The nominees for the 60th annual GRAMMY Awards were announced today, with the Contemporary Christian and Gospel categories strongly represented by some of this year's best. The Awards will be aired on CBS January 28th at 7:30 PM EST.
Leading the way as the nominees for Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song are Casting Crowns' "Oh My Soul," MercyMe's "Even If," Hillsong Worship's "What A Beautiful Name," Tauren Wells' "Hills and Valleys" and Natalie Grant's "Clean." Contenders for Best Contemporary Christian Music Album include Rise (Danny Gokey), Echoes (Matt Maher), Lifer (MercyMe), Hills and Valleys (Tauren Wells) and Chain Breaker (Zach Williams).
Nominees for Best Gospel Performance/Song include Tina Campbell's "Too Hard Not To," JJ Hairston & Youthful Praise Featuring Bishop Cortez Vaughn's "You Deserve It," Le'Andria's "Better Days," The Walls Group's "My Life" and CeCe Winans' "Never Have To Be Alone." Best Gospel Album nominees are Crossover: Live From Music City (Travis Greene), Bigger Than Me (Le'Andria), Close (Marvin Sapp), Sunday Song (Anita Wilson) and Let Them Fall In Love (CeCe Winans).
In the Best Roots Gospel Album category, nominees include The Best Of The Collingsworth Family - Volume 1 (The Collingsworth Family), Give Me Jesus (Larry Cordle), Resurrection (Joseph Habedank), Sing It Now: Songs Of Faith & Hope (Reba McEntire) and Hope For All Nations (Karen Peck & New River). Additionally, Mali Music's "Still" is nominated for Best Traditional R&B Performance. Click here for a complete list of nominees.
Artist responses to news of their nominations have flooded social media today with gratitude and excitement. "When you're in a band for 23 years, your priorities tend to change a bit. Things that seemed important in the beginning just aren't that important today. That being said, being nominated for a GRAMMY is NOT one of those things. It's actually the opposite. The longer we're in this industry, the more we've come to appreciate each moment along the way. We are incredibly grateful," explains twice-nominated MercyMe lead singer Bart Millard.
Additionally, as award season begins to ramp up, be on the lookout for the 6th annual We Love Christian Music Awards nominations being announced Monday, December 4th. Presented by NewReleaseToday.com, the largest Christian music site online, the We Love Awards will celebrate the best of this year's Christian music in 23 diverse categories. Voting opens Monday and will go through late January. Follow the Awards on Facebook
here for continued updates.
