Gospel Music Hall of Fame Members the Gaither Vocal Band Awarded Two 2017 GMA DOVE Awards

GRAMMY® Award-winning Quintet Garners Wins for Southern Gospel Artist of the Year and Southern Gospel Song of the Year

Legendary Group Gives Rousing Performance at This Year’s GMA DOVE Awards Ceremony

NASHVILLE, Tenn.—October 20th, 2016—The Gaither Vocal Band was honored with two wins at the 48th Annual GMA DOVE Awards, announced on Tuesday at ceremonies hosted by the Gospel Music Association and held in Nashville, Tennessee, on the Lipscomb University campus. The quintet–Bill Gaither, Wes Hampton, Todd Suttles, Adam Crabb and Reggie Smith—took home this year’s honors for Southern Gospel Artist of the Year and Southern Gospel Song of the Year for “Better Together,” which was written by Gaither, Reba Rambo-McGuire, Dony McGuire and Chip Davis.

“We have heard it said that our strength lies in our diversity,” stated Gaither about the song. “But I’ve come to believe that our strength lies in coming together in spite of our differences. I still believe that there is more that unites us than divides us, and I believe the songs on this recording celebrate the things that bring us together.”

Better Together (Gaither Music Group), which brought together the production talents of Ben Isaacs (Jimmy Fortune, The Oak Ridge Boys), David Phelps and Gaither, debuted street week at #1 on the Southern Gospel chart and at #9 on the Contemporary Christian Music (CCM) chart, according to Nielsen SoundScan. The recording, also nominated for a 2017 GRAMMY® Award for Best Roots Gospel Album, features the top-charting radio single “Working on a Building.” The GVB has garnered six GRAMMY® nominations, two GRAMMY® Awards and 19 GMA DOVE Awards to date.

“It’s still surreal for me to think about being the recipient of a DOVE Award,” said Hampton. “What an honor to be recognized in such a special way. We are grateful!”

The Gospel Music Hall of Fame members’ enthusiasm was evident when they hit the stage during the soon-to-be televised broadcast to perform their new single, “Hallelujah Band,” the debut single from their new release, “We Have This Moment” (Gaither Music Group). The performance, which featured band musicians Matthew Holt, Kevin Williams, Greg Ritchie and Kevin Moore in addition to Crabb’s harmonica talents, ignited the audience. The song has been exciting online viewers for weeks on the Friends of Gaither Facebook Page as the LIVE performance recording of “Hallelujah Band” has received over 1.1 million views.

The Gaither Vocal Band is seen regularly on over 15 TV networks that carry the “Gaither Gospel Hour” weekly including PBS, RFD-TV, DIRECTV, TBN, The Heartland Network, Dish TV, FamilyNet, CTN, GMTN, Guardian, Liberty, TCT, TLN and GaitherTV (available on the internet, Roku TV, Sony TV, Google TV and the most recent version of Apple TV). They can be seen in Canada on Vision TV, The Miracle Channel, Grace TV and CTS.

Gaither Music Group’s recordings are exclusively distributed by Capitol Christian Distribution and Universal Music and are available throughout general market stores and the Christian marketplace in addition to online retailers including iTunes, Amazon and Gaither.com.

The Gaither brand of artists and products topped the BILLBOARD Year-End Chart of Music Video Sales Labels for 2000, 2011, 2014, 2015 and 2016.

The 48th Annual GMA DOVE Award televised broadcast will air this Sunday night at 8 CST on the Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN).

For further information regarding the Gaither Vocal Band, please visit www.gaither.com or connect on Facebook at www.facebook.com/gaithermusic or on Twitter: @gaithermusic
To see the GVB on tour visit http://bit.ly/2wbASOq

ABOUT THE GAITHER VOCAL BAND
The Gaither Vocal Band has been making music since the early 80s when four men gathered around a piano before a Bill Gaither Trio concert and began harmonizing on the quartet classic “Your First Day in Heaven.” More than a quarter century later, the list of men who have comprised the Gaither Vocal Band over the years reads like a “Who’s Who” among gospel music’s best-loved male voices.
One of the most lauded and award-winning groups in gospel music garnering six GRAMMY® nominations, two GRAMMY® Awards and 19 GMA DOVE Awards, these Gospel Music Association Hall of Fame honorees continue to headline one of the largest tours in the field of Christian music annually; and their groundbreaking successes continue to raise the standard in male harmony. The group, which has sold over three million DVDs and CDs, is currently comprised of Bill Gaither, Wes Hampton, Todd Suttles, Adam Crabb and Reggie Smith.

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