[02.14.08] Casting Crowns' lead vocalist and songwriter Mark Hall led all nominees for the 39th Annual Gospel Music Association (GMA) Dove Awards, announced today, with six nominations, including Male Vocalist of the Year and Song of the Year for the band's “East to West.”
Other leading nominees named for gospel music's best in 2007 were Chris Tomlin, Toby Mac and David Crowder Band with five nods each. Four nominations each went to Point of Grace, Jeremy Camp, The Clark Sisters, Ernie Haase & Signature Sound and Ricky Skaggs.
Closing out GMA Music Week, this year's awards will be held April 23 at the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville, and broadcast live for the first time on the Gospel Music Channel at 8 p.m. EST.
Along with Steven Curtis Chapman, Brian Littrell, Mac Powell and Davis Nasser, Hall was nominated for Inspirational Recorded Song of the Year for “By His Wounds” from Glory Revealed (Reunion Records). Hall also received a Worship Song of the Year nod for “Praise You In This Storm.”
Casting Crowns was nominated for Artist of the Year and Group of the Year, and the band's “East to West” received a Pop/Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year nod as well as a Pop/Contemporary Album nomination for The Altar and the Door (Provident-Integrity).
The nominations for Tomlin, who led all Dove nominees for the past two years, included Artist of the Year, Male Vocalist of the Year and Song of the Year. Toby Mac was also nominated in those same categories. —Christian Retailing
For a full list of nominees, announced at a press conference in Nashville, visit www.gmamusicawards.com/categories.
Cheri Fuller and Cindy Lamb Curry 
Marilyn Hickey 
Charisma Staff 
