Beyond The Veil, Ray Materick and Ray Lyell emerged winners at the 2005 Hamilton Music Scene Awards held at the Dofasco Theatre for the Performing Arts, located in downtown Hamilton.

Vocal group Beyond The Veil and rocker Ray Lyell were both nominated for the for Religious Recording of the Year with Lyell taking home the honours for Running On Faith. However, Beyond The Veil won for Canadian Recording of the Year, one of three People’s Choice Awards that are voted on by the public over the Internet, for their debut CD Forgiven. Ray Materick won for Songwriter of the Year.

L – R: Ray Materick, Ray Lyell, Beyond The Veil

Materick competed against U2 producer Daniel Lanois, Tom Wilson (of Blackie and Rodeo Kings) and Sara Harmer. Materick performed the opening song at the awards show, and is set to release his debut Gospel album, The Book of Love, in early 2006.

Lyell, also nominated for Best Male Artist, Male Vocalist of the Year and Best Rock Recording, put an end to his ten-year break from the record business earlier with the release of Running On Faith. While Lyell’s reputation as a hard rocker with a down-to-earth songwriting style remains intact, the difference is that this album talks about his faith that has gotten him through the more turbulent times in his life and career.

Beyond The Veil is comprised of Kevin Pauls, Rodney Hamilton and Joey Goodwin. Pauls, also a soloist, actually won Religious Recording of the Year last year, and this year was nominated for Inspirational Album of the Year at the CGMA Covenant Awards. Hamilton has been singing around North America since he was 11 years old and sung with Pauls for several years and before finally putting together the group they have always wanted. Goodwin, the newcomer to the group, started by filling in for Tony Fisher who moved to the U.S. after the recording was done. For the past year, Goodwin has been traveling full-time with Pauls (who happens to be his uncle) on his solo dates and the fit seems to work perfectly. The group is busy planning a national tour for 2006 in support of the CD.

You can find more information, including a biography and audio samples, on Ray Lyell’s and Beyond The Veil’s respective YMZ artist pages. Running On Faith and Forgiven are currently available at Canadian Christian retailers nationwide. To locate a store near you visit www.CMCStoreFinder.com.