2011 BMI Christian Music Awards Honor Genre’s Most-Played Songs

Rodney Griffin, tobyMac, Needtobreathe’s Bo Rinehart, Scott Krippayne & Universal Music Publishing Group Win Top Honors

BMI saluted the writers and publishers of the past year’s most-performed songs on Christian radio and television during the annual Christian Music Awards tonight at the company’s Music Row offices in Nashville.

Genre-jumping star tobyMac shared his second consecutive Christian Songwriter of the Year crown with southern gospel favorite Rodney Griffin and pop-savvy rockers Needtobreathe’s Bo Rinehart. “What Faith Can Do” earned Christian Song of the Year honors for its creative team. Written by Scott Krippayne and published by Pirk Music, the song was recorded by alt-rock outfit Kutless. With five songs in the most-performed list, Universal Music Publishing Group was named Christian Publisher of the Year for the fourth consecutive year.

The evening also featured stunning live performances of three of award songs. Triumphant Quartet powerfully delivered “When the Trumpet Sounds”; songwriter Scott Krippayne performed Song of the Year “What Faith Can Do”; and Sidewalk Prophets offered a stirring version of “The Words I Would Say.”

Jody Williams, BMI Vice President, Writer/Publisher Relations, Nashville, along with Director Beth Laird, of BMI’s Nashville Writer/Publisher Relations Department, served as the evening’s hosts, and presented awards spanning five categories: Christian rock, contemporary Christian, inspirational, urban gospel and southern gospel. BMI Senior Vice President, Writer/Publisher Relations Phil Graham joined his staff on stage for the presentation of the night’s top honors, Song, Songwriter, and Publisher of the Year.

The ceremony also included a moving tribute to late Gospel Music Association (GMA) co-founder Don Butler, who died earlier this year. A trusted and visionary executive, he was also a talented singer and producer of albums, GMA awards ceremonies and television series. Butler served as the GMA’s board executive director from 1976 to 1991.

Below is the complete list of 2011 BMI Christian Music Awards winners:

Songwriters of the Year
RODNEY GRIFFIN
“He Locked the Gates”
“It Pays to Pray”

TOBYMAC
“City On Our Knees”
“Get Back Up”

BO RINEHART
“Lay ‘Em Down”
“Something Beautiful”

Song of the Year
“WHAT FAITH CAN DO”
Scott Krippayne
Pirk Music
Kutless

Publisher of the Year
UNIVERSAL MUSIC PUBLISHING GROUP
“The Best In Me”
“Beautiful, Beautiful”
“When the Trumpet Sounds”
“Stuff of Life”
“They That Wait”

2011 BMI Christian Awards
Award-Winning Songs

BEAUTIFUL, BEAUTIFUL
Andrew Fromm
Universal Music-Z Songs
Francesca Battistelli
Fervent/Word-Curb

THE BEST IN ME
Aaron Lindsey
Marvin Sapp
Ardent Music
Marvin L. Sapp Music
Songs of Universal, Inc.
Marvin Sapp
Verity/JLG

CITY ON OUR KNEES
tobyMac
Achtober Songs
tobyMac
Forefront/EMI CMG

CLOSE TO YOU
BeBe Winans
Music of Everhits
BeBe and CeCe Winans
B&C/Malaco

FOLLOW YOU
Ed Cash
Leeland Mooring
Alletrop Music
The Devil is a Liar Publishing
Meaux Mercy Publishing
Leeland featuring Brandon Heath
Essential/PLG

FORGIVEN
Dan Gartley
Olde Irish Publishing
River Oaks Music Company
Sanctus Real
Sparrow/EMI CMG

GET BACK UP
tobyMac
Achtober Songs
tobyMac
Forefront/EMI CMG

GOD FAVORED ME
Jules “Juda” Bartholomew
No BMI Publisher
Hezekiah Walker and Love Fellowship Choir Marvin Sapp & DJ Rogers
Verity/JLG

GOOD NEWS
Norman West
Springtime Music, Inc.
West Media Publishing
Vanessa Bell Armstrong
EMI Gospel

HE LOCKED THE GATES
Rodney Griffin
Songs of Greater Vision
Kingdom Heirs
Sonlite Records

HERO
John Cooper
Korey Cooper
Photon Music
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.
Skillet
Ardent/INO

IT PAYS TO PRAY
Rodney Griffin
Songs of Greater Vision
Greater Vision
Daywind Records/Daywind Music Group

LAY ‘EM DOWN
Bo Rinehart
Needtobreathe Music
Needtobreathe
Atlantic/Word-Curb

LIFE GOES ON
Marty Funderburk
Christian Taylor Music
The Talley Trio
Horizon Records

MORE BEAUTIFUL YOU
Kate York
River Oaks Music Company
Zoe Bella Music
Jonny Diaz
INO Records

OUR GOD
Jonas Myrin
Worship Together Music
Chris Tomlin
sixstepsrecords

REVELATION SONG
Jennie Lee Riddle
Gateway Create Publishing
Phillips, Craig & Dean
INO Records

SAFE
Phil Wickham
Phil Wickham Music
Seems Like Music
Phil Wickham featuring Bart Millard
INO Records

SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL
Bo Rinehart
Needtobreathe Music
Needtobreathe
Atlantic/Word-Curb

STUFF OF LIFE
Jim Brady
Barry Weeks
Bridge Building Music
The Booth Brothers
Daywind Records/Daywind Music Group

THEY THAT WAIT
Michael Bethany
Phillip Feaster
Fred Hammond
Calvin Rodgers
Dynna Latyse Wells
Bridge Building Music
CJMS Music
F. Hammond Music
Music Feast Productions
Fred Hammond featuring John P. Kee
Verity/JLG

UNTIL THE WHOLE WORLD HEARS
Roger Glidewell
Mark Hall
My Refuge Music
Sony/ATV Tree
Casting Crowns
Beach Street/Reunion/PLG

WALK ON THE WATER
Joshua Mark Crosby
Britt Nicole
Sparrow/EMI CMG

WHAT FAITH CAN DO
Scott Krippayne
Pirk Music
Kutless
BEC Recordings/Tooth & Nail Records

WHEN THE TRUMPET SOUNDS
Wayne Haun
Joel Lindsey
Hefton Hill Music
Psalmsinger Music
Universal Music-Brentwood Benson Songs
Triumphant Quartet
Daywind Records/Daywind Music Group

THE WORDS I WOULD SAY
Dave Frey
Ben McDonald
Sam Mizell
Dayspring Music
Sidewalk Prophets
Fervent/Word-Curb