the ruins, with a series of unexpected stops along the way.

Woods’ sophomore release Love Like This streeted last September 9th and has joined the highly merited ranks of her power-packed Gotee Records album Introducing Ayiesha Woods. The debut offering garnered Woods a GRAMMY nomination for “Best Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album”, as well as nabbing her an additional nod in the Dove Awards “New Artist of the Year” category. CCM Magazine also followed Woods’ career as one of three emerging musical talents for 2006 in their “Band Wagon” column, and MTVU.com’s URGE service (www.urge.com) picked Introducing Ayiesha Woods in their 2006 TOP 10 year-end list for Inspirational music. Woods, a favorite on the Women of Faith touring circuit, continues to perform throughout this year at festivals and on dates nationwide.

Read our interview with Ayiesha Woods.

New Relient K music coming soon

The guys are heading out on a string of spring/early summer tour dates so they can start playing some of their new songs live. As you may know, the band is in the final stages of recording their next (and sixth!) studio album, tentatively titled, Forget and Not Slow Down. This new one will be released on Mono Vs. Stereo - a label that they started which will run thru Gotee.

They've been giving fans a peek into the world of recording their new record via some studio updates that can be seen here: http://vimeo.com/relientk.

Tour dates are as follows:
May 26 Pomona, CA The Glass House
May 27 Bakersfield, CA The Dome
May 28 Orangevale, CA The Boardwalk
May 29 Eugene, OR Indigo Distric
May 30 Portland, OR Wonder Ballroom
May 31 Seattle, WA Neumo's
June 2 Spokane, WA Knitting Factory
June 3 Boise, ID Knitting Factory
June 4 Salt Lake City, UT Murray Theatre
June 22 Ashville, NC Orange Peel
June 23 Raleigh, NC Lincoln Theatre
June 26 Rochester, NY Water Street
June 29 Green Bay, WI Riverside Ballroom
June 30 Duluth, MN Grandmas Sports Garden
July 2 Lawrence, KS Granada Theatre
July 3 Omaha, NE Slowdown

Monday, May 18, 2009

Behind the Scenes with Mat Kearney Part 1

Part 1 of a series in which Mat Kearney talks about the making of his new album City of Black & White.

Monday, May 11, 2009

Stryper to preview "Murder By Pride" on iTunes

BIG3 Records has announced plans to “preview” Stryper's upcoming studio album Murder by Pride at iTunes.com. With this groundbreaking new promotion, Stryper fans will have an opportunity to purchase the album song-by-song, one week at a time, until the album's release on July 21, 2009.

Every Tuesday beginning May 5th, a new song from the upcoming album will be released at iTunes – for one week only – until the album's July 21st release date. Each week, the song will be replaced by another, giving fans a chance to purchase the complete album one song at a time until the album hits stores.

Stryper

Murder by Pride iTunes Release Schedule:
Tuesday, May 5 - "Eclipse of the Son"
Tuesday, May 12 - "Murder By Pride"
Tuesday, May 19 - "4 Leaf Clover"
Tuesday, May 26 - "The Plan"
Tuesday, June 2 - "Alive"
Tuesday, June 9 - "I Believe"
Tuesday, June 16 - "Love Is Why"
Tuesday, June 23 - "Mercy Over Blame"
Tuesday, June 30 - "Run In You"
Tuesday, July 7 - "Everything"
Tuesday, July 14 - "My Love (I'll Always Show)"
Tuesday, July 21 - FULL ALBUM IN STORES AND AT iTUNES

Murder by Pride also includes a cover of the BOSTON song "Peace of Mind" featuring BOSTON guitarist Tom Scholz. “Peace of Mind” is already available at iTunes.

Stryper will hit the road this fall with a 25th Anniversary Tour, hitting 50 cities in North America before going international in January and February 2010. Launching in September, the tour will be a two-set show. The first set will feature new Stryper material and include current bassist Tracy Ferrie, along with original members Michael Sweet, Robert Sweet and Oz Fox. The second set will feature all four original members, including original bassist Tim Gaines, wearing the original yellow and black stage outfits and performing the band's hits from the last 25 years.

In 1984, Stryper broke on to the scene with their debut EP Yellow and Black Attack, and have since gone on to sell 8 million albums and tour the world spreading an inspirational message through their branded sound of rock songs, heavy guitars and pristine harmony vocals. The group's unprecedented 1986 album To Hell with the Devil went platinum and was named one of the “100 Greatest Albums in Christian Music” by CCM Magazine.

In 2008, Michael Sweet joined legendary band BOSTON on vocals and guitar for their 54-city summer headlining tour of North America, performing the band's classic hits like "More than a Feeling," “Peace of Mind,” “Amanda” and “Don't Look Back.” BOSTON has sold over 30 million albums worldwide, including the band's 1976 self-titled debut, which has sold over 17 million copies to date and was the highest selling debut of all time. Sweet is currently in the studio recording the upcoming BOSTON album, due next year.

Jimmy Needham creates music video for "Firefly"

















CAPTION: Inpop Records singer/songwriter Jimmy Needham partners with director Chris Corrado ("Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull," "Charlie Wilson's War," NBC series "Life") to shoot the music video for his song "Firefly" at a Los Angeles coffee shop on April 15, 2009. "Firefly," from Needham's current release Not Without Love, was written for Needham's wife Kelly, who makes a guest appearance in the video.

Read our interview with Jimmy.

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Stryper Announces 25th Anniversary Tour

Legendary Christian rock band Stryper has announced plans for a 25th Anniversary Tour, hitting 50 cities in North America this fall before going international in January and February 2010. Stryper's upcoming studio album Murder by Pride (Big3 Records) will be released in July.

The 25th Anniversary Tour, scheduled to launch in September, will be a two-set show. The first set will feature new Stryper material and include current bassist Tracy Ferrie, along with original members Michael Sweet, Robert Sweet and Oz Fox. The second set will feature all four original members, including original bassist Tim Gaines, wearing the original yellow and black stage outfits and performing the band's hits from the last 25 years.

"After recently learning about how precious life is and how often we take for granted the time that we have here on earth, I realized that this tour may very well be the most important tour in the history of Stryper," said Michael Sweet. "Tim, Robert, Tracy, Oz and myself are all stepping out together to show the importance of unity and forgiveness and the only way to show this is to live it. We've been faced with challenges over the past 25 years but two things have remained certain within our hearts and within our lives - the power of God's love and the beauty of God's grace."

The tour will be a family project, with Michael Sweet Jr's band Flight Patterns opening all dates. Their debut album will release on Fifty Three Five Records in July.

In 1984, Stryper broke on to the scene with their debut EP Yellow and Black Attack, and have since gone on to sell 8 million albums and tour the world spreading an inspirational message through their branded sound of rock songs, heavy guitars and pristine harmony vocals. The group's unprecedented 1986 album To Hell with the Devil went platinum and was named one of the “100 Greatest Albums in Christian Music” by CCM Magazine.

In 2008, Michael Sweet joined legendary band BOSTON on vocals and guitar for their 54-city summer headlining tour of North America, performing the band's classic hits like "More than a Feeling," “Peace of Mind,” “Amanda” and “Don't Look Back.” BOSTON has sold over 30 million albums worldwide, including the band's 1976 self-titled debut, which has sold over 17 million copies to date and was the highest selling debut of all time.

Murder by Pride will include a cover of the BOSTON song "Peace of Mind" that features BOSTON guitarist Tom Scholz on the recording. Ironically, Stryper had recorded "Peace of Mind" and planned to put it on their 2009 release long before Michael Sweet was even considered as a new member of BOSTON.

In 2008, BOSTON's Tom Scholz and Gary Pihl joined Stryper on stage to perform “Peace of Mind” for VH1 Classic's After Math: The Station Fire Five Years Later – a televised benefit concert also featuring performances by John Rich, Dierks Bentley, Gretchen Wilson, Aaron Lewis (Staind), Tesla, Twisted Sister, Winger and more.

"This record is a true miracle," said Michael Sweet. "We began rehearsing the new material in 2006 and now here we are looking at a 2009 release. It's been an extremely difficult process yet through this came one of the most powerful records that we've ever made. We decided to go back to what we were known for - vocal harmonies, guitar harmonies, solid grooves and melodic melodies and arrangements. We put our hearts and souls into making this record and we can only hope that it changes a few lives along the way. If so, it was all worth it!"

Everyday Sunday counts down to new album!

Everyday Sunday returns with its second Inpop Records release, Best Night of Our Lives, June 16, 2009. Produced by Mark Lee Townsend (Relient K, Jennifer Knapp, Supertones) and mixed by JR McNeely (Paramore, Jeremy Camp, tobyMac), Best Night of Our Lives finds the band exploring a more aggressive rock approach.

The follow-up to Everyday Sunday’s Inpop debut, Wake Up! Wake Up!, Best Night of Our Lives makes a power play in rock ’n’ roll with its booming title track “Best Night of Our Lives” about life-long friendship, and the full-force “Breathing for Me,” an anthem of surrender. The fullness of sound and lyric on “Where I Ended” reveals a passionate plea for escape and identity in God, while “Here With Me” strips down the sound to a pure acoustic melody.

“There will be no doubt in anyone’s mind that this is a rock record,” says Everyday Sunday frontman Trey Pearson. “It’s more forceful in a lot of ways; it’s definitely more mature. It’s just the best album that any of us have ever been a part of.”

“Everyday Sunday has become a Christian music mainstay over the years due to relentless touring and incredible radio support,” says Shara Katerberg-Hsu, director of marketing at Inpop Records. “We look forward to the band’s continued success with this great new album that once again raises the bar for Christian rock music.”

The project’s first two radio singles, “Best Night of Our Lives” and “Where I Ended” began vying for adds at Christian Rock and CHR, respectively, on Friday, March 27. The band has been playing music from its new record on the Acquire The Fire “Here Comes Trouble” tour, currently running through May.

Comprising Trey Pearson (lead vocals), Tyler Craft (bass), Kevin Cramblet (drums) and Nick Spencer (guitar), Everyday Sunday hails from Columbus, Ohio. Attracting a national audience with its 2001 independent Christian Hit Radio single, “Just a Story,” Everyday Sunday joined Flicker Records’ roster in 2002. The band released two successful projects with Flicker, Stand Up and Anthems for the Imperfect, while raking in numerous accolades, including being named among CCM Magazine’s “Favorite New Artists of 2003,” as well as “Best New Artist of the Year” by TVU Music Television. The band’s Inpop Records debut, Wake Up! Wake Up!, released May 22, 2007, yielding the No. 1 CHR hit “Find Me Tonight” as well as Rock chart-topper “Wake Up! Wake Up!”. The album’s title track was additionally named 2007 Rock Song of Year by Radio & Records. For more information on Everyday Sunday, visit: www.myspace.com/everydaysunday.

Friday, April 24, 2009

2009 Dove Award Winners!

And the winners are:

ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Steven Curtis Chapman

NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Tenth Avenue North

SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR
Steven Curtis Chapman

SONG OF THE YEAR song title; writer; publisher (award to the writer and publisher)
“Give Me Your Eyes”; Brandon Heath, Jason Ingram; Sitka 6 Music/Essential Music Publishing (ASCAP), Peertunes Ltd. (SESAC), Grange Hill Music (SESAC), Windsor Way (SESAC)

MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
Brandon Heath

FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
Natalie Grant

GROUP OF THE YEAR
Casting Crowns

PRODUCER OF THE YEAR
Bernie Herms

RAP/HIP HOP RECORDED SONG (song; album; artist; writer; label)
“Do Yo Thang”; The Yearbook; KJ-52; Jonah Sorrentino; BEC Recordings/Uprok

ROCK RECORDED SONG
“Lost”; End Of Silence; Red; Jasen Rauch, Rob Graves, Chad Cates; Essential Records

ROCK/CONTEMPORARY RECORDED SONG
“Washed By The Water”; The Heat; NEEDTOBREATHE; Bear Rinehart, Bo Rinehart; Atlantic Records

POP/CONTEMPORARY RECORDED SONG
“Give Me Your Eyes”; What If We; Brandon Heath; Brandon Heath, Jason Ingram; Reunion Records

INSPIRATIONAL RECORDED SONG
“A New Hallelujah”; A New Hallelujah; Michael W. Smith; Michael W. Smith, Debbie Smith, Paul Baloche; Reunion Records

SOUTHERN GOSPEL RECORDED SONG
“Reason Enough”; Dream On; Ernie Haase & Signature Sound; Ernie Haase, Joel Lindsey, Wayne Haun; Gaither Music Group

BLUEGRASS RECORDED SONG
“They’re Holding Up The Ladder”; We Are Family; Jeff & Sheri Easter, Lewis Family, Easter Brothers; Russell Easter, James Easter, Edd Easter; Daywind Records

COUNTRY RECORDED SONG
“I Wish”; How You Live Deluxe Edition; Point of Grace; Cindy Morgan, Phil Madeira; Word Records

URBAN RECORDED SONG
“Get Up”; The Sound; Mary Mary; Warryn Campbell, Erica Campbell, Tina Campbell, Eric Dawkins; Columbia Records, Integrity Music

TRADITIONAL GOSPEL RECORDED SONG
“Free At Last”; Down In New Orleans; The Blind Boys of Alabama; Traditional; Time Life Music

CONTEMPORARY GOSPEL RECORDED SONG
“How Great Is Our God”; How Great Is Our God; LaRue Howard; Chris Tomlin, Jesse Reeves, Ed Cash; EMI Gospel

WORSHIP SONG
“Mighty To Save”; Ben Fielding, Reuben Morgan; Hillsong Publishing

RAP/HIP HOP ALBUM (album; artist; producer; label)
Ordinary Dreamers; Group 1 Crew; Andy Anderson, Christopher Stevens, Sam Mizell; Fervent Records

ROCK ALBUM
Satisfied; DecembeRadio; Scotty Wilbanks; Slanted Records

ROCK/CONTEMPORARY ALBUM
Never Going Back To OK; The Afters; Dan Muckala; INO Records

POP/CONTEMPORARY ALBUM
Revelation; Third Day; Howard Benson; Essential Records

INSPIRATIONAL ALBUM
Great God Who Saves; Laura Story; Ed Cash; INO Records

SOUTHERN GOSPEL ALBUM
Lovin’ Life; Ernie Gaither Vocal Band; Bill Gaither, Guy Penrod, Marshall Hall, Wes Hampton; Gaither Music Group

BLUEGRASS ALBUM
We Are Family; Ricky Jeff & Sheri Easter, Lewis Family, Easter Brothers; Jeff Easter, Sheri Easter; Daywind Records

COUNTRY ALBUM
Around the Bend; Randy Travis; Kyle Lehning; Warner Bros. Records

URBAN ALBUM
The Fight of My Life; Kirk Franklin; Kirk Franklin; Zomba Gospel

TRADITIONAL GOSPEL ALBUM
Down In New Orleans; The Blind Boys of Alabama; Chris Goldsmith; Time Life Music, Integrity Music

CONTEMPORARY GOSPEL ALBUM
Change the World; Martha Munizzi; Aaron Lindsey, Israel Houghton; Martha Munizzi Music

INSTRUMENTAL ALBUM
Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian; Various; Harry Gregson-Williams; Walt Disney Records

CHILDREN’S MUSIC ALBUM
Absolute Modern Worship for Kids 4; Various; Chance Scoggins; Fervent Records

SPANISH LANGUAGE ALBUM
Rescatame; Seventh Day Slumber; Alejandro Allen, Susana Allen; BEC Recordings

SPECIAL EVENT ALBUM
Passion: God of This City; Chris Tomlin, Charlie Hall, David Crowder*Band, Christy Nockels, Kristian Stanfill, Fee, Matt Redman; Nathan Nockels; Sparrow Records, sixsteps Records

CHRISTMAS ALBUM
Peace on Earth; Casting Crowns; Mark Hall, Mark A. Miller; Beach Street

PRAISE & WORSHIP ALBUM
A New Hallelujah; Michael W. Smith; Michael W. Smith; Reunion Records

MUSICAL (title; creator; publisher (award given to creator)
God Bless the USA; Sue C. Smith, Joel Lindsey, Russell Mauldin; Brentwood-Benson Music Publishing

YOUTH/CHILDREN’S MUSICAL
An Island Christmas; Wayne Haun, Shelby Haun, Joel Lindsey; Lillenas Publishing Company

CHORAL COLLECTION
I’ll Say Yes; Carol Cymbala; Brooklyn Tabernacle Music

RECORDED MUSIC PACKAGING (product; art director; graphic artist; illustrator/photographer; label)
Revelation (Third Day); Tim Parker, Becka Blackburn; Tim Parker; David McClister, RW Sims; Essential Records

SHORT FORM MUSIC VIDEO (title; artist; director; producer; production company; label)
"Slow Fade"; Casting Crowns; John Erwin, Andy Erwin; Erwin Brothers Motion Pictures; Beach Street

LONG FORM MUSIC VIDEO ( title; artist; director; producer; production company; label)
Alive and Transported; TobyMac; Eric Welch; Tameron Hedge, Dan Pitts; Broken Poet Productions; ForeFront Records