Calling the decision "a bold step," the Gospel Music Association (GMA) is moving the 42nd Annual Dove Awards to Atlanta next year-the first time the show will take place outside of Nashville.

GMA announced earlier this week that the Dove Awards will be held in Atlanta's historic Fox Theatre on April 20, 2011. "Atlanta, like Nashville, is home to many gospel music artists as well as churches who support the artists and the music," Ed Leonard, GMA board chairman and Daywind Music Group president, told Christian Retailing.

The Doves move follows a contract renewal with Atlanta-based Gospel Music Channel, which has broadcast the Dove Awards for the past three years. Bands and musicians such as Casting Crowns, Chris Tomlin and Third Day--many of this year's award winners--are also based in Atlanta.

GMA has faced a year of changes due in large part to declining memberships, which forced the association to cut its staff of 18 to three in a series of layoffs in 2009. Last September, John Styll--who had served as the organization's president and CEO for six years--also stepped down as part of a cost-cutting effort to keep the group alive, although he remains a board member.

During this year's Dove Awards--held in April in Nashville--GMA scrapped its traditional weeklong series of events at "Gospel Music Week" that culminated with the awards ceremony, due to a lack of corporate sponsors and other factors.

Leonard said there will "likely be a shorter, more impactful conference that takes place in conjunction with the Dove Awards" next year. "We are working out the details of this currently," he added. "I envision a summit-like conference, with keynote speeches about the state of all facets of the industry."

"Nashville is the home of the GMA," Leonard said. Despite the move, the association continued to "love and support" Music City, with its Immerse event being held this week in Nashville, he said. Several components of Gospel Music Week were held at Immerse. Leonard noted that GMA has not yet made a decision about the location for the 2012 Dove Awards.

Leonard--who began a series of fund-raising efforts last year to "reset" the organization and relieve past debt, including an $800,000 shortfall incurred from a past Dove Awards sponsor dropout--said GMA is "headed in the right direction."

"Our financial situation is dramatically improved from last year due to overwhelming support of the industry and our vendor partners," he said. "While we are not out of the woods, our compass is leading us in the right direction.

"We had a great Dove Awards this year, and Immerse promises to provide artists, songwriters and industry professionals great training and exposure for their craft," Leonard added. "These great events, along with our conversion to a more volunteer-driven organization and greater emphasis on our members and their needs, have us headed in the right direction."

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