Nominations for the 58th GRAMMY Awards were announced today, and TobyMac, Matt Maher and Israel & New Breed lead the pack of Christian artists with a pair of nods each.
Both the Diverse City bandleader and the Pope's favorite contemporary Christian artist--who have multiple nominations in the 4th Annual WE LOVE CHRISTIAN MUSIC AWARDS--are up for GRAMMYs in the Best Contemporary Christian Music Album and Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song categories. Israel & New Breed is up for Best Gospel Album and Best Gospel Performance/Song.
This Is Not a Test and Saints and Sinners--TobyMac's and Maher's albums, respectively--are joined by Whatever the Road by Jason Crabb, How Can It Be by Lauren Daigle and Chris Tomlin's Love Ran Red in the Best Contemporary Christian Music Album category.
In the WE LOVE AWARDS, Maher's "Because He Lives (Amen)" is up for Church Song of the Year, and TobyMac's collaboration with Mr. Talkbox, "Feel It," is up for Song of the Year, and in the GRAMMYs, both of those songs are nominees for Best Contemporary Christian Music Album along with Francesca Battistelli's recording of the Bryan and Katie Torwalt worship song "Holy Spirit," Crowder's "Lift Your Head Weary Sinner (Chains)," and Third Day's "Soul On Fire," which features All Sons & Daughters.
Kirk Franklin's new album, Losing My Religion, didn't take long to get GRAMMY attention, as the song "Wanna Be Happy?" is up for Best Gospel Performance Song along with Israel & New Breed's "How Awesome is Our God" featuring Yolanda Adams, "Intentional" by Travis Greene, Brian Courtney Wilson's "Worth Fighting For" and "Worth" by Anthony Brown & Group Therapy.
The Best Roots Gospel Album--reserved for projects typically classified as "Southern Gospel"--saw The Fairfield Four nominated for Still Rockin' My Soul, Karen Peck & New River for Pray Now, and Point of Grace for Directions Home (Songs We Love, Songs You Know).
Indirectly, perhaps the artist with the most GRAMMY nomination connections this year is Morgan Harper-Nichols, the WE LOVE-nominated artist whose vocals are featured on the GRAMMY nominated albums by Maher, Daigle and Crabb.
See the full list of nominations at Grammy.com, and find out who wins Feb. 15 live from Los Angeles on CBS. And cast your vote for these artists now to win the 4th Annual WE LOVE CHRISTIAN MUSIC AWARDS by going here.
