Steven Curtis Chapman won Artist of the Year and Songwriter of the Year during last night's 40th Annual Gospel Music Association (GMA) Dove Awards, capping an emotional year for the most decorated singer and songwriter in Christian music.
Chapman, who was named Artist of the Year for the seventh time, has collected five GRAMMY Awards and 56 Doves in his two-decade career. His 5-year-old daughter, Maria Sue, was killed last May when she was accidentally hit by a vehicle driven by her older brother in the driveway of the family's home in Nashville. Chapman performed the song "Cinderella" from his 2007 release This Moment in one of the Dove Awards' most emotional moments, The (Nashville) Tennessean reported. "I know the reason why I think we're standing here is not something we ever would have signed up for," said Chapman with wife, Mary Beth, by his side. "Our hope is not in this life. ... If we can say anything as a family, a broken family having lost our little girl, it's to let this hope make us so bold." Natalie Grant was awarded Female Vocalist of the Year for the fourth year in a row. Brandon Heath, who was New Artist of the Year in 2008, nabbed Male Vocalist of the Year and Song of the Year for "Give Me Your Eyes." Casting Crowns won three awards--including the band's fifth consecutive Group of the Year honor--while Tenth Avenue North was named New Artist of the Year. Closing out GMA Music Week, the awards were held at the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville and televised live on the Gospel Music Channel. Below is a complete list of winners, with details of their latest releases. ARTIST OF THE YEAR Steven Curtis Chapman Latest release: This Moment: Cinderella Edition (Sparrow Records) NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR Tenth Avenue North Over and Underneath (Reunion Records) SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR Steven Curtis Chapman SONG OF THE YEAR "Give Me Your Eyes": Brandon Heath and Jason Ingram What If We (Reunion Records) MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR Brandon Heath FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR Natalie Grant Relentless (Curb Records) GROUP OF THE YEAR Casting Crowns Peace on Earth (Reunion Records) PRODUCER OF THE YEAR Bernie Herms RAP/HIP HOP RECORDED SONG "Do Yo Thang": KJ-52 The Yearbook (BEC Recordings) ROCK RECORDED SONG "Lost": Red End of Silence (Essential Records) ROCK/CONTEMPORARY RECORDED SONG "Washed by the Water": Needtobreathe The Heat (Atlantic Records) POP/CONTEMPORARY RECORDED SONG "Give Me Your Eyes": Brandon Heath INSPIRATIONAL RECORDED SONG "A New Hallelujah": Michael W. Smith A New Hallelujah (Reunion Records) SOUTHERN GOSPEL RECORDED SONG "Reason Enough": Ernie Haase & Signature Sound Dream On (Gaither Music Group) BLUEGRASS RECORDED SONG "They're Holding Up the Ladder": Jeff & Sheri Easter We Are Family (Daywind Records) COUNTRY RECORDED SONG "I Wish": Point of Grace How You Live: Deluxe Edition (Word Records) URBAN RECORDED SONG "Get Up": Mary Mary The Sound (Columbia Records) TRADITIONAL GOSPEL RECORDED SONG "Free at Last": The Blind Boys of Alabama Down in New Orleans (Time Life Music) CONTEMPORARY GOSPEL RECORDED SONG "How Great Is Our God": LaRue Howard How Great Is Our God (EMI Gospel) WORSHIP SONG "Mighty to Save": Ben Fielding and Reuben Morgan RAP/HIP HOP ALBUM Ordinary Dreamers (Fervent Records) by Group 1 Crew ROCK ALBUM Satisfied (Slanted Records) by DecembeRadio ROCK/CONTEMPORARY ALBUM Never Going Back to OK (INO Records) by The Afters POP/CONTEMPORARY ALBUM Revelation (Essential Records) by Third Day Latest release: Live Revelations (Essential Records) INSPIRATIONAL ALBUM Great God Who Saves (INO Records) by Laura Story SOUTHERN GOSPEL ALBUM Lovin' Life (Gaither Music Group) by Ernie Gaither Vocal Band BLUEGRASS ALBUM We Are Family (Daywind Records) by Jeff & Sheri Easter COUNTRY ALBUM Around the Bend (Warner Bros. Records) by Randy Travis Latest release: Three Wooden Crosses: The Inspirational Hits of Randy Travis (Word) URBAN ALBUM The Fight of My Life (Zomba Gospel) by Kirk Franklin TRADITIONAL GOSPEL ALBUM Down in New Orleans (Time Life Music) by The Blind Boys of Alabama CONTEMPORARY GOSPEL ALBUM Change the World (Martha Munizzi Music) by Martha Munizzi INSTRUMENTAL ALBUM Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (Walt Disney Records) by various artists CHILDREN'S MUSIC ALBUM Absolute Modern Worship for Kids 4 (Fervent Records) by various artists SPANISH LANGUAGE ALBUM Rescatame (BEC Recordings) by Seventh Day Slumber Latest release: Take Everything (BEC Recordings) SPECIAL EVENT ALBUM Passion: God of This City (Sparrow Records) by Chris Tomlin, Charlie Hall, David Crowder Band, Christy Nockels, Kristian Stanfill, Fee and Matt Redman CHRISTMAS ALBUM Peace on Earth (Beach Street Records) by Casting Crowns Latest release: The Altar and the Door Live (Beach Street Records) PRAISE & WORSHIP ALBUM A New Hallelujah (Reunion Records) by Michael W. Smith MUSICAL God Bless the USA (Brentwood-Benson Music Publishing) by Sue C. Smith, Joel Lindsey and Russell Mauldin YOUTH/CHILDREN'S MUSICAL An Island Christmas (Lillenas Publishing Company) by Wayne Haun, Shelby Haun and Joel Lindsey CHORAL COLLECTION I'll Say Yes (Brooklyn Tabernacle Music) by Carol Cymbala RECORDED MUSIC PACKAGING Revelation (Essential Records) by Third Day SHORT FORM MUSIC VIDEO "Slow Fade" (Beach Street Records) by Casting Crowns; LONG FORM MUSIC VIDEO Alive and Transported (ForeFront Records) by TobyMac
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