The Christian rock group Switchfoot won artist of the year at Wednesday's Gospel Music Association awards show, one of four honors bestowed on the band during the night.
Besides artist of the year, Switchfoot won best rock or contemporary recorded song for "Dare You to Move," as well as the short and long form music video awards.
The band did not attend the show.
The Crabb family also won four Dove Awards _ for Southern gospel recorded song ("He Came Looking for Me"), country recorded song ("Forever"), traditional gospel recorded song ("Through the Fire"), and Southern gospel album ("Driven").
"Our goal is to reach all ages," Jason Crabb said. "We want to reach from the oldest to the youngest because they all need the message of Jesus Christ.
Casting Crowns won three awards _ group of the year, pop/contemporary recorded song ("Who Am I"), and inspirational recorded song ("Voice of Truth") _ while lead singer and songwriter Mark Hall won individual honors for song of the year and songwriter of the year.
"This is such an encouragement," Hall said. "There are so many people in the world who need hope and it's so cool to be a tiny part of that."
Hall said the idea for "Who Am I" came to him as he was driving home late one night with his wife and children asleep in the car.
"In the midst of my own little worship time, I stopped and wondered, 'Who am I to think I can just call up to God whenever I want, from the middle of nowhere, and expect Him to hear me.' … That's where it started," Hall said.
It was the second consecutive year that the 35-year-old youth minister won the top songwriting honor at the Dove Awards.
Nicole C. Mullen won female vocalist and the urban album award for "Everyday People," whose title track is a cover of the Sly & Family Stone pop classic.
Mullen said she liked the message in the lyrics.
"I decided to do it as a reminder and as a challenge because we are all called to live together as everyday people," she said.
Jeremy Camp won awards for male vocalist and rock recorded song ("Stay"). Camp also was named top male vocalist last year.
"I don't even know what's been going on the past couple years of my life _ it's been a whirlwind," he said. "God has blown me away with numerous blessings."
The band Building 429 won in the new artist category, and "The Passion of the Christ: Songs" won for special event album.
Another album from the movie, "The Passion of the Christ Original Motion Picture Soundtrack," won for instrumental album.
"Thanks again to Mel Gibson for making this amazing film which God has used in amazing ways," said Steven Curtis Chapman, one of 21 artists on "The Passion of the Christ: Songs" album.
Co-host Israel Houghton won for contemporary gospel album and contemporary gospel recorded song with his group Israel & New Breed.
The night's leading nominee, Michael W. Smith, was shut out despite eight nominations.
Houghton shared hosting duties with Darlene Zschech, Chapman, Smokie Norful, Rebecca St. James and CeCe Winans.
Performers included Natalie Grant, BarlowGirl, Tonex, Casting Crowns, the Crabb Family, Selah, Bethany Dillon and Skillet.
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On the Net:
Award Recipients
Song of the Year "Who Am I"; Mark Hall; Club Zoo Music (BMI), SWECS Music (BMI)
Songwriter of the Year Mark Hall
Male Vocalist of the Year Jeremy Camp
Female Vocalist of the Year Nicole C. Mullen
Group of the Year Casting Crowns
Artist of the Year Switchfoot
New Artist of the Year Building 429
Producer of the Year Ed Cash
Rap/Hip Hop Recorded Song of the Year “Hittin’ Curves”; Dichotomy A; Grits; Teron Carter, Stacy Jones, Otto Price, S. Moss; Gotee Records
Modern Rock Recorded Song of the Year “Control”; Reset EP; MuteMath; Paul Meany, Darren King, Adam LeClave; Teleprompt Records/Word Records
Rock Recorded Song of the Year “Stay”; Stay; Jeremy Camp; Jeremy Camp; BEC Recordings
Rock/Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year “Dare You to Move”; The Beautiful Letdown; Switchfoot; Jonathan Foreman, Sparrow Records
Pop/Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year “Who Am I”; Casting Crowns; Casting Crowns; Mark Hall; Beach Street Records/Reunion Records
Inspirational Recorded Song of the Year “Voice of Truth”; Casting Crowns; Casting Crowns; Mark Hall, Steven Curtis Chapman; Beach Street Records/Reunion Records
Southern Gospel Recorded Song of the Year “He Came Looking for Me”; Driven; Crabb Family; Gerald Crabb; Daywind Records
Bluegrass Recorded Song of the Year “Heroes”; Heroes; The Isaacs; Rebecca Isaacs Bowman, Sonya Isaacs; Gaither Music
Country Recorded Song of the Year “Forever”; Driven; The Crabb Family; Jason Crabb, Gerald Crabb; Daywind Records
Urban Recorded Song of the Year “You Don’t Know”; I Owe You; Kierra Kiki Sheard; Rodney Jerkins, Danny Nixon, Fred Jerkins, LaShawn Daniels, Delisha Thomas; EMI Gospel
Traditional Gospel Recorded Song of the Year “Through the Fire”; Driven; The Crabb Family featuring Donnie McClurkin; Gerald Crabb; Daywind Records
Contemporary Gospel Recorded Song of the Year “Again I Say Rejoice”; Live From Another Level; Israel & New Breed; Israel Houghton, Aaron Lindsey; Integrity Gospel
Rap/Hip Hop Album of the Year Welcome to Diverse City; tobyMac; Toby McKeehan, Christopher Stevens, Paul Meany, Solomon Olds, Joe Baldridge, Jeff Savage, Robert Marvin, Josiah Bell, Max Hsu, Michael Linney; ForeFront Records
Modern Rock Album of the Year Fight the Tide; Sanctus Real; Tedd T.; Sparrow Records
Rock Album of the Year Day of Fire; Day of Fire; Scott Humphrey; Essential Records
Rock/Contemporary Album of the Year Wire; Third Day; Paul Ebersold; Essential Records
Pop/Contemporary Album of the Year Undone; MercyMe; Pete Kipley; INO Records
Inspirational Album of the Year Hiding Place; Selah; Jason Kyle, Nicol Sponberg, Allan Hall, Todd Smith; Curb Records
Southern Gospel Album of the Year Driven; The Crabb Family; Jason Crabb, Adam Crabb, Aaron Crabb, Kelly Bowling, Jerry Yoder; Daywind Records
Bluegrass Album of the Year Angels Gathering Flowers; The Lewis Family; Wayne Haun; Thoroughbred Records
Country Album of the Year Passing Through; Randy Travis; Kyle Lehning; Word Records
Urban Album of the Year Everyday People; Nicole C. Mullen; Nicole C. Mullen, David Mullen, Tommy Sims, James “Big Jim” Wright, Andrew Ramsey, Shannon Sanders; Word Records
Traditional Gospel Album of the Year A Tribute to Mahalia Jackson; Lynda Randle; Barry Beckett; Gaither Music
Contemporary Gospel Album of the Year Live From Another Level; Israel & New Breed; Israel Houghton, Aaron W. Lindsey; Integrity Gospel
Praise & Worship Album of the Year Arriving; Chris Tomlin; Ed Cash; Sixsteps Records
Instrumental Album of the Year The Passion of the Christ Original Motion Picture Soundtrack; Various; John Debney; Mel Gibson; Integrity Music/Sony
Children's Music Album of the Year Angel Alert!; Various; Celeste Clydesdale, David T. Clydesdale; Word Music
Spanish Language Album of the Year Te Amo Dios; Praise Street Worship Band; Dave Moody, James Cobble Jr., Wesley Pritchard, Eulises Canada, Nelson McSwain; Lamon Records
Special Event Album of the Year The Passion of the Christ: Songs; Third Day, Steven Curtis Chapman, MercyMe, Scott Stapp, POD, Brad Paisley, Sara Evans, Big Dismal, Lauryn Hill, Kirk Franklin, Yolanda Adams, MxPx, Mark Hoppus, Charlotte Church, BeBe Winans, Angie Stone, Dan Lavery; Tim Cook, Mark Joseph, Gregg Wattenberg, Steven Lerner; Lost Keyword Records/ Wind-Up Records
Musical of the Year Emmanuel – Celebrating Heaven’s Child; Joel Lindsey, Russell Mauldin; Brentwood-Benson Music
Youth/Children's Musical of the Year Fear Not Factor; Dennis Allen, Nan Allen; Brentwood-Benson Music
Choral Collection of the Year Live…This is Your House; Carol Cymbala; Brooklyn Tabernacle Music
Worship Song of the Year “Blessed Be Your Name”; Matt Redman, Beth Redman; Thankyou Music, Worshiptogether.com Songs
Recorded Music Packaging of the Year Happy; Jan Cook, Tim Frank, Emily West, Clark Hook, Susan Levy; Clark Hook, Michael Lavine; Universal South
Short Form Music Video of the Year ”Dare You to Move”; Switchfoot; Nina Grossman Warner; Robert Hales; HIS Entertainment; Sparrow Records
Long Form Music Video of the Year Switchfoot Live In San Diego; Switchfoot; Dwight Thompson; Dwight Thompson; New Revolution Entertainment; Sparrow Records
