Nominations for the 57th Annual Grammy Awards were announced by the Recording Academy on December 5th in Los Angeles.
The awards will be handed out on Sunday February 8th during a 
live broadcast at the Staples Center. Erica Campbell and Smokie Norful received nominations in both the Best Gospel Performance and Best Gospel Album Categories, while Mali Music received nominations in the Gospel as well as Urban Contemporary categories. A full list of nominees can be viewed here: Grammy Nominees
Chicago is an indisputable CHOIR CONCLAVE. The hallowed roster includes the likes of Rev. Milton Brunson’s Thompson Community Singers, Rev. Clay Evans’ Fellowship Church Choir, Dr. Charles Hayes and the Cosmo Warriors, Ricky Dil
lard and New G and New Direction to simply name a few. Adding to the list is Paul Turner and Creation Ministries Incorporated with the debut of A Singer’s Point of View.
Turner grew up on Chicago’s west side among the social ills that plague the inner city yet made a conscious decision to devote himself to music and the church. He joined the choir (which was originally the Lake Street Community Choir) as their first musician shortly after its inception and ascended the ranks to choir leader. Inspired by Ephesians 2:10, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath ordained that we should walk in them”, he rebranded the choir as Creation Ministries and set out on a mission to do “good works” by providing inspiration, light and hope to those in need.
Turner invites all to experience the “sound of creation” via their debut CD, A Singer’s Point of View.
The Gospel Music Association announced the nominees for the 45th Annual GMA Dove Awards which will be held on October 7th at Lipscomb University’s Allen Arena in Nashville, Tennesse. TBN will broadcast the event live. Nominees in the Gospel Categories are as follows: (more…)
Congrats to Ricky Dillard and New G! Amazing, makes a stunning debut at #1 on Billboard’s Gospel Albums Chart and at #1 on the Top Gospel & Christian (combined) Chart, as well as #28 on the Billboard 200. The new disc honors Dillard’s 25th anniversary in ministry and marks the fifth consecutive #1 Gospel album released by Entertainment One Music, following the label’s chart-toppers from Erica Campbell, James Fortune, William McDowell, and Donald Lawrence.
First, there was the amazing standing room only 25th anniversary celebration and live recording in Chicago, followed by the amazing performance as the closing act on the 2014 Stellar Awards show earlier this year. As if that wasn’t e
nough, Ricky Dillard and New G continue to dominate radio with Amazing climbing the singles chart, rising to #2 in Gospel Radio. It all leads up to June 10th, when Ricky Dillard’s highly anticipated new live album, Amazing, will hit shelves and digital outlets everywhere.
Ricky Dillard will cross the country with a slate of upcoming appearances, bringing the Amazing live album experience to fans beginning in his native Chicago on June 7th and 8th, then to New York on June 10th, and Philadelphia on the following date with additional dates to be announced.
The 29th Annual Stellar Awards was the backdrop for the release and unveiling of new music from perennial choir master Ricky Dillard and New G. Amazing, the new single featuring Tiff-Joy on lead vocals captured the audience instantly and has been one of the most talk about performances from this year’s Stellar event. Helping to cement this is the track’s rising popularity at radio; the song is at #16 on the BDS National Gospel Songs chart and was cited as most added and most increased plays.
Amazing is available digitally at iTunes.
Among
st the cloud of great gospel musicians is one Chicago native Ernest Allen Jr. After years accompanying a venerable list of gospel greats including the late Rev. Timothy Wright, the late Rev. James Moore, The Clark Sisters, Ricky Dillard and Jesse Campbell, Minister Allen has finally released an instrumental CD entitled Hymns For The Soul. Allen gives his interpretation of the classic church standards Great Is Thy Faithfulness, It is Well and the Yes Lord Praise. The CD is available on iTunes.
Minister Allen shakes Heaven with his rendition of Even Me as evidenced here:
Dr. Teresa Hairston’s Gospel Heritage Foundation 16th Annual Praise and Worship Conference returns to the city of Atlanta the week of February 14th, 2013 with some of the nation’s foremost worship leaders in attendance. This year’s schedule includes William McDowell, Dr. Judith Christie McAllister, Bishop Hezekiah Walker, Pastor Wess Morgan, VaShawn Mitchell and others. One of the highlights of this year’s convention is a heritage session with the incomparable Edwin Hawkins.
The Gospel Heritage Award recipients for 2013 are noted choir directors Lonnie Hunter and Ricky Dillard and Bishop Liston Page, Sr. Bishop Paul S. Morton and the Changing A Generation Full Gospel Baptist Church will serve as the host.
Additional details and registration info is available at www.gospelheritage.org
View the promo for the 2013 conference here
GOSPELflava.com is wishing you and yours a Very Happy Thanksgiving! We recently caught up with some of today’s hottest Gospel artists to find out what they are thankful for, some music that they enjoy during this time, and some of the holiday traditions observed in their families. I’m sure that many of us will find that they are similar to our own traditions. Our prayer is that this is inspirational and will continue to help us all think about how blessed we are.
As the 2nd Quarter of Gospel Music comes upon us we are welcomed to the news that Ricky Dillard and New G’s CD is scheduled to be released on April 26th. The album will be released on Light Records, and a DVD will be available. The project was recorded live last year in Detroit to rave reviews.