BMI Christian Awards Reveal ‘Glory Defined’ as Song of the Year
BMI saluted the writers and publishers of the past year's most performed Christian songs during the BMI Christian Music Awards held June 20, with highest honors reserved for Building 429's "Glory Defined" as Song of the Year and Mark Hall as Songwriter of the Year.
| Christian Music Awards Photo Slideshow |
| Click here to read Casting Crowns' Bio |
| Click here to read Building 429's Bio |
Senior Vice President Phil Graham, Vice President Paul Corbin and Director Joyce Rice of BMI's Writer/Publisher Relations department presented BMI Citations of Achievement to 22 songs in five categories: AC (Adult Contemporary), CHR (Christian Hit Radio), Contemporary/Traditional Gospel, Rock and Southern Gospel.
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| Building 429 | Mark Hall |
Staged at the company's Music Row offices, the ceremonies featured special performances by Casting Crowns, Dottie Peoples, Legacy Five and George Rowe for the crowd of 250 writers, artists, and executives.
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| Casting Crowns |
Jim Cooper and Jason Roy won the BMI Crystal for Most Performed Christian Song of the Year as writers of "Glory Defined." Published by Dayspring Music LLC, "Glory Defined" was recorded by Building 429 on their debut album Space In Between Us (Word Records). Roy is front man/guitarist and Cooper is producer of the group, which was named Top New Artist of 2005 by the Gospel Music Association. "Glory Defined" was recognized for AC and CHR airplay.
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| Dottie Peoples | Legacy Five |
Mark Hall, lead singer of Casting Crowns, earned the title of BMI Christian Songwriter of the Year by collecting four BMI Citations of Achievement for writing "If We Are the Body" and "Who Am I," each included in the AC and CHR categories. Both songs are from Casting Crowns' self-titled, platinum debut on Beach Street/Reunion Records. This BMI honor caps an incredible two years for Hall and his group, which saw their first project reach platinum status. The Atlanta-area youth minister was also named Songwriter of the Year at the 2004 and 2005 Gospel Music Association Awards, with Casting Crowns chosen as the GMA's 2005 Group of the Year.
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| George Rowe | Jim Cooper | Jason Roy |
In addition to Roy and Cooper, songwriters collecting two Citations each were Aaron Sprinkle in the Rock category ("Rawkfist" and "Sea of Faces") and AC-CHR winners Marc Byrd ("God of Wonders"), Kenny Greenberg ("More") and Brendan Graham [IMRO] ("You Raise Me Up").
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| Aaron Sprinkle | Marc Byrd |
Other 2005 BMI award-winning songwriter/artists were rockers Pillar, John Cooper of Skillet, Michael Tait and Chad Chapin of Tait, and Thousand Foot Krutch; urban stars Fred Hammond and Keith "Wonderboy" Johnson; and Southern Gospel voices Gerald Crabb, Wayne Haun, Annie McRae and Rodney Griffin of Greater Vision.
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| Kenny Greenberg | Brendan Graham |
The ceremony also announced the Publisher of the Year, which was a four-way tie among Christian Taylor Music, Club Zoo Music, Inc., SWECS Music and Songs of Greater Vision. The award is determined by the highest percentage of copyright ownership in award songs.
Club Zoo Music, Inc. (owned by Franklin Miller and Sawyer Brown's Mark Miller) and SWECS Music (owned by three-time BMI Christian Songwriter of the Year Steven Curtis Chapman) collected the honor for publishing the Casting Crowns hits "If We Are the Body" and "Who Am I."
Two Southern Gospel companies also accepted the accolade: Christian Taylor Music (owned by Dottie Miller) with "I Wish I Could Have Been There," "If It Had Not Been the Lord" and "Places To Go, People To See"; and Songs of Greater Vision (owned by Greater Vision group members Rodney Griffin and Gerald Wolfe) with "He Is To Me" and "Just Ask."
BMI's Citation of Achievement performance certificates are given annually in recognition of popularity in the field of popular music, as measured by feature broadcast performances on American radio and television. This year's Christian Music Awards eligibility period ran January 1, 2004 through December 31, 2004.
Below is the complete list of 2005 BMI Christian Music Awards winners:
Adult Contemporary
GLORY DEFINED
Jim Cooper
Jason Roy
Dayspring Music, LLC
Building 429
Word Entertainment
GOD OF WONDERS
Marc Byrd
Meaux Mercy Publishing
Storm Boy Music
Rebecca St. James
ForeFront Records
IF WE ARE THE BODY
Mark Hall
Club Zoo Music, Inc.
SWECS Music
Casting Crowns
Beach Street/Reunion Records
MORE
Kenny Greenberg
Greenberg Music
Matthew West
Sparrow Records
WHO AM I
Mark Hall
Club Zoo Music, Inc.
SWECS Music
Casting Crowns
Beach Street/Reunion Records
YOU RAISE ME UP
Brendan Graham (IMRO)
peermusic
Selah
Curb Records
Christian Hit Radio
GLORY DEFINED
Jim Cooper
Jason Roy
Dayspring Music, LLC
Building 429
Word Entertainment
GOD OF WONDERS
Marc Byrd
Meaux Mercy Publishing
Storm Boy Music
Rebecca St. James
ForeFront Records
IF WE ARE THE BODY
Mark Hall
Club Zoo Music, Inc.
SWECS Music
Casting Crowns
Beach Street/Reunion Records
MORE
Kenny Greenberg
Greenberg Music
Matthew West
Sparrow Records
WHO AM I
Mark Hall
Club Zoo Music, Inc.
SWECS Music
Casting Crowns
Beach Street/Reunion Records
YOU RAISE ME UP
Brendan Graham (IMRO)
peermusic
Selah
Curb Records
Contemporary/Traditional Gospel
CELEBRATE (HE LIVES)
Darryl Dixon
Fred Hammond
Bridge Building Music, Inc.
Face's Launching Pad Publishing
SCA Music
TITK One Publishing
Fred Hammond
Verity Records
LET GO AND LET GOD
Keith "Wonderboy" Johnson
Prathan N. Williams
Spuko Music
Wonderspirit Music
Zomba Songs Inc.
Keith "Wonderboy" Johnson
Verity/World Wide Gospel
ONE THING
Myron Williams
Vascott Music Publishing
Marvin Sapp
Verity Records
THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD IS HERE
Kurt Carr
K. Cartunes
Lilly Mack Music
Byron Cage
GospoCentric Records
SUDDENLY
Kevin Bond
Bonded Music Publishing
Bishop Eddie Long Presents New Birth Total Praise Choir
EMI Gospel
Rock
BRING ME DOWN
Rob Beckley
Lester Estelle
Noah Henson
Michael Wittig
Fireproof Music
Flicker USA Publishing
Pillar
Flicker Records
GOD CAN YOU HEAR ME?
Chad Chapin
Ashley Clark
Michael Tait
CEC Animal Music
Off The Curb Music
Out Of Twisted Roots Music
Tait
ForeFront Records
RAWKFIST
Steve Augustine (SOCAN)
Joel Bruyere (SOCAN)
Aaron Sprinkle
Flush On The Flop Music
Spinning Audio Vortex, Inc.
Thousand Foot Krutch
Tooth & Nail Records
SAVIOR
John Cooper
Photon Music
Skillet
Ardent Records
SEA OF FACES
Aaron Sprinkle
Flush On The Flop Music
Spinning Audio Vortex, Inc.
Kutless
BEC Recordings
Southern Gospel
HE IS TO ME
Rodney Griffin
Songs of Greater Vision
Greater Vision
Daywind Records
I WISH I COULD HAVE BEEN THERE
Wayne Haun
Christian Taylor Music
The Perrys
Daywind Records
IF IT HAD NOT BEEN THE LORD
Annie McRae
Christian Taylor Music
The McRaes
Daywind Records
JUST ASK
Rodney Griffin
Songs of Greater Vision
Greater Vision
Daywind Records
LORD IT HURTS (BUT YOU'RE STILL GOD)
Greg Day
Heather's House Music Publishing
The Ruppes
Spring Hill
PLACES TO GO, PEOPLE TO SEE
Gerald Crabb
Christian Taylor Music
Lehsem Songs
The Hoskins Family
Daywind Records
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