Entertainment One Music (eOne) has five songs in the top 20 on the most recent Nielsen BDS (Broadcast Data System) Gospel Radio Chart.  The songs include two hit singles by the GRAMMY and NAACP Image Award-nominated artist Donald Lawrence—“The Gift” at No. 3 and “Best for Last” at No. 16—as well as William McDowell’s hit single “Withholding Nothing” at No. 9, James Fortune & FIYA’s new single “Live Through It” at No. 10 and Anaysha’s “Holy One” at No. 15.

In addition to chart success, eOne artists received 11 nominations for the 2014 Stellar Awards, which were held Jan. 18. The ceremony featured performances by eOne artists Ricky Dillard, Shirley Caesar, Donald Lawrence, Erica Campbell and Jonathan McReynolds.

B&H Publishing Group has announced that Eric Mullett has joined the B&H marketing team as Bible Marketing Specialist. This is a new position for B&H, and emphasizes the company’s push to focus attention more on Bibles.

“Eric brings years of publishing experience with him, particularly with a passion and understanding of how to share a larger story with people,” said B&H Bible Marketing Manager Tim Jordan. “At B&H, our core desire is connecting people to the Bible and introducing them to God’s grand story of redemption. In his new role at B&H, Eric will be helping to reach the world with His Word by executing trade and consumer marketing activities within our core Bible and church supply lines.”

Hope for Hurting Hearts (Word Films/Word Distribution) has been announced as an Official Selection in the Feature Documentary category at the 2014 Winnipeg Real to Reel Film Festival. The film is in the Feature Documentary category of the Manitoba, Canada-based festival and is eligible for judging.

“Why does God allow suffering?” asked Paul Eaton, pastor and Hope for Hurting Hearts’ producer. “This is one of the key questions of the human experience. This film looks at suffering through the lives of four people as they grapple with that question. Their answer will surprise you.”

The Recording Industry Association of America added song streams to its Gold & Platinum (G&P) Program in 2013, which helped fuel a record-breaking 663 Digital Single Awards—a 25% increase year-over-year and the most in G&P history.

“In a landmark year for our half-a-century-old Gold & Platinum Program, RIAA added music streams to awards to better recognize artists’ commercial success in a transformative marketplace,” said Cary Sherman, RIAA chairman and CEO. “We’re proud that G&P 2.0 has enabled more musicians than ever to earn their first and highest digital awards.”

Switchfoot’s Fading West (Atlantic Records/Word Distribution) debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Christian/Gospel chart, as well as hitting No. 2 on the overall Rock Album chart and No. 6 in the Top 200. The new album, which hit stores Jan. 14, has already passed the high mark set by the band’s 2011 album, Vice Verses, which peaked at No. 8 on the Top 200 chart.

Two hit singles from the album—“Who We Are” and “Love Alone Is Worth the Fight”—as well as the band’s recently released Fading West feature film, are helping to fuel the new album’s success. The film is currently available on video-on-demand platforms in the U.S. and offers behind-the-scenes footage of the band on- and offstage, including scenes of band members surfing—the pastime from which Switchfoot derives its name.

Several Christian market titles received nominations for Movieguide’s Epiphany Prizes, to be conferred at the 22nd Annual Faith & Values Gala. The awards, which are each accompanied by a $100,000 prize supported by a grant from the John Templeton Foundation, are given to the most inspiring movie or television program that resulted in a “great increase in man’s understanding of God.”

“This year, we had more top contenders for the Epiphany Prizes than ever before,” said Dr. Ted Baehr, founder of Movieguide and of the Christian Film & Television Commission. “It was very hard to narrow down the nominees into just five. 2013 has been a tremendous year for godly, inspirational content—one of the best ever.”

Consumers engage with retailers’ Facebook pages more than they do with stores’ websites, according to a new study from Infosys, a global consulting, technology and outsourcing firm. Even more important for retailers’ bottom line is the fact that nine in 10 consumers say how much they spend is impacted by their social media engagement with a brand.

The Rethinking Retail study is a detailed report based on interviews with 1,000 consumers and 50 general market retailers across the U.S. In addition to the impact of social media on spending, the study reveals how retailers are struggling to create the kind of personalized experience online and in stores that drives increased sales.