One of my favorite bloggers on the known planet (and an awesome worship leader/artist) is named Carlos Whitaker.
He’s a new artist on Integrity Music and if you gift his album to someone via iTunes, you will be entered to win EVERY album from EVERY artist on Integrity Music for the REST OF YOUR LIFE.
That’s so incredible, it’s just dumb (in a good way).
Visit his blog, RagamuffinSoul.com, for full details. And bookmark his blog, while you’re at it… it’s awesome.
I may start calling them The Nelson Twins to save on keystrokes.
You folks already know that Jonathan Nelson recorded his live album a couple of weeks ago. Word has it that it’ll be in stores on August 24th from Integrity Music.
On Friday, I posted a lil’ video of his twin brother, Jason Nelson, and some of you commented that you didn’t even know of him.
After I the shock wore off and I regained consciousness, I saw that he sent a Twitter message saying that his live recording is taking place on Friday, April 23rd at his church, Greater Bethlehem Temple in Baltimore, MD.
I think the industry’s about to be doubly blessed! LOL
Heads-up, folks! I’ve got another great way for you to donate to the Haiti relief efforts while getting some great music in the process… it’s a compilation album called Healing 4 Haiti, distributed by Integrity Music., available DIGITALLY this coming Tuesday, February 23, 2010, with a full retail release in March.
The 21-track project features great music from Israel Houghton, Michael W. Smith, Canton Jones, Kari Jobe, Amy Grant, Lecrae, Carlos Whitaker and more. It also features the newly recorded collaborative track, “Come Together Now,” featuring various artists.
All proceeds will be donated to the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association/Samaritan’s Purse for their work on the ground in Haiti. Plus, the artists are donating their royalties from sales of this album to the same charity. That’s BIG and awesome.
Sooo, if you follow me on Twitter, you know that the 25th annual Stellar Awards weekend was ACTION PACKED.
Throughout the week, I’m gonna try my best to give recaps of the events that I attended (there were SEVERAL), but before I do, I wanted to post the full list of winners at this year’s award show…
Artist Of The Year – Hezekiah Walker & Love Fellowship Choir, Souled Out (Verity)
Song Of The Year – “God In Me” by Mary Mary, The Sound (Columbia)
Male Vocalist Of The Year – Smokie Norful, Smokie Norful Live (EMI Gospel)
Female Vocalist Of The Year – Vickie Winans, How I Got Over (Destiny Joy)
Group/Duo Of The Year – Mary Mary, The Sound (Columbia)
New Artist Of The Year – Crystal Aikin, Crystal Aikin (Verity)
CD Of The Year – Hezekiah Walker & Love Fellowship Choir, Souled Out (Verity)
Choir Of The Year – Hezekiah Walker & Love Fellowship Choir, Souled Out (Verity)
Producer Of The Year – Donald Lawrence & Daniel Weatherspoon, The Law Of Confession Pt. 1 (Quietwater/Verity)
Contemporary Group/Duo Of The Year – Mary Mary, The Sound (Columbia)
Traditional Group/Duo Of The Year – Lee Williams & The Spiritual QCs, Fall On Me (MCG)
Contemporary Male Vocalist Of The Year – Smokie Norful, Smokie Norful Live (EMI Gospel)
Contemporary Female Vocalist Of The Year – Crystal Aikin, Crystal Aikin (Verity)
Traditional Male Vocalist Of The Year – Donnie McClurkin, We All Are One (Verity)
Traditional Female Vocalist Of The Year – Dottie Peoples, Do It! (DP Muzik Group)
Contemporary CD Of The Year – Hezekiah Walker & Love Fellowship Choir, Souled Out (Verity)
Traditional CD Of The Year – Shari Addison, Shari Addison (Verity)
Urban/Inspirational Single Of The Year – “God In Me” by Mary Mary, The Sound (Columbia)
Music Video Of The Year – “How I Got Over” by Vickie Winans, How I Got Over (Destiny Joy)
Contemporary Choir Of The Year – Hezekiah Walker & Love Fellowship Choir, Souled Out (Verity)
Traditional Choir Of The Year – Bishop Paul S. Morton & The FGBCF Mass Choir, Cry Your Last Year (Light)
Special Event CD Of The Year – The Clark Sisters, J. Moss & Kierra Sheard, Silky Soul Music – A Tribute To Maze (Barantera Music Group)
Instrumental CD Of The Year – Ben Tankard, Mercy, Mercy, Mercy (Verity)
Rap/Hip-Hop Gospel CD Of The Year – Da’ T.R.U.T.H., The Big Picture (Cross Movement)
Children’s Performance Of The Year – Rev. Dr. Emory Andrews & Oxon Hill High School Choir, Amazing (Yrome)
Quartet Of The Year – Lee Williams & The Spiritual QCs, Fall On Me (MCG)
Praise & Worship CD Of The Year – Stephen Hurd, Times Of Refreshing (Integrity)
Recorded Music Package Of The Year – Denise Trotman for Donald Lawrence’s The Law Of Confession Pt. 1 (Quietwater/Verity)
Stellar Radio Awards:
Internet Radio | http://www.ishoutforjoy.com
Small Market | WEUP 1700 AM – Huntsville, AL
Medium Market | Hallelujah FM – Little Rock, AR
Large Market | WTLC 1310 AM – Indianapolis, IN
Major Market | WLIB 1190 AM – New York City, NY
Lonnie Hunter of Praise 103.9 in Philadelphia was awarded with the Announce Of The Year Award. And the Central South Distribution REACH Awards were awarded to Vickie Hill (Saginaw, MI), Willie Mae MacIver (Dallas, TX) and Michael A. Davis (Memphis, TN).
I was surprised only by about two of these wins– I thought that Praise & Worship CD Of The Year would go to Israel Houghton. He really got shafted this year, because The Power Of One was one of the best albums to come out in 2009. The fact that he was only nominated in three categories, one of which was for packaging… c’mon. But, kudos to Stephen Hurd anyhow.
Second, I didn’t think Hezekiah Walker & LFC would walk away with Artist Of The Year. I really figured it would go to Donald Lawrence. Either way, I’m thrilled. I have loved Pastor Walker for YEARS and I couldn’t be more excited for him… he definitely deserved to be recognized and that album is an absolute favorite from the past year.
So, that’s THAT. If you get Gospel Music Channel, the show airs on February 28th at 8pm ET/7pm CST. BUT, it will likely air in your region before that… I’ll post the local dates and times when the Stellars post it… I can’t type all of that! LOL
And check back here throughout the week for my recaps– I went a lot of places, chatted with a lot of folks, and I’ve got LOTS to tell you. Deal? DEAL!
In the meantime, TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK of the winners!!!
In a few hours, I’m posting the first entry of a new series called ‘Tis The Season, in which several of your favorite gospel artists will share their favorite part of the Christmas holiday, as well as tell us what they’re doing this year for Christmas. Check the site daily to see who’s sharing and what they have to say!
To kick things off, I’ll tell you MY favorite part of Christmas and what I plan to do… My favorite part of the Christmas season is spending time with family. My wife and I plan to visit our family this year and have a great time filled with laughter and love. 
Now, here’s your chance to SHARE… and WIN some stuff!
Tell me: (1) your favorite part of the Christmas holiday and (2) what you’re planning to do this year.
As a gift, I’m giving away FREE iTunes Gift Cards to 10 people who leave a comment. Make sure you enter a valid email address when you comment. I’ll select 10 comments at random, and I’ll email those folks with iTunes download codes for 10 free Christmas tunes courtesy of Integrity Music!
I’m selecting the names at MIDNIGHT, so make sure you leave your comment by 11:59pm Central Standard Time, tonight, December 17th. You can always comment after that, too… you just won’t win anything from me but a smile. 
GO!
Super duper huge and hefty CONGRATS to the following folks, who were randomly selected to win a free iTunes Gift Card for 10 free digital downloads of pre-selected Christms tunes from Integrity Music (why did that sentence feel so long?!):
Glenda Williams of Wyoming, MI
Erica Bryant of Hampton, VA
Cyndi Young of Auburn Hills, MI
Chad Boler of Pittsburgh, PA
Michelle Bowden of Sikeston, MO
Millie Phaeton of Chicago, IL
Thaddeus Lamb of McLeansville, NC
Matheus Vieira of New York, NY
Andre Griffith of New Haven, CT
Donte Battle of Baltimore, MD
As I mentioned yesterday, if you didn’t win this time around, fret not… I’ve got more free downloads to give away, so stay tuned RIGHT HERE on the regular… you never know when I’ll be in the giving mood again.
The holidays are upon us and I’m in a giving mood!
Today, I feel like giving away passcodes for some FREE digital downloads on iTunes! Specifically, I’ve got the green light to give away tracks from an Integrity Music sampler, with Christmas music from various artists including Israel & New Breed, Hillsong, Kari Jobe, and more.
To win, just email me at ej@gospelpundit.com by TONIGHT, December 8th, at 11:59pm CST with the subject line “iTUNES Gift Card.” In the email, tell me your name and city.
I’ll pick 10 folks at random, and I’ll email them back with the free download code. Plus, I’ll name the winners on the site tomorrow.
I’ve got a BUNCH of these codes to giveaway, so it won’t be the last time I do this before Christmas. ‘Tis the season!
Who loves you the most? I do. 
And that’s why I’m giving you an opportunity to purchase a super deluxe edition of Israel & New Breed’s Alive In South Africa (the Sight & Sound Series) directly from Integrity Music.
The package includes a double-disc of music AND a performance DVD. And, if you use MY SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL CODE, you’ll get it for less than $9.00!
All you have to do is:
1. Click here to visit the store at IntegrityMusic.com
2. Add the project to your online shopping bag
3. Enter GospelPundit.com’s special promotional code (it’s case-sensitive): BLOGIZ
How do you like THAT?!
Who’s gonna go grab a copy?
If you were at Marvin Sapp’s live recording (or at www.VerityRecords.com) on Friday night, you heard the great music that he plans to put on his new project, tentatively titled Here I Am, expected in the first quarter of 2010.
My wife and I were fortunate enough to make it to Grand Rapids for the event. Once we got there, we met up with Gerard Bonner (Bonnerfide Radio, GospelFlava.com), Jawn Murray (AOL Black Voices, Tom Joyner Morning Show, etc.) and Sheilah Belle (The Belle Report) before heading to the venue. Once there, we got settled in the front row along with Neechy (RocSpace) and the folks from Verity before the recording began. When I tell you we were cutting up from JUMP… let’s just say we were a rowdy group. 
Before the recording, Aaron Lindsey’s wife, Adrian, surprised him with an award to recognize him for his commitment to the gospel/Christian industry, and for writing and producing such GREAT music. It was kinda awesome of her… wanna point it out cuz you wouldn’t know it if you weren’t there.
Next, Marvin Sapp’s brother, Henry Sapp, performed a stand-up routine to get the crowd ready. I’m not a huge fan of stand-up, but he had the crowd laughing a bit. Finally, drummer extraordinaire and MC-for-the-night Ray Bady came to the stage to introduce Marvin Sapp.
With lights and energy at level 10, Marvin Sapp took to the stage and performed some reeeeaaally great music. For me, it got even better as the recording progressed. Aaron Lindsey served as musical director/producer while Myron Butler worked the vocal production with some of the tightest background vocals you’ll find in the game (shout out to Candy & Peaches West and Deonis Cook).
My favorites of the night: “Fresh Wind,” a song with a churchy/quartet feel to it, the vamp of which we stayed on for a good while; “Comfort Zone,” an encouraging ballad penned by Ted Winn (who was in the house); and, of course, ”He Saw The Best In Me,” written by Sapp and Lindsey, which reminds me of “Never Would Have Made It” in terms of its lyrical simplicity but easy-to-relate-to sentiment. I also enjoyed “Wait On Him,” “I’m In His Hands,” and “I Came.” It was just an evening of really good music.
He capped off the night by thanking and acknowledging various people in the audience, which included Commissioned mastermind Michael Brooks (and, of course, his lovely wife Lisa Page Brooks!). Almost as if unable to help himself, Sapp went into a quick impromptu medley of classic Commissioned songs written by Brooks– “City,” “Will You Be Ready,” “Giving My Problems To You”… it was tons of fun. I got several tweets that the live feed was cut, probably because of licensing issues for those songs. Sorry ya missed it!
Other folks of note in the crowd– Deborah Smith Pollard (Detroit radio DJ, author, speaker, professor and gospel historian), Michael Williams (drummer and former member of Commissioned) and Ken Reynolds (Integrity Music worship artist).
Pastor Sapp ended the entire evening by singing a small bit of “Never Would Have Made It,” like I’ve NEVER heard him sing in my life. His range was limitless and he made me feel like it was the first time I heard the song, which is a very tough task given how much it’s been played.
Special shout-out to Kymberlee Norsworthy, Jazzy Jordan, Jeff Grant and Joseph Burney of Verity Gospel Music Group– you were fantastic hosts and you made the weekend great for us. Plus, it was just good to see ya!
I’ve got a few photos for you below, but I urge you to check out Gerard Bonner’s website (http://www.GetBonnerfide.com, in the “In Concert” section) for a full collection of great shots. And I also got a chance to chat with Marvin Sapp, Aaron Lindsey and Myron Butler after the recording. I’ll tell you what they had to say later this week, so stay tuned.
Who else was in the house in Grand Rapids? Who heard the recording online? Which songs were your faves?
TALK TO ME!
Attention Indie Artists! Here’s a great opportunity for you to gain some exposure, get some solid feedback, and possibly win a chance to record with Integrity Music.
Gospel Music Channel is sponsoring the Indie Spotlight contest… independent solo artists and groups submit a video or mp3 to indie.gospelmusicchannel.com. The song must be an original work or a cover of a song already in the public domain.
Submissions will be featured on GospelMusicChannel.com and the artists that will proceed to the next round will be determined by fan votes. Submissions are accepted NOW thru November 24th, so HOP TO IT!
[Amendment: GMC reached out to me to clarify something about the voting process. Fan votes, alone, are not the determining the factor; rather "artist advancement is determined by a combination of fan voting, judges rating and pre-set contest algorithms designed to surface top talent and find up and coming artists with the most potential." So, don't be deterred-- there's more to this than popularity!]
Check the video below for more info:
And visit http://indie.gospelmusicchannel.com/ for details!
Just as a heads-up, if you enter, make sure you check out the language of any agreements you sign and any rights you give away… all that glitters ain’t gold.
That said, anybody planning on entering??? We’ll support ya.
