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Out of curiosity, I decided to check how many of the Singing News top 10 Song of the Year nominees were on YouTube.

Perrys - Holy Shore

Ivan Parker - I Choose

Legacy Five - I Have Been Changed

Greater Vision - It Means Just What it Says

Booth Brothers - Look for Me (I’m assuming. perhaps mistakenly, that this is the same song they’ve been singing for years)

Brian Free & Assurance - Prayin’ Man

Triumphant Quartet - The Great I Am Still Is

Kingdom Heirs - What We Needed

I couldn’t find two–the McKamey’s “You are With Me,” and the Inspirations “If You Only Knew” (though I could find a photo montage of the latter.)

YouTube has become one of the first places where people go to check out artists whose name they have only heard. This is the first year where Southern Gospel is represented to this degree.

Singing News posted the top 10 nominees in the 2008 Fan Awards yesterday. Unfortunately, I’m on the road and can’t access the Singing News website for a direct link. But GVfan posted the nominees on the Singing News forums here.

The only notable problem with the list is that only nine names are mentioned in the Female Singer category. This will, of course, hold up the promised comparison with and statistical analysis of your guesses in this post. But that will hopefully be coming soon!

EDIT: Lauren Talley was the missing name on the female singer category. Thanks to a reader for clearing that up!

Well, Fan Awards season has arrived; the March Singing News issues have started arriving, and the fans have started filling out their ballots. Who do you think will be the top 10 nominees in each category?

Post your guesses in the comments. I will post my guesses, but so that mine don’t unduly influence yours, I’ll post them in the comments after a couple of you post yours.

The categories this year: Artist of the Year, Male Quartet, Mixed Group, Trio, Soloist, Favorite Male Singer, Favorite Female Singer, Young Artist, Horizon Individual, Horizon Group, Tenor, Lead, Baritone, Bass, Alto, Soprano, Musician, Songwriter, Album, Song.

Let’s revisit this post in a few weeks and see who came the closest!

One note–I’ll be counting the total number of top 10 nominations guessed correctly, so the more categories you guess, the better your end result will (probably) be!

The nominations for the 39th Annual Dove Awards have been announced. The Hoppers, Ernie Haase & Signature Sound, Karen Peck & New River, Brian Free & Assurance, Janet Paschal, the Talley Trio, and Jeff & Sheri Easter picked up nominations in the Southern Gospel categories (Southern Gospel Song and Southern Gospel Album).

But what particularly caught my attention were the nominations in two of the highest-profile categories, Group of the Year and Male Vocalist of the year. Ernie Haase & Signature Sound was nominated for Group of the Year, while Gerald Wolfe picked up a nomination for Male Vocalist. While it hasn’t been unknown for  a group like the Crabb Family or a Gaither artist to pick up nominations in the major categories, seeing Gerald Wolfe’s name on the list for Male Vocalist was a particularly pleasant surprise.

Granted, the general consensus is that Southern Gospel acts won’t actually win those awards, but being on the short list is a pretty impressive honor nonetheless.

SoGospelNews has posted their yearly online best-of poll here. My picks:

1. Song: From this list, “Last Night.”
2. Album: Look No Further, Perrys.
3. Pacesetter: Ernie Haase & Signature Sound.
4. Breakthrough Artist: Tribute Quartet.
5. Male Vocalist: Gerald Wolfe.
6. Female Vocalist: From the list, Janet Paschal.
7. Male Group: From the list, Greater Vision.
8. Female Group: Cast no vote; haven’t heard any of the groups.
9. Mixed Group: Perrys.
10. Best Live Performer: Cast no vote; haven’t heard enough of the nominees in non-NQC live concerts.
11. Songwriter (Artist): Joseph Habedank / Matthew Holt.
12. Producer (Artist): Roger Talley.
13. Traditional SG Song: “The Rock’s Between the Hard Place and You” (Kingdom Heirs). (I was a little surprised that “I Can Pray” was in this category and not in the progressive song category. I might have voted for it in that category, especially if “Last Night” was not on the same list.)
14. Traditional SG Album: Look No Further, Perrys.
15. Progressive SG Song: “Last Night,” (KP&NR).
16. Progressive SG Album: Journey of Joy, KP&NR, mainly on the strength of “Last Night.”
17. Country / Bluegrass Song: “He Chose Me,” Freemans. (See #18.)
18. Country / Bluegrass Album: Eyes on the Prize, Freemans. I don’t have any of the albums in this category, but voted for this one based on a friend’s recommendation.
19. Special Event Project: Together (Gaither Vocal Band / Ernie Haase & Signature Sound).
20. Musician of the Year: Kim Collingsworth.
21. Fan Favorite Artist: Perrys.

Singing News just announced that (at the fans’ request) they will be reinstating several award categories that were omitted last year: Soloist, Trio, Mixed Group, Male Quartet, and the Marvin Norcross Award. They will be retaining an overall favorite artist category, now named the Vanguard Award.

I think this is a good move. While some fans preferred having awards in fewer categories, I think most fans liked honoring a wider variety of groups and individuals.

If Singing News wants to keep the Fan Awards within a set time limit, one move that would help would be narrowing the top ten songs down to a top five. This would take nearly a half an hour out of the show, leaving time for winners of lesser awards (who can be told in advance to keep remarks brief in the event they win) to accept the award during the program.

The nominees for the 50th Annual Grammy Awards have been announced.  In the “Best Southern, Country or Bluegrass Gospel Album” category, two Southern Gospel albums are among the six nominees. Karen Peck & New River picked up what I believe is their first Grammy nomination for Journey of Joy.

Bill & Gloria Gaither and their Homecoming Friends also picked up a nomination for Amazing Grace. It was one of four slated projects to come out of their 200+-artist taping earlier this year. I was particularly pleased to see this homecoming nominated, since it is the first chance quite a few Southern Gospel artists and groups have had to be part of a Grammy-nominated project. Among these would be the Ball Brothers, the Collingsworth Family, the Perrys, and all the members of today’s Blackwood Brothers except Jimmy Blackwood.

Incidentally, since Karen Peck & New River was on the Homecoming Video, if a Southern Gospel title wins, they’ll be a winner either way.

The Southern Gospel.com has an online awards poll currently posted here. Though this is just one of quite a few online polls, since I cast my vote, I thought I might as well post my picks.

1. Name: Daniel J. Mount
2. State or Country: United States
3. Song: “Last Night” (Karen Peck and New River). Since my picks for the three strongest songs of the year (”Once Upon a Cross,” “I Have Been Changed,” and “I Have Not Forgotten”) were not present, I went with this excellent song.
4. Album: The Ride (Hoppers). In my opinion, this was easily the strongest album on their list.
5. Mixed Group: Perrys. The thought of voting for the Collingsworth Family did cross my mind, but in the end the Perrys won out.
6. Male Quartet: Kingdom Heirs, for no particular reason. Several groups here have had amazing years.
7. Trio: Greater Vision. The Mark Trammell Trio was (unbelievably) not in the top 10.
8. Duet: Blank. [EDIT: They wouldn't let me submit the poll without voting here, so I picked Mark Bishop and Lauren Talley.]
9. Male Singer: Dean Hopper. Not a singer from a traditional traditional quartet made the list.
10. Female Singer: Connie Hopper. Libbi Perry Stuffle didn’t make the list, or she would have had my vote.
11. DJ: Rodney Baucom. I heard his station’s live stream a few months back; it was well done.
12. FM Station: Blank.
13. AM Station: Blank.
14. Internet Radio Station: All Quartets Radio.
15. Satellite Station: Blank.
16. Songwriter: Joel Lindsey. My two favorites, Dianne Wilkinson and Kyla Rowland, didn’t make the list.
17. Bluegrass Gospel Artist: Primitives. I picked them over several other similarly good groups because of their consistency.
18. Country Gospel Artist: Blank. I choose not to listen to secular artists, even if they do put out a hymns album before going back to their standard fare. [EDIT: Since I had to go for someone, I just picked Crossway, since I don't think they sing secular music.]
19. Lead Singer: McCray Dove. A couple of my favorites weren’t on the list. Where were Arthur Rice, Ryan Seaton, and Gerald Wolfe?
20. Tenor: Ernie Haase.
21. Alto: Libbi Perry Stuffle. Easy call.
22. Baritone: Mark Trammell. Easy call.
23. Bass: David Hester. I think he’s the best from that list.
24. Concert Event: NQC. Easy call.
25. Album Cover: Come Thirsty (Perrys).
26. Concert Promoter: Bill Gaither. Try naming anyone else in any genre of Christian better at turning out audiences and assembling a lineup that leaves audiences feeling that they’ve gotten their money’s worth and more, year after year after year.
27. Young Artist: Brooklyn Collingsworth
28. Regional Artist: N/A (I can’t believe they let this be an option!)
29. Comedian: Blank. My favorite, Gerald Wolfe, didn’t make the list.
30. Place to eat while traveling: My two favorite places–at the house of a friend and Wendy’s–didn’t make the list. I’m not sure I’ve eaten anywhere else while traveling. (Actually, I’ve probably been to a McDonalds.)
31. Hotel Chain: Blank. No preference.
32. Biggest category missing in this poll: Pianist. Kim Collingsworth is my pick. I like Stewart Varnado equally, but I seem to be the only one who does since he never seems to be nominated for anything. So among the popular pianists, Kim is my pick.

Here is where I posted my picks for the 2007 Fan Awards. Now as to my guesses:

• Group - Legacy Five. Add a Roger Bennett sympathy vote + the fact that Greater Vision isn’t in the top 5 + the fact that Live in Music City is simply a great project, and that looks positive to Legacy Five. But this award could really go to any of the top 5, although I’d view Legacy Five, Inspirations, and Signature Sound as the three most likely winners.
• Male Singer - Gerald Wolfe.
• Female Singer - Libbi Perry Stuffle. I know this has been a rebuilding year for the Perrys, but I guessed Libbi anyhow.
• Horizon Group - Ball Brothers. (Also my vote.)
• Horizon Individual - Dustin Sweatman. (Also my vote.)
• Young Artist - Joseph Habedank. (Also my vote.)
  
• Musician - Roger Bennett. We’ll see.
• Songwriter - Rodney Griffin. I must admit I’m hoping for a Dianne Wilkinson win.
• Album of the Year: Live in Music City (Legacy Five). Add it being Roger Bennett’s last album to the fact that it’s simply a great project, and I think you might have a winner.
• Tenor of the Year: Ernie Haase. (Second guess: Brian Free.)
• Lead Singer of the Year: Gerald Wolfe. I voted for Arthur Rice, though, and he deserves to win one of these years.
• Baritone of the Year: Mark Trammell. (Second guess: Rodney Griffin.)
• Bass of the Year: Tim Duncan. I consider this a wide-open category where anyone could win, but I just decided to guess for the man who got my vote.
• Alto of the Year: Libbi Perry Stuffle. (She’s also who I voted for.)
• Soprano of the Year: Kim Hopper. (She’s also who I voted for.)
• Song: “I Have Not Forgotten” (Inspirations). Though “Once Upon a Cross” is the song that I want to see win, I really like this song, too…and a song at this level, that gets even people who hate the Inspirations humming along, stands a chance.

Here my picks in the final round of the Singing News Fan Awards:

• Group - Ernie Haase & Signature Sound. They are at the top right now. The other day (while in Washington, D.C.), I told a co-worker that I enjoyed Southern Gospel. He said: “Oh–like the Cathedrals, Gaither, and Ernie Haase & Signature Sound?” That was about all he knew of Southern Gospel groups–but at least one of the groups he’d heard of was a current top male quartet.
  
• Male Singer - Ernie Haase. I admit this is partly a reaction to the Ernie-bashing I see around Southern Gospel blogs and message boards. I’ve had just enough of it to sway what would otherwise be a close decision between Haase and Gerald Wolfe.
• Female Singer - Libbi Perry Stuffle. I didn’t need to read the rest of the list; I knew I wanted to go with Libbi.
• Horizon Group - Ball Brothers. I’m hoping this is their year.
• Horizon Individual - Dustin Sweatman. I went with Dustin here partially because I went with Joseph Habedank in the other category in which Sweatman was eligible, Young Artist.
• Young Artist - Joseph Habedank. I admit that this vote, like my vote in the Male Singer category, is partially a reaction to the Habedank-bashers of the world. Joseph has a great voice and improved the Perrys’ sound, so he has my vote.
• Musician - Roger Bennett. I don’t think this one needs any explanation.
  
• Songwriter - Dianne Wilkinson. She deserves this award at least once–as does Kyla Rowland, who didn’t make the top 5, making my decision easier.
• Album of the Year: I Know (Inspirations). I like four of the top five albums, but went with this one because it has the fewest weak cuts counterbalancing the strong ones. “I Have Not Forgotten” and “Led by the Master’s Hand” are both great cuts–and great renditions to boot. The Inspirations have earned their legendary status, and I’m happy to be able to support them in at least one category.
• Tenor of the Year: Ernie Haase.
• Lead Singer of the Year: Arthur Rice. Adam Edwards’ enthusiasm for the Kingdom Heirs is contagious; I believe this is the first time I have ever voted for the Kingdom Heirs for any major award in the final round.
• Baritone of the Year: Mark Trammell. It was also tempting to go with Doug Anderson, who deserves the honor one of these days, but I ended up going with Mr. Baritone himself.
• Bass of the Year: Tim Duncan.
• Alto of the Year: Libbi Perry Stuffle. Easy call!
• Soprano of the Year: Kim Hopper. Mezzos are nice, but will a first soprano ever make the top 5?
• Song: “Once Upon a Cross” (Mark Trammell Trio). I can point to two songs that came out this year as almost definite future classics–and the other, “I Have Been Changed,” did not make the list. That made this a very easy call!