The GRAMMY Awards were set for January 31, 2010, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, and were broadcast live on CBS at 8 P.M ET/PT.
As usual, the GRAMMY nominating committee left many, me included, scratching our heads. While I take nothing away from the talented artists who got the nods, the committee left out some amazing music!
Best Gospel Performance
I've seen Third Day perform and it was a great show so they are my pick here but anyone that has ever seen Skillet perform knows that they put on the best rock show ever for your buck. Somebody obviously needs to take the GRAMMY folks to a Skillet show ... they will be panheads for life! The same thing could be said (and should be said) for Ricardo Sanchez. As far as contemporary gospel goes, you will not find a venue with the presence of the Lord any thicker than when Ricardo is on the stage.
- "Wait On The Lord" - Donnie McClurkin Featuring Karen Clark Sheard (Purchase/Download) - WINNER
- "Free To Be Me" - Francesca Battistelli (Purchase/Download)
- "Jesus Is Love" - Heather Headley Featuring Smokie Norful (Purchase/Download)
- "I Believe" - Jonny Lang With Fisk Jubilee Singers (Purchase/Download)
- "Born Again" - Third Day (Purchase/Download)
Best Gospel Song
This is a tough one, even for me. Each one of these songs is a winner in its own right and fits a different style of Christian music.
- "God In Me" - (Purchase/Download) - Erica Campbell, Tina Campbell & Warryn Campbell, songwriters
Performed by Mary Mary featuring Kierra "KiKi" Sheard - Track from: The Sound - (Purchase/Download) - WINNER - "Born Again" - (Purchase/Download) - Tai Anderson, David Carr, Mark Lee & Mac Powell, songwriters
Performed by Third Day - Track from: Revelation - (Compare Prices) - "City On Our Knees" - (Purchase/Download) - Cary Barlowe, Toby McKeehan & Jaime Moore, songwriters
Performed by tobyMac - "Every Prayer" - (Purchase/Download) - Dayna Caddell, Israel Houghton, Aaron Lindsey & Ricardo Sanchez, songwriters
Performed by Israel Houghton & Mary Mary - Track from: The Power Of One - (Compare Prices) - "The Motions" - (Purchase/Download) - Jason Houser, Sam Mizell & Matthew West, songwriters
Performed by Matthew West - Track from: Something To Say - (Compare Prices)
Best Rock Or Rap Gospel Album
I still believe (and always will believe) that Rock and Rap should get their own categories. Lumping them in together is unfair to the artists as well as the audience and honestly, how do you compare Da' T.R.U.T.H. to Decyfer Down?
- Live Revelations - Third Day (Purchase/Download) - WINNER
- The Big Picture - Da' T.R.U.T.H. (Purchase/Download)
- Crash - Decyfer Down
- Innocence & Instinct - Red (Purchase/Download)
- The Dash - John Wells-The Tonic (Compare Prices)
Best Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album
Another GRAMMY Scooby-look here ... I would call Israel Houghton a lot of things, but Pop/Contemporary? Come on! Israel should be in the Contemporary R&B Gospel category.
- The Power Of One - Israel Houghton (Purchase/Download) - WINNER!
- Speaking Louder Than Before - Jeremy Camp (Purchase/Download)
- The Long Fall Back To Earth - Jars Of Clay (Compare Prices)
- Love Is On The Move - Leeland (Purchase/Download)
- Freedom - Mandisa (Purchase/Download)
Best Southern, Country, Or Bluegrass Gospel Album
Jason Crabb is back, sans the rest of the Crabb Family, so I'm betting that he will be a hands down winner.
- Jason Crabb - Jason Crabb (Purchase/Download) - WINNER
- Dream On - Ernie Haase & Signature Sound (Compare Prices)
- The Rock - Tracy Lawrence (Purchase/Download)
- In God's Time - Barry Scott & Second Wind (Purchase/Download)
- Everyday - Triumphant Quartet (Purchase/Download)
Best Traditional Gospel Album
OK - did the GRAMMY committee even listen to Vickie Winans' album? Traditional Gospel? How about Contemporary Gospel? That would be a much better fit!
- Oh Happy Day - Various Artists - EMI Gospel/Vector Recordings (Purchase/Download) - WINNER
- God Don't Never Change - Ashley Cleveland (Purchase/Download)
- The Law Of Confession, Part I - Donald Lawrence & Co. (Compare Prices)
- The Journey Continues - The Williams Brothers
- How I Got Over - Vickie Winans (Purchase/Download)
Best Contemporary R&B Gospel Album
Another tough one to call, J Moss's Just James is amazing, but so is Kierra's Bold Right Life. Coin toss?
- Audience Of One - Heather Headley (Purchase/Download) - WINNER
- Renewed - Sheri Jones-Moffett (Purchase/Download)
- Just James - J Moss (Purchase/Download)
- Smokie Norful: Live - Smokie Norful (Purchase/Download)
- Bold Right Life - Kierra Sheard (Purchase/Download)
