Nominations for the 48th Annual GRAMMY® Awards were announced recently in New York City and Winnipeg-based rapper Fresh I.E. received his second nomination, this time for his latest CD, Truth Is Fallin’ In Tha Streetz, in the “Best Rock Gospel Album” category.

His debut project, Red Letterz, was nominated in the same category two years ago. Other nominees in the category are Audio Adrenaline (their sixth consecutive nomination), The Cross Movement, Day of Fire and GRITS.

Ties resulted in six nominees this year in the “Best Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album” category with Casting Crowns, Steven Curtis Chapman (his sixth nomination in this category), Jars of Clay, Out of Eden, Michael W. Smith and Third Day receiving the nods. Last year, Chapman took home the GRAMMY for “Best Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album” (his fifth win) with Third Day receiving the honour in the “Best Rock Gospel Album” category.

The nominees for “Best Southern, Country, or Bluegrass Gospel Album” include albums by GMA Gospel Music Hall of Fame members Amy Grant and The Oak Ridge Boys, along with albums by The Crabb Family and Larry Gatlin & The Gatlin Brothers. This category’s field is rounded out by the Greenhaw Records project, Southern Meets Soul: An American Gospel Jubilee, which features GMA Gospel Music Hall of Fame members The Jordanaires along with The Light Crust Doughboys, Nokie Edwards & “Larry “T-Byrd” Gordon. The Crabb Family won the GRAMMY® in this category last year.

CeCe Winans, was among the artists on hand to read the nominations, received two nominations – one for “Best Gospel Performance” (Pray) and one for “Best Contemporary Soul Gospel Album” (Purified). In addition to Winans’ Pray, this year’s nominees for “Best Gospel Performance” include Yolanda Adams’ Be Blessed, Kirk Franklin’s Looking For You, Donnie McClurkin’s I Call You Faithful, and Lift Him Up, performed by Hezekiah Walker & Love Fellowship Choir.

Nominees in the “Best Contemporary Soul Gospel Album” category include Yolanda Adams, Mary Mary, J Moss and CeCe Winans. They are joined in this category by CeCe’s brother, BeBe Winans.

The nominees for the first “Best Gospel Song” GRAMMY®, which is given to the songwriter(s), are: Israel Houghton & Aaron Lindsey for Again I Say Rejoice (performed by Israel & New Breed); Yolanda Adams, Jimmy Jam, Terry Lewis & James Q. Wright for Be Blessed (performed by Yolanda Adams); Erica Campbell, Joi Campbell, Trecina Campbell & Warryn Campbell for Heaven (performed by Mary Mary); Joeworn Martin for Lift Him Up (performed by Hezekiah Walker & Love Fellowship Choir); and James Moss for We Must Praise (performed by J Moss).

Shirley Caesar, also a GMA Gospel Music Hall of Fame member, received a nomination in the “Best Traditional Soul Gospel Album” category. Other nominees in the category are Dorinda Clark-Cole, Donnie McClurkin, Martha Munizzi, Marvin Sapp and the Podium Records project, Singing The Old Time Way, featuring Bishop G.E. Patterson & Congregation.

Rounding out the Gospel GRAMMY® categories is “Best Gospel Choir Or Chorus Album.” This year’s nominees are Donald Lawrence & Company, John P. Kee & the VIP Mass Choir, The Kurt Carr Singers, Saints Unified Voices and Hezekiah Walker & The Love Fellowship Choir.

The recording industry’s most prestigious award, the GRAMMY® is presented annually by the Recording Academy, NARAS (National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences). A GRAMMY© is awarded by the Recording Academy’s voting membership to honour excellence in the recording arts and sciences. It is a peer honor, awarded by and to artists and technical professionals for artistic or technical achievement, not sales or chart positions.

In non-Gospel related categories, Norma Jean’s album, O God, The Aftermath, received a nomination for Best Recording Package.

Nominations were announced in 108 different categories, covering 31 different fields. There are a total of eight Gospel categories, six which are awarded to albums, and two that are given to singles/tracks or songs. Nominations are for recordings released during the Eligibility Year October 1, 2004 through September 30, 2005. The Awards gala will take place on Feb. 8, 2006 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles and will be televised live on network television across North America.

For more information on Fresh I.E. and many of the GRAMMY® nominees, click on their respective names to access their YMZ artist page. For the best selection of Christian music, click here to find a Canadian Christian retailer in your area.

« Return to Previous Page