Newer Gospel Acts Soar at Doves

04/30/2004 5:27 PM, Reuters
Deborah Evans Price

It felt like a changing of the guard as newer acts claimed top honors at the Gospel Music Assn.'s 35th annual awards show.

MercyMe, Switchfoot, Stacie Orrico and Jeremy Camp were among the evening's top winners. The event took place Wednesday (April 28) at Nashville's Municipal Auditorium.

MercyMe captured the Dove Award for artist of the year. The INO Records band also won group of the year and pop/contemporary recorded song of the year for "Word of God Speak." Penned by MercyMe lead vocalist Bart Millard and producer Peter Kipley, "Word of God Speak" also won song of the year.

"The greatest thing about winning a Dove Award is that it's essentially coming from your peers and people in the industry," Millard says. "They are people that do this all the time and hear and see so much, makes this an especially big honor."

Switchfoot lead singer/songwriter Jonathan Foreman netted the most Doves of the evening. The Sparrow/Columbia band won rock song of the year for "Ammunition" and rock/contemporary song of the year for "Meant to Live."

Switchfoot's "The Beautiful Letdown" won in the rock/contemporary album category. Foreman's songwriting and production credits on the album earned him additional accolades.

ForeFront Records/Virgin Records artist Stacie Orrico nabbed the female vocalist Dove for pop/contemporary album for her self-titled sophomore project. She also won in the short-form video category for "(There's Gotta Be) More to Life."

The male vocalist honor went to BEC Recordings newcomer Jeremy Camp, who also won new artist of the year.

Songwriter of the year honors went to Mark Hall of Casting Crowns.

"It's a slap on the back at just the right time that tells you to keep going," Hall says of the award. "It's one of those mountaintops God takes you to that fuels you for the next journey."

Third Day, Smokie Norful, the Martins, the Crabb Family, Randy Travis , CeCe Winans and Michael Tait each picked up a pair of Doves.

Doves were presented in 44 categories. The 4,500 members of the GMA vote on the awards.

The awards, hosted by Yolanda Adams and Deion Sanders, were broadcast live via simulcast at 50 Regal Entertainment Group Theaters nationwide and were taped to be broadcast May 28 on UPN.

For a complete list of winners, see billboard.com/awards.

Reuters/Billboard