In our special 8TH ANNUAL WE LOVE CHRISTIAN MUSIC AWARDS editorial series, members of the NRT staff have a back-and-forth discussion about this year's nominees. In this discussion, NRT's Caitlin Lassiter and Grace Chaves look at the nominees for Song of the Year, including Contemporary Song of the Year and Pop Song of the Year.

Public voting is open through Friday, January 31, 2020. Winners will be announced at the Together We Love event broadcasting live Tuesday, February 25, 2020.

Caitlin: Song of the Year: what a huge category. This year, artists really gave fans some powerful songs to carry as anthems throughout 2019. I love each of these songs nominated, and am thrilled to see them getting recognition in this year's We Love Christian Music Awards. Songs are just so powerful, and it continually blows me away the stories we get to hear of how a particular song has impacted somebody's life. The way God has worked through these songs this year has been nothing less than incredible to watch. What do you think, Grace?

Grace: Totally agree with you, Caitlin. Every song that's nominated for Song of the Year is amazing. We've got "Haven't Seen It Yet" from Danny Gokey which has become a hugely popular song throughout 2019. And, also "Reason" by Unspoken which quickly became a fan favorite. I love all of the nominations in this category, and it's amazing to see the impact they've all had on so many people. 

Caitlin: Agreed. I love those songs, and both of those artists have had amazing years. Some other nominees I'm really excited about are Switchfoot's "Native Tongue" and We Are Messengers' "Maybe It's OK." Such strong additions to this category.

Grace: Although Switch is a new band, their song "Symphony" already made it to radio, and truly is a beautiful song that speaks of how God is using our lives in His symphony. It talks about how even in the madness of this life, God uses everything for a reason.

Caitlin: Yeah. I love that we have some veteran artists nominated here, but also a new band like Switch. It truly speaks to the volume and quality of music we've had this year that we have such a range of artists nominated. So, here's the question, Grace: who do you think deserves to win Song of the Year for 2019?

Grace: That's a hard question to answer. Each song is so powerful, and I love each one of them. For me, it's a tie between "Haven't Seen It Yet" and "Maybe It's OK." Both of those songs have the same message. Don't give up. They've both touched many people's lives, including mine. "Maybe It's OK" is an anthem that has helped me with anxiety. And "Haven't Seen It Yet" is one that reminds me that God isn't finished with me, and even through the hard times, His promises still stand true. Honestly, I can't pick just one song. Who do you think deserves to win in this category, Caitlin?

Caitlin: I'm probably a little bias, because this song has personally meant so much to me this year. But, We Are Messengers' "Maybe It's OK" feels like the obvious winner here. I've had the privilege of hearing so many stories from people about how this song has literally saved their life and has inspired them to be honest about their struggles with depression and anxiety. I think Christian music so often has a tendency to want to wrap things up in a pretty bow, almost to sugarcoat hardship with an "everything is okay" message. And while it's true that we need to be positive and look for God's hope in hard circumstances, I think there aren't nearly enough songs that boldly say, "I'm not okay right now and that's okay because Jesus is still in control here" like this one has, and that's been a gift to the Christian music community. It's taken a lot of vulnerability and transparency on We Are Messengers' part to carry a song that honest. But, they've done it so well and I think it's been a source of freedom for so many people.

Grace: Another good one is Unspoken's song "Reason." It's an upbeat and fun song, and also has the same message as a lot of the other nominated songs: don't give up. I've listened to this song dozens of times, and it never gets old. I'd dare to say that it's one of Unspoken's best songs yet.

Caitlin: For sure. It's a strong bunch of nominees all around. Another category that flows from this one is Contemporary Song of the Year, which recognizes "Haven't Seen It Yet" by Danny Gokey, "Greatness of Our God" by Newsboys United, "Fighting For Me" by Riley Clemmons, "Greater Than All My Regrets" by Tenth Avenue North, and "Maybe It's OK" by We Are Messengers. Who do you think takes this one, Grace?

Grace: It's a no-brainer for me in this category. I think "Greater Than All My Regrets" is going to take this one. Their whole album, No Shame, is incredible. And, this song, in my opinion, is the best song on the record. I really am hoping to see them win the contemporary category,  because they totally deserve it.

Caitlin: I totally agree. I think Tenth Avenue North really got a winner with this one. And again, I've loved seeing all the stories flood in about the impact this song has had. We see Gokey and Messengers nominated again here, which I think is well deserved, but we also see new artist Riley Clemmons and supergroup Newsboys United. Riley has such a powerhouse voice, and I've loved seeing her become a fan favorite since her first release. I think fans were pretty excited to finally have new music from Newsboys United, too. It's been so fun to see Peter Furler and Phil Joel rejoin the band for this run, and I think this song is a great representation of the magic that crew makes when they're all together.

Grace: Riley's song "Fighting For Me" is great. She has a beautiful voice, and it's great to see a young artist nominated for this category among so many big name artists.

Caitlin: Okay. One last category. Pop Song of the Year recognizes For All Season's "Every Good Thing," Jeremy Camp's "Dead Man Walking," Switch's "Symphony," Switchfoot's "Native Tongue" and Unspoken's "Reason." So many good songs. Your thoughts. Grace?

Grace: All of these are amazing songs, but my personal favorite would have to be "Every Good Thing" by For All Seasons. They released the song as a single at the beginning of the year, and recently put it on their & Side A EP. There's nothing not to love about it. It's a great reminder to look at all the blessings God has given us. And it really reflects James 1:17 which says, "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows." For All Seasons' songs are always so biblically rooted, and they deserve to win the pop category.

Caitlin: It's honestly so hard for me to choose a winner here because each of these are so deserving! All the aforementioned artists released such great projects this year, and I love that we get the chance to recognize that here. A few standout songs to me are Switchfoot's "Native Tongue," Unspoken's "Reason" and Jeremy Camp's "Dead Man Walking." All of these artists created some of my very favorite albums this year. I've been a Switchfoot fan for so long and they just consistently continue to deliver such quality music. I literally can't say enough good things about Unspoken, and I think they're so deserving of this award, too. Also, Jeremy Camp's music has been a huge part of my own story and I think this most recent album is some of his best work, so I'd love to see this go to him as well. It's just so hard to choose, which is why I'm glad I don't have to. It'll be fun to see what the fans decide.

Grace: It was great talking with you, Caitlin. I look forward to seeing which songs end up winning the Song of the Year categories. So many artists brought so many great songs to the table this year, and really, they all deserve to win! I'm excited to see what 2020 brings for Christian music.

Caitlin: Great talking with you, Grace. And I agree. With a year like this behind us, 2020 is sure to bring some great things for Christian music. 

NOTE: Voting is now open through Friday, January 31, 2020 at WeLoveAwards.com. Winners will be announced during our Facebook Live broadcast from Visible Music College's Memphis campus on Tuesday, February 25, 2020.