Dove Award

The GMA Music Awards, created in 1969 by the Gospel Music Association to honor the outstanding achievements in contemporary Christian and gospel music, are held annually in Nashville, Tennessee.

Related Topics:
1969 - Gospel Music Association - Contemporary Christian - Gospel music - Nashville - Tennessee

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Awards are presented honoring a wide variety of musical styles, reflecting the diversity represented in Gospel music, including rock and roll, rap, country and traditional gospel. Each ceremony features performances by a number of the industry's newest and most popular artists.

Related Topics:
Rock and roll - Rap - Country

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Some might argue that the GMA Music Award voters tend to be musically conservative people that are more likely to vote for a traditional gospel artist, or a pop act than a rock and roll band. They also contend that most Dove Awards tend to go to either well-established acts that receive heavy radio airplay, or those which fall into the above categories. Some evidence for this is that Steven Curtis Chapman won the "Songwriter of the Year" award 9 out of 10 years and "Male Vocalist of the Year" 7 of 12 years, with some of those wins coming in years when he released no new material. Since the voters are all GMA members and are usually people working in the industry, critics charge they would more than likely tend to vote for whichever bands happen to have the most "buzz" at the moment or are associated with their area of the industry, as with most award voterships. However this is likely less prevalent than in secular awards due to Christians placing a high value on ethical behavior that promotes Christianity. http://www.lionofzion.com/faq/78da33320700009d006a/The+CCM+Industry.html

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Until 1978, the GMA Music Awards were held in September, during the National Quartet Convention. The Awards were not held in 1979 as they were moved to April 1980, for Gospel Music Week, where it has been held annually except in 1999, when the GMA Music Awards were moved to late March separate from GMA Week.

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The GMA Music Awards has been marred with controversy in the past. In 1971, a voting irregularity influenced by the Blackwood family resulted in the revocation of all awards to protect its integrity, and resulted in rule changes the next year. Shortly after the 1994 show, Male Vocalist winner Michael English admitted to an extramaritial affair with Marabeth Jordon, a member of former Group winner First Call.

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In 1998, the GMA, growing concerned over some blatantly secular entries in their sacred categories, enacted a new Definition of Gospel Music, which resulted in complaints by some artists after they were disqualified for being too secular in the 1999 GMAMA. The rules were rescinded afterwards, and many groups victimised by the rulings in 1999 were winners in 2000.

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In 2004, the GMA signed a contract to air the awards live in selected Regal Cinema multiplexes, with United Paramount Network having tape-delayed coverage to air five weeks after the GMA Music Awards were held. When GMA Music Awards co-host Deion Sanders announced on May 15, 2004, he was leaving Viacom's The NFL Today, intending to join Disney's ESPN NFL Countdown, UPN cancelled the broadcast of the GMA Music Awards.

Related Topics:
Regal Cinema - United Paramount Network - Deion Sanders - Viacom - The NFL Today - Disney - ESPN - NFL Countdown

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This move was reminiscent of the 1988 decision by CBS to cancel a 60 Minutes story featuring Richard Petty after reporter Diane Sawyer defected to ABC.

Related Topics:
CBS - 60 Minutes - Richard Petty - Diane Sawyer - ABC

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The GMA Music Awards broadcast would not air for eight months, finally airing in late December 2004 on the i Network, after Christmas.

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That reputation cost the GMAMA a chance at a national broadcast in 2005.

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