BMI Sings Praises at Christian Music Awards
BMI saluted the writers and publishers of the past year's most performed Christian songs during the BMI Christian Music Awards on June 25, with highest honors reserved for Yolanda Adams's "Open My Heart," songwriters Steven Curtis Chapman and Toby McKeehan, and EMI Christian Music Publishing. Paul Corbin, Vice President, Writer/Publisher Relations, Nashville and Joyce Rice, Director, Writer/Publisher Relations, Nashville, handed out the Citations of Achievements recognizing 30 songs among six categories, with the presentation culminating in the announcements of Christian Song, Songwriter, and Publisher of the Year (including all genres).
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Staged at the company's Music Row offices, the event spotlighted the top songs in the Adult Contemporary, Christian Hit Radio, Inspirational, Rock, Southern Gospel and Urban Gospel categories. Special performances were given by Jennifer Knapp, the Crabb Family, and Mike Bowling for the crowd of two hundred writers, artists, and executives.
Yolanda Adams earned the BMI Crystal for Most Performed Christian Song of the Year as writer and publisher of "Open My Heart." Published through Adams's company Jam Yo Music, the multi-month #1 hit is from her platinum Elektra album Mountain High. . .Valley Low, which was honored as Best Contemporary Soul Gospel Album at the 2001 Grammys. "Open My Heart" is also included on the Dove and Stellar Award-winning artist's recent live collection, The Experience.
With three award songs each, Steven Curtis Chapman and Toby McKeehan led all 46 writers to share the title of Christian Songwriter Of The Year. Chapman's winning songs were "Fingerprints Of God,"Great Expectations" and "The Invitation,"all #1s from his platinum Sparrow Records release Speechless. McKeehan, a member and producer of dc Talk, was cited for "Always Have, Always Will,"recorded by Avalon, and "Godsend"and "It's Killing Me,"both from dc Talk's gold Virgin/Forefront album Supernatural.
McKeehan's fellow dc Talk members Kevin Max and Michael Tait collected two Citations each for their shares of the dc Talk songs. Forefront artist Rebecca St. James was also a double winner for "Don't Worry"(from her album Transform) and "Yes I Believe In God"(from Whatever It Takes - The "She Said Yes"Music Project).
With five songs on the most performed list, EMI Christian Music Publishing (through its companies River Oaks Music Company and Sparrow Song) basked in the spotlight as BMI Christian Publisher of the Year. EMI Christian Music Publishing President & CEO Bill Hearn and Senior Vice President Steve Rice accepted the crystal obelisk.
Additional multiple award publishers were Achtober Songs, Bibbitsong Music, Blind Thief Publishing, Boisseau Music Publishing, Flicker U S A Publishing, Out Of Twisted Roots Music, Peach Hill Songs, Photon Music and Up In The Mix Music.
BMI's Citations of Achievement are given in recognition of popularity in the field of Christian music, as measured by feature broadcast performances on American radio and television. The eligibility period ran January 1, 2000 through December 31, 2000.
Below is the complete list of 2001 BMI Christian Music Awards winners:
Adult Contemporary
ALWAYS HAVE, ALWAYS WILL
Grant Cunningham
Toby McKeehan
Achtober Songs
Imagine This Music
River Oaks Music Company
Avalon: Sparrow
FINGERPRINTS OF GOD
Steven Curtis Chapman
Peach Hill Songs
Sparrow Song
Steven Curtis Chapman: Sparrow
GREAT EXPECTATIONS
Steven Curtis Chapman
Peach Hill Songs
Sparrow Song
Steven Curtis Chapman: Sparrow
I AM THE WAY
Mark Schultz
Mark Schultz Music
Mark Schultz: Myrrh
YES I BELIEVE IN GOD
Rebecca St. James
Bibbitsong Music
Up In The Mix Music
Rebecca St. James: ForeFront
Christian Hit Radio
DON'T WORRY
Matt Bronleewe
Rebecca St. James
Bibbitsong Music
Songs From The Farm Publishing
Songs Of Windswept Pacific
Up In The Mix Music
Rebecca St. James: ForeFront
GODSEND
Chad Chapin
Kevin Max
Toby McKeehan
Michael Tait
Achtober Songs
Blind Thief Publishing
CEC Animal Music
Out Of Twisted Roots Music
dc Talk: ForeFront
HANDS AND FEET
Bob Herdman
Will McGinniss
Charlie Peacock
Mark Stuart
Andi Beat Goes On Music
Flicker U S A Publishing
Sparrow Song
Up In The Mix Music
Audio Adrenaline: Forefront
A LITTLE MORE
Jennifer Knapp
Gotee Music, Inc.
West Hudson Music
Jennifer Knapp: Gotee
LIVE FOR YOU
Chris Eaton (PRS)
Chris Rodriguez
Dayspring Music, Inc.
SGO Music Publishing Ltd. (PRS)
Still Working For The Man Music, Inc.
Rachael Lampa: Word
Inspirational
BRING CHRIST YOUR BROKEN HEART
Joe Beck
Bridge Building Music, Inc.
Sierra: Pamplin
COME AND FILL THIS PLACE
Robert White Johnson
Radioquest Music Publishing
Al Denson: Spring Hill
FREEDOM'S NEVER FREE
Don Koch
Boisseau Music Publishing
Definitive Music
Phillips, Craig & Dean: Sparrow
THE INVITATION
Steven Curtis Chapman
Peach Hill Songs
Sparrow Song
Steven Curtis Chapman: Sparrow
JESUS TO THE WORLD (ROARING LAMBS)
Eddie Carswell
Russ Lee
Sony/ATV Lowery Songs LLC
Newsong: Benson
Rock
BEST KEPT SECRET
John L. Cooper
Photon Music
Skillet: Arden/ForeFront
GOD IS GOOD
Brad De Rosia
Chris Padgett
Boisseau Music Publishing
Scarecrow And Tinmen Publishing
Scarecrow & Tinmen: Organic
IT'S KILLING ME
Kevin Max
Toby McKeehan
Michael Tait
Greg Wells
Achtober Songs
Blind Thief Publishing
Greg Wells Music
Irving Music
Out Of Twisted Roots Music
dc Talk: Forefront
OPEN YOUR EYES
Rob Beckley
Travis Jenkins
Brad Noone
Michael Wittig
Flicker U S A Publishing
Pillar: Flicker
PARADIGM
Dex Alexander
Ben Rayls
Charles Rumahlewang
Andrew Shirley
Photon Music
All Together Separate: Ardent
Southern Gospel
GETCHA TO THE OTHER SIDE
Mary Alice Lovelace
Tim Lovelace
House Of Lovelace Music
The Kingsmen: Horizon
HIDE ME BEHIND THE CROSS
Angelina McKeithen
Rebecca Peck
Centergy Music
Gold City: Daywind
I BELIEVE
Rodney Griffin
Songs Of Greater Vision
Greater Vision: Daywind
ON THE ROAD TO EMMAUS
Jeff Steele
Christian Taylor Music
The Steeles: Daywind
THROUGH THE FIRE
Gerald Crabb
Crabb's Song Music
The Crabb Family: Family Music Group
Urban Gospel
I KNOW IT WAS THE BLOOD
Fred Hammond
Tommie Walker
Paragon Music
SCA Music
Fred Hammond & Radical For Christ: Verity
JESUS BE A FENCE AROUND ME
Sam Cooke
ABKCO Music, Inc.
Fred Hammond & Radical For Christ: Verity
LEAN ON ME
Kirk Franklin
Kerrion Publishing
Lilly Mack Music
Kirk Franklin: Gospo Centric
OPEN MY HEART
Yolanda Adams
Jam Yo Music
Yolanda Adams: Elektra
THAT'S WHAT I BELIEVE
Donnie McClurkin
Don Mac Music
Seven Summits Music
Donnie McClurkin: Verity
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