by Ariel Jones | Oct 13, 2013 | Opinion
Last year, Michael Neale’s “Your Name is Great” won the Dove Award for the then-titled Worship Song of the Year. Who will win this year’s newly named category? Let’s take a look at the nominees in the Praise & Worship Category. “10,000 Reasons (Bless the Lord)” by Matt Redman. Redman has received a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Christian Music Song,Grammy Award for Best Gospel/Contemporary Christian Music Performance, and Billboard Music Award for Top Christian Song. “Beautiful Things” by Gungor. Gungor has been nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Gospel Song, Best Rock Gospel Album and Best Contemporary Christian Music Album. “One Thing Remains” by Kristian Stanfill. Stanfill has been previously nominated for Praise and Worship Song of the Year. “Redeemed” by Big Daddy Weave. Big Daddy WWeave has been previously nominated for Song of the Year, Contemporary Christian Performance of the Year, Rock/Contemporary Song of the Year and Praise and Worship Song of the Year. “Whom Shall I Fear (God of Angel Armies)” by Chris Tomlin. Tomlin has received a Grammy for Best Contemporary Christian Music Album and has been nominated for Praise & Worship Album of the Year, Pop/Contemporary Album of the Year and Artist of the Year. My Predictions: I think Chris Tomlin’s “Whom Shall I Fear (God of Angel Armies)” will win in this category, but Big Daddy Weave’s “Redeemed” and Gungor’s “Beautiful Things” are also possibilties. Just my thoughts. No need to get alarmed. I’m just making a prediction! Who do you think will...
by Monaih Sam | Oct 10, 2013 | Opinion
I like to call Christian rap “lyrical theology.” So much music in today’s world rely on catchy hooks and a beat you can bounce to, but they lack sustenance or meaning. For many years, Christian rap was the total opposite. Artists’ produced songs with meaningful messages, but the production and quality failed to reach the ears of the hip-hop nation. This year’s crop of Christian hip-hop and rap artists have finally put it all together. Here are the nominees for this year’s Dove Awards for Rap/Hip-Hop album and song of the year: Rap/Hip-Hop Album of the Year Manafest – Fighter Fighter is the Canadian rapper’s sixth full-length album. If you like rap or hard rock, you will enjoy Fighter. I wasn’t really impressed with this album, but it is very encouraging and loud album for when you need a “wake me up.” The album is more rock then rap, laced with screaming, guitar and electronic sounds. Rap rock isn’t represented well in Christian music, so mad props to Manafest on this album. KJ-52 – Dangerous KJ-52 has been in the game for a long time and is arguably the most polarizing figure in Christian rap. Dangerous is a mixture of different styles and techniques from rock-rap to electro-pop and traditional hip-hop sounds. KJ-52 uses his quirky and self-deprecating sense of humor, combining his personality with his particular style of evangelism in Dangerous, which is sure to please hip-hop fans alike. Andy Mineo – Heroes For Sale This is one of my favorite album titles, and the album goes along with it. Mineo is a rapper who embraces many genres without...
by Cory Woodroof | Sep 17, 2013 | News Slider
Amy Grant and Kirk Franklin will co-host this year’s Dove Awards, set to be held at Lipscomb’s Allen Arena next month. Grant, a multiple Dove Award-winning artist, is no stranger to campus. She joins the Lipscomb community every holiday season for the annual Lighting of the Green concert. Grant released her seventeenth album, How Mercy Looks from Here, in May. Franklin is a renowned gospel artist and multiple Dove winner. He won the Grammy for Best Gospel Album in 2012 for Hello Fear, his eleventh album. Franklin also currently hosts the reality singing competition show Sunday’s Best. “There are not too many names more synonymous with Christian and Gospel music than our hosts Amy and Kirk,” GMA Executive Director Jackie Patillo said in a press release. “We are so grateful for their contributions to the Dove Awards throughout the years and we’re excited to have them as the co-pilots of what is turning out to be one of the most compelling nights of music ever on the Dove stage.” The first wave of presenters and performers were also announced. TobyMac, Tamela Mann, Michael W. Smith and Gaither Vocal Band will all be taking the stage to perform. Lecrae, Pastor Rick Warren, Jaci Velasquez, Dr. Bobby Jones and Isaac Carree are set to present awards. More talent will be announced soon. The awards will be handed out on Tuesday, Oct. 15, starting at 7:30 p.m. The show will air on the UP network on Monday, Oct. 21, at 8...
by Jesica Parsley | Sep 3, 2013 | News Slider
Lipscomb students and gospel music fans alike were tuned in during the first week of classes when the nominations for the Dove Awards were announced in the Hall of Fame room at Allen Arena. Chris Tomlin and Matt Redman led the way in nominations with eight each. Tomlin will be going up against Francesca Battistelli, Lecrae, Tamela Mann and TobyMac for Artist of the Year. The nominations came as no surprise to Kelsey Turner, a junior business major from Smyrna. “When I looked at the nominations online, I wasn’t surprised with one nominee because I thought they all fit perfectly,” Turner said. Lumination Co-Managing Editor Brianne Welch personally knows Dove nominee Cliff Duren. “He was the assistant music director at my home church in Georgia and moved to Nashville to further his music career,” Welch said. Duren received a Choral Collection of the Year nod for Carry Your Name. “I am really happy for him.” Welch said. “I feel like I know somebody famous.” Some students were excited to see the nominees because they set the stage for the actual awards show, which is set to take place on Oct. 15 in Allen Arena. “I really like the lineup and am excited to see what each artist brings to the stage,” said Emily Townsend, a junior children’s ministry major from Chattanooga. “After the nominations, I realized that there is so much talent within the Christian genre,” Townsend said. “It’s a growing industry.” A couple of classes in the Communication department got the chance to cover the press conference for the nominations. The Practicum in Public Relations was one of those classes....
by Cory Woodroof | Aug 22, 2013 | News Slider
Wednesday morning, the Gospel Music Association announced the nominations for the 44th annual Dove Awards in the Hall of Fame room at Allen Arena. The Dove Awards will be hosted on Lipscomb’s campus in Allen Arena for the first time after spending two years in Atlanta. Lipscomb President Randy Lowry welcomed the awards to the university, emphasizing the importance of the event’s ultimate goal of spreading the Gospel. Mayor Karl Dean also offered some opening thoughts, welcoming the award show back to Nashville, its original home. Artists Mandisa, Dailey & Vincent and Jason Crabb were among those present to announce the nominations. Notable nominees included Francesca Battistelli, Lecrae, Tamela Mann, Chris Tomlin, Tasha Cobbs, TobyMac, NEEDTOBREATHE and Matt Redman. Presenters and talent will be announced in the coming weeks leading up to the actual awards show, which will take place on Tuesday, Oct. 15 in Allen Arena at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are currently available on the Dove Awards’ official website. For a full list of nominations, visit the event’s...
