The nominees for the 53rd Annual GRAMMY Awards were announced tonight during a live telecast on CBS.
In the gospel categories, the nominees are–
Best Gospel Performance
“He Wants It All” by Forever Jones | Get Ready
“You Hold My World” by Israel Houghton | Love God. Love People.
“Nobody Greater” by VaShawn Mitchell | Triumphant
“He’s Been Just That Good” by Kirk Whalum & Lalah Hathaway | The Gospel According To Jazz Chapter III
“Grace” by BeBe & CeCe Winans | Still
Best Gospel Song
“Beautiful Things” by Lisa Gungor & Michael Gungor, songwriters (Gungor) | Beautiful Things
“Better Than A Hallelujah” by Sarah Hart & Chapin Hartford, songwriters (Amy Grant) | Somewhere Down The Road
“It’s What I Do” by Jerry Peters & Kirk Whalum, songwriters (Kirk Whalum & Lalah Hathaway) | The Gospel According To Jazz Chapter III
“Our God” by Jonas Myrin, Matt Redman, Jesse Reeves & Chris Tomlin, songwriters (Chris Tomlin) | Passion: Awakening
“Return To Sender” by Gordon Kennedy, songwriter (Ricky Skaggs) | Mosaic
Best Rock or Rap Gospel Album
Church Music | David Crowder Band
For Those Who Wait | Fireflight
Beautiful Things | Gungor
Rehab | Lecrae
Hello Hurricane | Switchfoot
Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album
Beauty Will Rise | Steven Curtis Chapman
Love God. Love People. | Israel Houghton
Pieces Of A Real Heart | Sanctus Real
Mosaic | Ricky Skaggs
Tonight | TobyMac
Southern/Country/Bluegrass Gospel
Times Like These | Austins Bridge
The Reason | Diamond Rio
Expecting Good Things | Jeff & Sheri Easter
Journey | Ty Herndon
Live At Oak Tree: Karen Peck & New River | Karen Peck & New River
Traditional Gospel Album
The Experience | Vanessa Bell Armstrong
A City Called Heaven | Shirley Caesar
Downtown Church | Patty Griffin
Here I Am | Marvin Sapp
All In One | Karen Clark Sheard
Contemporary R&B Gospel Album
Get Ready | Forever Jones
Love Unstoppable | Fred Hammond
Triumphant | VaShawn Mitchell
Aaron Sledge | Aaron Sledge
Still | BeBe & CeCe Winans
What do you think of the nominees???
WACK!!!!!!! Like do they not know "real gospel music"..... #KICKROCKSGRAMMY
All in One is SOOOOO not traditional!
So glad for Forever Jones! I hope they win Best Gospel Performance. That song was done very well! Steven Curtis Chapman's Beauty will rise is a very stripped down, raw and emotional album. I love it, but was kinda suprised in a good way, to see it nominated. For Best Rock or Rap Album, that's a toss up btw Lecrae and David Crowder Band. Both CDs are excellent and it could go either way. As for the rest, it doesn't matter to me who wins. But, I do have to agree that KCS's CD is nowhere near traditional! It makes it look like whoever was nominating isn't really familiar with the music being nominated and is just making assumptions based on the name.
Honestly, it really bothers me :-( There were more good gospel albums/songs that SHOULD have been nominated!
EjG, I'm ashamed to admit I know almost NONE of these albums in any of the categories. I barely know the F.Hammond album, and I only know the Bebe/Cece project a little bit (and THAT because I used "I Found Love" for my bridal march!). Time to play catch up...
Rock and Rap are two totally difft genres so not sure why they've been fused together as one category cos Lecrae is a worthy winner in the rap category adn Gungor/David Crowder are worthy winners in the rock category...wonder how this one will play out... Also I thought Marvin Sapp would get more nominations that 1......
I'm happy for Vashawn Mitchell.
I'm excited that Karen, Forever Jones, and VaShawn Mitchell were nominated. Congrats! It is weird how Karen is nominated in the traditional category though, and it seems like I don't no any of the songs for "best gospel song". So I'll have to check them out, but I'm surprised that "He saw the Best in Me" is not in that line up.
ummmm, O...you are so right!! where dey do dat at?
I'm not to pleased by these nominations either seeing how we had a lot of good gospel music come out this year. I am glad that KCS is nominated even though it took me a little while to get into her cd, but it's still good. I don't get the rock and rap category being fused together either. They have enough rock and rap artist in gospel that they can have 2 separate categories.
I am glad Karen is nominated but her latest cd was far from traditional.
Me too. I'm disappointed "It's About Time for a Miracle" wasn't nominated either.
I'm actually glad "The Best In Me" didn't make the list. It really....annoys me, to be honest. I almost jumped out of my seat when I saw "You Hold My World" in the category. It is ABSOLUTELY deserving of it. UGH! Gives me such chills......carry on!
I agree that Karen's CD is not Traditional at all. I really pray that Vanessa win for best traditional cd. That cd was great from start to finish.
want forever jones to win that song really moves everytime i hear or think of it
Im surprisingly not mad at these nominations. Lets face it. It was kind of a slow year for gospel. So I think the nominees were deserving. I dont know why rock and rap are still stuck together as one genre. However, I was estatic to see Gungor get some recognition because the album was beyond amazing and Lacrae has made huge strides for the whole christian hip hop movement.
I think it was done some what well. Tough competition....definitely...One thing I wanna know is why is Karen Clark-Sheard in a traditional category? There is nothing traditional about that cd unless she's being nominated for the ONLY traditional song on there......Thank U. Other than that not bad..I was looking for someone like Beverly Crawford in the Traditional or even Vickie Winans. I'm just happy they are even recognizing the gospel artists considering the world we live in. I'm looking for them to begin airing that part during the actual Grammy's one day!.....I speak that in Jesus name!
First of all: YAY for Israel H.'s CD being recognized. Love God Love People is not my favorite CD of his but it's still 99 percent better than what's out there. About the concerns of nominees and categories: this is just me thinking out loud here, it ain't gospel! :-) The category says "Rock OR Rap" in Gospel music, meaning that the Grammys aren't trying to blend the two distinct genres, they're just too lazy to expand the category by searching out other worthy nominees to add to the categories to separate them: one category for gospel rock and one category for gospel rap. About KCS's CD not being a traditional gospel CD: you know, I'm still working on this one. I haven't heard all of Karen's CD (Don't stone me! I did legally download "Prayed Up"!), but based on what was put in the Contemporary Gospel category, in comparison, Karen's CD may have a more "churchy" vibe? Again, there's more to figure out. In the end, this list is light years better than the Stellar nominations.
I think the comments on Marvin are warranted... but didn't the Grammys NOT classify that "Never Would Have Made It" song as a gospel song last year? Maybe they still feel this way about his work as a whole? IDK. But I also know, and many artist who always win (Like CeCe Winans) have even stated that the mass majority of people who vote for the Grammy's don't necessarily "know" or are involved with Gospel music on the whole. They may know CCM music and just end up voting for whoever sounds most familiar, never actually listening to the project. Floored that LeCrae, DCB and Gungor are all in the same category. Also interesting that LeCrae's new album could make the Grammy cut off date but not the Stellars cut off date.... interesting. By the time the Stellars come back around, artist who have made 3-4 quarter releases, are pretty much all but forgotten by the next year. LeCrae is a worthy winner.... (look at the charts #1 in Gospel #12 on Rap Charts) not sure that Gungor and DCB can say that they've held position on secular album charts, the only group who can say this is Switchfoot. But I whole heartedly believe the award will go to Switchfoot as they are most widely know by those who actually get to vote. Seeing as LeCrae, Gungor and Fireflight barely get radio play... they don't stand a chance. Not sure why Switchfoot is even in this category as they are adamant about the fact that they are not a Christian band... so why put them in the Christian Category...?????
Am glad Aaron sledge was nominated.