BMI Labels Jars of Clay’s ‘I Need You,’ Steven Curtis Chapman, Gerald Crabb & Kirk
BMI saluted the writers and publishers of the past year's most performed Christian songs during the BMI Christian Music Awards last night (6/23), with highest honors reserved for Jars of Clay's "I Need You" as Song of the Year; Steven Curtis Chapman, Gerald Crabb and Kirk Franklin as Songwriters of the Year; and Christian Taylor Music and Crabb's Song Music as Publishers of the Year.
 Onstage at BMI Nashville are (l to r) BMI Vice President Paul Corbin, Greg Nelson, Steven Curtis Chapman, BMI Director Joyce Rice, Gerald Crabb, and Jars of Clay's Stephen Mason, Charlie Lowell, Dan Haseltine and Matt Odmark. |
| Click here to see more photos from the event |
Paul Corbin, Vice President, Writer/Publisher Relations, Nashville and Joyce Rice, Director, Writer/Publisher Relations, Nashville, awarded BMI Citations of Achievement to 27 songs in six categories: AC (Adult Contemporary), CHR (Christian Hit Radio), Rhythmic, Rock, Southern Gospel and Contemporary/Traditional Gospel. Staged at the company's Music Row offices, the ceremonies featured special performances by Grits, The Talley Trio, Dottie Peoples, The Crabb Family and Steven Curtis Chapman for the crowd of 200 writers, artists, and executives.
 Jars of Clay Read Bio |  Kirk Franklin Read Bio |
Jars of Clay members Dan Haseltine, Charlie Lowell, Stephen Mason and Matt Odmark accepted the BMI Crystal for Most Performed Christian Song of the Year as writers of "I Need You." Published through Bridge Building Music, Inc. and Pogostick Music, "I Need You" is included in their The Eleventh Hour album on Essential Records.
 Steven Curtis Chapman Read Bio |  Gerald Crabb Read Bio |
Of the 33 writers honored, Steven Curtis Chapman, Gerald Crabb and Kirk Franklin each placed two solely-authored songs on the awards list to share the title of BMI Christian Songwriter of the Year.
Chapman, BMI's 2001 Christian Songwriter of the Year (an honor he shared with Toby McKeehan), was cited for writing the AC hits "God Is God" and "Magnificent Obsession," included on his Sparrow Records album Declaration.
Crabb was recognized for the Southern Gospel hits "The Healer," recorded by The Talley Trio, and "Don't You Wanna Go?," recorded by The Crabb Family (also named Southern Gospel Song of the Year at the 2003 Dove Awards).
Franklin contributed songs to two categories: "He Reigns" (Rhythmic) and "Hosanna" (Contemporary/Traditional Gospel), both from his platinum GospoCentric album The Rebirth of Kirk Franklin.
Six songwriters were double award-winners for co-written works: Marc Byrd ("Sing Alleluia!" and "You Are The Way"), Toby McKeehan ("Irene" and "J Train") and Jars of Clay's Haseltine, Lowell, Mason and Odmark ("Fly" plus "I Need You").
Christian Taylor Music and Crabb's Song Music shared the BMI Christian Publisher of the Year spotlight by accumulating the highest percentage of copyright ownership in award songs. Christian Taylor Music's titles were "The Healer" and "Safe Thus Far"; Brian Copeland of parent company Daywind Music Group accepted on behalf of the publisher. As owner of Crabb's Song Music, Gerald Crabb collected his second BMI Crystal of the evening via "Don't You Wanna Go?" and "The Healer."
Additional multiple award publishers were Achtober Songs, Blue Raft Music, Bridge Building Music, Inc., Kerrion Publishing, Lilly Mack Music, Meaux Mercy Publishing, Peach Hill Songs, Pogostick Music, River Oaks Music Company and Sparrow Song.
A highlight of the ceremonies was a special acknowledgment of Greg Nelson, a songwriter/composer/producer/publisher who was instrumental in the creation of Inspirational gospel music. An engraved silver bowl - in appreciation of his 'many outstanding contributions to the world of Christian music" - was presented by BMI's Rice and Steven Curtis Chapman, whom Nelson signed to his first publishing deal.
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 2003 Christian Music Awards eligibility period ran January 1, 2002 through December 31, 2002.
Below is the complete list of 2003 BMI Christian Music Awards winners:
BACK IN HIS ARMS, AGAIN - AC
Mark Schultz
Mark Schultz Music
Mark Schultz / Word Records
BONDED - ROCK
Chad Chapin
Michael Tait
CEC Animal Music
Out of Twisted Roots Music
River Oaks Music Company
Michael Tait / ForeFront Records
BREATHING - CHR and ROCK
Ron Aniello
Jason Wade
Aniello Music
EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc.
G-Chills Music
Songs of DreamWorks
Lifehouse / DreamWorks
BROKEN - ROCK
Kevin Dorr
Paul McCoy
Patrick Quave
Eric Weaver
Cracker Rhythm Music
Dwight Frye Music, Inc.
Uproot Publishing
12 Stones / Wind-Up Records
CLOSET RELIGION - CONTEMPORARY/TRADITIONAL GOSPEL
Dottie Peoples
Dottie Peoples Publishing
International Atlanta Music
Dottie Peoples / Atlanta International Records
DIFFERENT NOW - RHYTHMIC
David Hackley
Lee Jerkins
Lisa Kimmey
Rooted Deeply Music
Out Of Eden / Gotee Records
DON'T YOU WANNA GO? - SOUTHERN GOSPEL
Gerald Crabb
Crabb's Song Music
Crabb Family / Family Music Group
FLY - CHR
Dan Haseltine
Charlie Lowell
Stephen Mason
Matt Odmark
Bridge Building Music, Inc.
Pogostick Music
Jars Of Clay / Essential Records
GOD IS GOD - AC
Steven Curtis Chapman
Peach Hill Songs
Sparrow Song
Steven Curtis Chapman / Sparrow Records
GOD'S GOT A BLESSING (WITH MY NAME ON IT!) - CONTEMPORARY/TRADITIONAL GOSPEL
Norman Hutchins
J. Robersongs Music
MWP Publishing
Norman Hutchins / JDI Records
HE REIGNS - RHYTHMIC
Kirk Franklin
Kerrion Publishing
Lilly Mack Music
Kirk Franklin / GospoCentric
HOLLA - RHYTHMIC
Paul Allen
Dushon's Music
Songs of Universal, Inc.
Trin-I-Tee 5:7 / GospoCentric
HOSANNA - CONTEMPORARY/TRADITIONAL GOSPEL
Kirk Franklin
Kerrion Publishing
Lilly Mack Music
Kirk Franklin / GospoCentric
I BELIEVE - CONTEMPORARY/TRADITIONAL GOSPEL
Percy Bady
Bad Bady Music
Marvin Sapp / Verity Records
I NEED YOU - CHR and AC and ROCK
Dan Haseltine
Charlie Lowell
Stephen Mason
Matt Odmark
Bridge Building Music, Inc.
Pogostick Music
Jars Of Clay / Essential Records
I'M NOT WHAT I WAS - SOUTHERN GOSPEL
Mark S. Mathes
Lonesome Bend Publishing
Gold City / Daywind Records
IRENE - RHYTHMIC
Toby McKeehan
Achtober Songs
River Oaks Music Company
tobyMac / ForeFront Records
J TRAIN - RHYTHMIC
Toby McKeehan
Achtober Songs
River Oaks Music Company
tobyMac / ForeFront Records
MAGNIFICENT OBSESSION - AC
Steven Curtis Chapman
Peach Hill Songs
Sparrow Song
Steven Curtis Chapman / Sparrow Records
REJOICE - ROCK
Bob Herdman
Will McGinniss
Mark Stuart
Flicker U.S.A. Publishing
Up In The Mix Music
Audio Adrenaline / ForeFront Records
SAFE THUS FAR - SOUTHERN GOSPEL
Kyla Rowland
Christian Taylor Music
Hoskins Family / Daywind Records
SING ALLELUIA! - CHR and AC
Marc Byrd
Blue Raft Music
Meaux Mercy Publishing
River Oaks Music Company
Jennifer Knapp with Mac Powell and Nicole Nordeman /
Essential Records
SOON WE WILL SEE - SOUTHERN GOSPEL
Rodney Griffin
Songs of Greater Vision
Greater Vision / Daywind Records
THANK YOU - CONTEMPORARY/TRADITIONAL GOSPEL
John A. Croslan II
Cross the Land Publishing
Yolanda Adams / Elektra Records
THE HEALER - SOUTHERN GOSPEL
Gerald Crabb
Christian Taylor Music
Crabb's Song Music
Talley Trio / Horizon Records
WITH ALL OF MY HEART - CHR
Joseph Priolo
Joe P Music
ZOEgirl / Sparrow Records
YOU ARE THE WAY - CHR
Marc Byrd
Blue Raft Music
Meaux Mercy Publishing
True Vibe / Essential Records
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