Way way back, many centuries ago (okay, the early 1990s, actually), I cut my journalistic teeth on the UK’s contemporary Christian music magazine Cross Rhythms. In recent years I’ve been privately lamenting the loss of Britain’s Christian music scene.
There just doesn’t seem to be the same market, scene or buzz around Christian music. There are various reasons for this – not least, I guess, is the frustration many Christian musicians felt over the debate about what defined Christian music: was it sufficient for the musician to be Christian; or did the songs have to mention Jesus at least twice in each verse.
Another reason is the change to local broadcasting – both on the BBC and commercial radio – which means that the previous opportunities for Christian musicians to have their tracks played to a receptive audience disappeared.
This morning Gareth Hill posted an extract of the Grammy Awards winners on Facebook. His extract focused on the Gospel and Christian music winners; and he made the point that you won’t see these elsewhere, noting that “even Rolling Stone left them out of their list of ‘the complete list of winners’”
I’ve not been in the Christian music scene for quite some time (easy to do when that “scene” no longer exists) and I’m not familiar with any of these award winners. So I thought it would be a good idea to, firstly, make the list of winners and nominees more widely known; and, secondly, track down the tracks and listen to what constitutes successful Christian music in 2015.
Have a listen, and if you like them, track down and buy a copy of the album – and tell your friends. You never know, we may be able to re-create a buzz!
Best Gospel Performance/Song
No Greater Love by Smokie Norful
Songwriters: Aaron W. Lindsey and Smokie Norful
Label: Tre’Myles/Mowtown Gospel
Publishers: Capital CMG Paragon, Aaron Lindsey Pub. administered by CapitolCMGPublishing.com/Meadowgreen Music Company, Norful Music Publishing
© Wikimedia / Bknight2872
Other nominees:
Help by Erica Campbell featuring Lecrae
Sunday A.M. [Live] by Karen Clark Sheard
I Believe by Mali Music
Love On The Radio by The Walls Group
Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song
Messengers by Lecrae featuring For King & Country
Songwriters: Torrance Esmond, Ran Jackson, Ricky Jackson, Kenneth Chris Mackey, Lecrae Moore, Joseph Prielozny, Joel Smallbone and Luke Smallbone
Label: Reach Records
Publishers: Fellowship Of The Unashamed Music, WB Music Corp./Method To The Madness/Shankel Songs/Warner Tamerlane/Kilns Music/Aly Plane Music/Evident Music/Before I Die Publishing/Joseph Prielozny Music/Track Or Die Music LLC
© Wikimedia / Reach Records Management
Other nominees:
Write Your Story by Francesca Battistelli
Come As You Are by Crowder
Shake by MercyMe
Multiplied by Needtobreathe
Best Gospel Album
Help by Erica Campbell
Label: EOne/MyBlock
Other nominees:
Amazing [Live] by Ricky Dillard & New G
Withholding Nothing [Live] by William McDowell
Forever Yours by Smokie Norful
Vintage Worship by Anita Wilson
Best Contemporary Christian Music Album
Run Wild. Live Free. Love Strong by For King & Country
Label: Fervent/Word/Curb
Other nominees:
If We’re Honest by Francesca Battistelli
Hurricane by Natalie Grant
Welcome To The New by MercyMe
Royal Tailor by Royal Tailor
Best Roots Gospel Album
Shine For All The People by Mike Farris
Label: Compass Records
Other nominees:
Forever Changed by T. Graham Brown
Hymns by Gaither Vocal Band
A Cappella by The Martins
His Way Of Loving Me by Tim Menzies
The rights of the copyright holders in the song extracts are acknowledged, as detailed above. The extracts are reproduced here in accordance with section 30 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988