BMI Christian Music Awards Proclaim Dottie Peoples’s ‘Testify’ 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 last night, with highest honors reserved for Dottie Peoples’s “Testify,” songwriter/publisher Toby McKeehan, Achtober Songs, 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 Achievement recognizing 28 songs among six categories, with the presentation culminating in the announcements of Christian Song, Songwriter, and Publisher of the Year (including all genres).
 Onstage at BMI Nashville are BMI's Paul Corbin, Dottie Peoples, Toby McKeehan and BMI's Joyce Rice. photo by Richard Crichton |
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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 Dottie Peoples, Mark Schultz, and the quartet CrossWay for the crowd of two hundred writers, artists, and executives.
 Dottie Peoples, writer of song of the year |  Toby McKeehan, songwriter of the year |
Dottie Peoples earned the BMI Crystal for Most Performed Christian Song of the Year as writer and publisher of “Testify." Published through Dottie Peoples Publishing and International Atlanta Music Company, “Testify” was recorded by The Talley Trio for their Southern Gospel album Testament, as well as by Peoples for her album God Can and God Will.
With three award songs, Toby McKeehan led all 38 writers to repeat as BMI Christian Songwriter Of The Year (he shared the 2001 honor with Steven Curtis Chapman). McKeehan, who records for Forefront Records as tobyMac and with Michael Tait and Kevin Max as dc talk, was cited for writing “All You Got” (AC & CHR), “Extreme Days” (Rock) and “Say The Words” (CHR). “All You Got,” recorded by Tait, appeared on both Tait’s Empty album and dc talk’s Solo EP. “Say The Words” was recorded by dc talk on their Intermission album; “Extreme Days” is from tobyMac’s debut solo effort, Momentum.
Songwriters recognized with two Citations each were Chris Eaton [PRS] (“Adore” and “Lift Me Up”) and Dottie Peoples (“Show Up and Show Out” plus “Testify”).
Placing three songs each on the most performed list, Achtober Songs and EMI Christian Music Publishing (through its companies River Oaks Music Company and Sparrow Song) shared the title of BMI Christian Publisher of the Year. As owner of Achtober songs, Toby McKeehan collected a second crystal obelisk for publishing his BMI Award songs. Casey McGinty and Chad Segura accepted on behalf of EMI Christian Music Publishing; this is EMI’s second consecutive victory.
Additional multiple award publishers were Boisseau Music Publishing, Dayspring Music, Dottie Peoples Publishing, International Atlanta Music Company, Lilly Mack Music, S. G. O. Music Publishing, Ltd., and Sony/ATV Songs LLC.
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 2002 Christian Music Awards eligibility period ran January 1, 2001 through December 31, 2001.
Below is the complete list of 2002 BMI Christian Music Awards winners:
Adult Contemporary
ALL YOU GOT (AC & CHR)
Chad Chapin
Toby McKeehan
Michael Tait
Achtober Songs
CEC Animal Music
Out Of Twisted Roots Music
Tait: ForeFront Records
IN ME
Ricky Jackson
Rebecca St. James: ForeFront Records
KEEP ON SHINING
Tanya Leah
Ensign Music Corporation
Songs of Note Inc.
Titania Music
Natalie Grant: Curb Records
REMEMBER ME (AC & INSP)
Mark Schultz
Mark Schultz Music
Mark Schultz: Word Records
WONDERFUL ONE
Eddie Carswell
Sony/ATV Songs LLC
New Song: Reunion Records
Christian Hit Radio
ALL YOU GOT (AC & CHR)
Chad Chapin
Toby McKeehan
Michael Tait
Achtober Songs
CEC Animal Music
Out Of Twisted Roots Music
Tait: ForeFront Records
LIFT ME UP
Chris Eaton
Dayspring Music
S.G.O. Music Publishing, Ltd.
Rachael Lampa: Word Records
LIVE OUT LOUD
Steven Curtis Chapman
Peach Hill Songs
Sparrow Song
Steven Curtis Chapman: Sparrow Records
MISSING LOVE
Joel Hanson
Careers BMG Music Publishing
River Oaks Music Co.
Winning Pitch Music
PFR: Squint Entertainment
SAY THE WORDS
Toby McKeehan
Achtober Songs
dc talk: ForeFront Records
Inspirational
ADORE
Chris Eaton
Dayspring Music
S.G.O. Music Publishing, Ltd.
Jaci Velasquez: Word Records
BECAUSE OF HIM
Robert White Johnson
Radioquest Music Publishing
Al Denson : Spring Hill Music Group Inc.
EVERYTHING
Wendi Foy Green
Susan Gray
B In The Basement Music
Boisseau Music Publishing
Gatticakes Music
Sierra: Pamplin Records
GLORY
Jim Cooper
Boisseau Music Publishing
Jimmy Vision Music
Avalon: Sparrow Records
REMEMBER ME (AC & INSP)
Mark Schultz
Mark Schultz Music
Mark Schultz: Word Records
Rock
ALIEN YOUTH
John L. Cooper
Photon Music
Skillet: Ardent Records
CAN'T ERASE IT
Dan Haseltine
Charlie Lowell
Steve Mason
Matt Odmark
Bridge Building Music
Pogostick Music
Jars Of Clay: Essential Records
EXTREME DAYS
Toby McKeehan
Michael Anthony Taylor
Achtober Songs
Meaux Mercy Publishing
tobyMac: ForeFront Records
HEY HEY
Brent Milligan
River Oaks Music Co.
The Elms: Sparrow Records
WILL NOT FADE
Bob Herdman
Will McGinniss
Mark Stuart
Flicker U.S.A. Publishing
Audio Adrenaline: ForeFront Records
Southern Gospel
HE'D HAVE TO WALK THROUGH THE BLOOD
Kenny and Beverly Sexton
Flying Angel Publishing
Novotny Music
The Freemans: Goldenvine Productions
JOY'S GONNA COME
Rebecca Peck
John Darin Rowsey
Centergy Music
Rejoice: Homeland Records
The Kingsmen: Horizon Records
STAND STILL
Rebecca Isaacs Bowman
Sonya Isaacs Surrett
David Marshall
R.I. Bowman Music
The Isaacs: Horizon Records
TESTIFY
Dottie Peoples
Dottie Peoples Publishing
International Atlanta Music Company
The Talley Trio: Horizon Records
Dottie Peoples: Atlanta International
Music Company
THAT'S NO MOUNTAIN
Gerald Crabb
Crabb's Song Music
The Crabb Family: Family Music Group
Urban Gospel
GOD DID IT
Evelyn Turrentine Agee
Obba Publishing
Evelyn Turrentine Agee: World Wide Gospel Music
IN THE SANCTUARY
Kurt Carr
K Cartunes
Lilly Mack Music
Kurt Carr: GospoCentric
SAY A PRAYER
Madeline Stone
CeCe Winans
Irving Music, Inc.
Little Pooky's Music
Sony/ATV Songs LLC
We Care Music
CeCe Winans: Wellspring Gospel
SHOW UP AND SHOW OUT
Dottie Peoples
Dottie Peoples Publishing
International Atlanta Music Company
Dottie Peoples: Atlanta International Records
THANK YOU
Kirk Franklin
Fox Film Music Corporation
Kerrion Publishing
Lilly Mack Music
Mary Mary: Columbia Records
Kirk Franklin: GospoCentric
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