MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – (January 21, 2013) – The administrators and staff of AbsolutelyGospel.com are proud to announce the nominees for the 2013 Absolutely Gospel Music Awards. As in years past, the nominees were chosen by the staff of AbsolutelyGospel.com and select media representatives. Starting on February 1, 2013, the fans will get a chance to vote for their favorites in certain categories.
“We are so excited about this year’s awards program,†mentioned Deon Unthank, President/CEO of AbsolutelyGospel.com. “Our site has seen such tremendous growth over the last two years, and we cannot wait to produce another awards show. Each year, things just get bigger and better, and this year’s show will be no different!â€
Chris D. Unthank, Editor-In-Chief of AbsolutelyGospel.com said, “We applaud our staff and those other media representatives who voted for thinking outside of the box this year and really embracing what our awards program is all about. These nominations really represent the best of last year, and we can tell that our staff and the other voters really took this year’s nominations process seriously.â€
As far as nominations go, Southern Gospel favorites The Perrys landed a stellar nine nominations this year, more than any other artist. The group earned nods for Song of the Year and Traditional Song of the Year (for “Blue Skies Comingâ€), Album of the Year and Traditional Album of the Year (for Through the Night), Mixed Group of the Year, and Special Event Project of the Year (for the Celebrate Me Home DVD release). In addition, reigning Female Vocalist of the Year Libbi Stuffle earned her third consecutive Female Vocalist of the Year nomination. Speaking of consecutive nominations, The Perrys’ lead vocalist/songwriter Joseph Habedank claimed his fifth consecutive nomination for Male Vocalist of the Year and sixth nod for Songwriter of the Year (Artist) (after winning the award in 2011).
Last year’s big winner The Isaacs and reigning Female Group of the Year Sisters followed behind The Perrys with an impressive eight nominations each. Sisters earned their very first nod for 2013
Pacesetter, the awards’ most prestigious honor, this year. The Isaacs’ Ben Isaacs also landed a 2013 Pacesetter nomination for his production work in 2012.
Following behind those artists was Karen Peck & New River with seven nods. In addition, Karen Peck’s solo record How You Walk the Miles earned an Album of the Year mention. Brian Free & Assurance, Mark Trammell Quartet, and the Booth Brothers all landed six nominations. Three artists received five nominations – Tribute Quartet, Collingsworth Family, and Jeff & Sheri Easter.
Triumphant Quartet and Three Bridges both earned four nominations, while several artists received triple mentions, including The Talleys, Canton Junction, Gaither Vocal Band, The Hoppers, Michael English, and The Nelons. Soul’d Out Quartet, Greater Vision, Ernie Haase & Signature Sound, Beyond the Ashes, the Bowling Family, The Browders, The Williamsons, and Guy Penrod were each nominated for two awards.
For the fourth consecutive year, songwriter, producer and Signature Sound’s pianist Wayne Haun
earned the most individual nominations this year. In addition to landing in the Producer of the Year
(Artist) category, Wayne earned an impressive eight nominations for his songwriting and production work this year – including separate nominations in the Song of the Year category (for co-writing The Perrys’ “Blue Skies Coming†) and Album of the Year (for producing The Perrys’ Blue Skies Coming).
The Isaacs’ Ben Isaacs, Sonya Isaacs Yeary, and Jimmy Yeary, producer/songwriter Ricky Free, and Talleys patriarch Roger Talley all earned an impressive five mentions.
The Booth Brothers’ Jim Brady received four nominations this year. Scott Inman, Joel Lindsey, Melissa Brady, Madison Easter, Lari Goss, and Jeff Collins all landed three individual nominations for their work in 2012. Double nominations were earned by Lee Black, Daryl Williams, Becky Isaacs Bowman, Tim Parton, Jeff Easter, Sheri Easter, Karen Peck Gooch, Mark Trammell, Rick Sandidge, Joseph Habedank, Dianne Wilkinson, Michael Sykes, Scott Godsey, Donna King, and Gerald Wolfe.
The Pacesetter Award is awarded to any artist, individual, or organization that has shown great strides in the industry and has raised the bar for others. This year’s nominees for the 2013 Pacesetter are previously mentioned Sisters and Ben Isaacs, forward-thinking record label Crossroads Music Group, multi-award winning trio the Booth Brothers, and marketing innovators Godsey & Associates.
More information on the 2013 Absolutely Gospel Music Awards Celebration will be forthcoming,
including hosts, performers, and sponsors, etc. The date for this year’s Absolutely Gospel Music Awards Celebration is Tuesday, April 9, 2013. The event will again take place at the River of Life Church in Smyrna, Tennessee and is free to the public.
The nominees for the 2013 Absolutely Gospel Music Awards are listed below:
SONG OF THE YEAR:
“Almost Home†– Triumphant Quartet (S.Inman)
“Blue Skies Coming†– The Perrys (W.Haun, J.Lindsey)
“Homecoming Day†– Tribute Quartet (M.Brady)
“I Want to Be That Man†– Brian Free & Assurance (L.Black, R.Free)
“I Want to Know†– Mark Trammell Quartet (J.Wetherington)
“Just Another Rainy Day†– Collingsworth Family (C.Ballard, D.K.Williams)
“Lord of Life†– Gold City (P.Keveren, T.Wood)
“Masterpiece of Mercy†– Booth Brothers (J.Brady, R.Griffin)
“Mighty Big God†– Karen Peck & New River (J.Yeary, S.I.Yeary)
“Waiting In the Water†– The Isaacs (B.I.Bowman, J.Yeary, S.I.Yeary)
ALBUM OF THE YEAR:
An Acappella Collection – Sisters (T.Parton)
Eyes Wide Open – Jeff & Sheri Easter (J.Easter, M.Easter, S.Easter)
How You Walk the Miles – Karen Peck (B.Isaacs)
Lifetime – Mark Trammell Quartet (L.Goss, M.Trammell)
Love Won – The Talleys (R.Talley)
Nothing But Love – Brian Free & Assurance (R.Free)
Our Anthem – Tribute Quartet (R.Talley)
Through the Night – The Perrys (W.Haun)
Twelve – Three Bridges (R.Sandidge)
What the World Doesn’t Know – Soul’d Out Quartet (J.Collins)
PACESETTER:
Booth Brothers
Crossroads Music Group
Godsey & Associates
Ben Isaacs, producer
Sisters
BREAKTHROUGH ARTIST:
11th Hour
Barry Rowland & Deliverance
The Browders
Canton Junction
The Williamsons
MALE VOCALIST:
Chris Allman (Greater Vision)
Pat Barker (Mark Trammell Quartet)
Michael English (Gaither Vocal Band)
Joseph Habedank (The Perrys)
Bill Shivers (Brian Free & Assurance)
Shannon Smith (Three Bridges)
FEMALE VOCALIST:
Karen Peck Gooch (Karen Peck & New River)
Kim Hopper (The Hoppers)
Kim Lord (Sisters)
Libbi Stuffle (The Perrys)
Amber Thompson (The Nelons)
MALE GROUP:
Booth Brothers
Brian Free & Assurance
Gaither Vocal Band
Mark Trammell Quartet
Tribute Quartet
Triumphant Quartet
FEMALE GROUP:
2nd Generation
McClellan Singing Sisters
Red Roots
Sisters
Sweetwater Revival
MIXED GROUP OF THE YEAR:
Collingsworth Family
The Isaacs
Karen Peck & New River
The Nelons
The Perrys
SONGWRITER (ARTIST):
Jim Brady (Booth Brothers)
Melissa Brady (Jim & Melissa Brady)
Joseph Habedank (The Perrys)
Scott Inman (Triumphant Quartet)
Jimmy Yeary (The Isaacs)
SONGWRITER (PROFESSIONAL):
Joel Lindsey
Rebecca J. Peck
Kyla Rowland
Sue C. Smith
Kenna West
Dianne Wilkinson
Daryl K. Williams
PRODUCER (ARTIST):
Michael English (Gaither Vocal Band)
Wayne Haun (Ernie Haase & Signature Sound)
Ben Isaacs (The Isaacs)
Michael Sykes (Canton Junction)
Roger Talley (The Talleys)
PRODUCER (PROFESSIONAL):
Jeff Collins
Ricky Free
Scott Godsey
Lari Goss
Donna King
ENGINEER:
Van Atkins
Ron Fairchild
Scott Godsey
Troy Peach
Kevin Ward
MUSICIAN:
Kim Collingsworth (Collingsworth Family)
Madison Easter (Jeff & Sheri Easter)
Channing Eleton
Ben Isaacs (The Isaacs)
Gordon Mote
TRADITIONAL SONG:
“Almost Home†– Triumphant Quartet (S.Inman)
“Blue Skies Coming†– The Perrys (W.Haun, J.Lindsey)
“Count Me In†– The Hoppers (R.Hinson)
“Homecoming Day†– Tribute Quartet (M.Brady)
“I Want to Know†– Mark Trammell Quartet (J.Wetherington)
TRADITIONAL ALBUM:
A Tribute to the Songs of Bill & Gloria Gaither – Booth Brothers (M.Booth, R.Booth, J.Brady, N.Bruno)
Count Me In – The Hoppers (M.Sykes)
Lifetime – Mark Trammell Quartet (L.Goss, M.Trammell)
Our Anthem – Tribute Quartet (R.Talley)
Through the Night – The Perrys (W.Haun)
PROGRESSIVE SONG:
“Guilty of Love†– Beyond the Ashes (W.Haun, L.Rowell)
“I Want To Be That Man†– Brian Free & Assurance (L.Black, R.Free)
“I’m Going Home With Jesus†– The Nelons (C.McGruder)
“Mighty Big God†– Karen Peck & New River (J.Yeary, S.I.Yeary)
“Thou Oh Lord†– Sisters (L.Ireland)
PROGRESSIVE ALBUM:
An Acappella Collection – Sisters (T.Parton)
Canton Junction – Canton Junction (M.Sykes)
Love Won – The Talleys (R.Talley)
Loving What’s Begun – Beyond the Ashes (D.King)
Nothing But Love – Brian Free & Assurance (R.Free)
Twelve – Three Bridges (R.Sandidge)
What the World Doesn’t Know – Soul’d Out Quartet (J.Collins)
COUNTRY SONG:
“Are You Ready?†– Eighth Day (M.L.Allen, R.Arthur)
“Good Things Are Happening†– Karen Peck & New River (W.Haun, S.I.Yeary)
“He Leads Me Each Step of the Way†– Bowling Family (M.Bowling, A.Crabb, J.Rivers)
“I Won’t Have to Worry Anymore†– Jeff & Sheri Easter (J.Goss)
“Jesus Will†– Wilburn & Wilburn (J.Salley, D.Wilkinson)
“Waiting In the Water†– The Isaacs (B.I.Bowman, J.Yeary, S.I.Yeary)
COUNTRY ALBUM:
Back Home Again – Oak Ridge Boys (B.Isaacs)
Collection – Mike Bowling (M.Bowling)
Eyes Wide Open – Jeff & Sheri Easter (J.Easter, M.Easter, S.Easter)
Hymns – Guy Penrod (P.Greene, G.Penrod)
Sing Me a Song About Jesus – Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver (D.Lawson)
SPECIAL EVENT PROJECT:
Celebrate Me Home – The Perrys (P.Corley, T.Corley, N.Holland, M.Turner)
Feels Like Christmas – Collingsworth Family (W.Haun)
Jubilee 3 – Booth Brothers, Greater Vision, Legacy Five (G.Wolfe)
Lari Goss: The Man Behind the Music – Various Artists (J.Brady, P.Brower, G.Wolfe)
Reunion: 50 Years of Influence – Dixie Melody Boys (M.Felts, D.Staton)
BEST LIVE PERFORMER:
Booth Brothers
Collingsworth Family
Ernie Haase & Signature Sound
The Isaacs
Karen Peck & New River
Sisters
FAN FAVORITE ARTIST OF THE YEAR:
Back Home
Bowling Family
The Browders
Guy Penrod
Jeff & Sheri Easter
Karen Peck & New River
Michael English
Sisters
Three Bridges
The Williamsons
