Gospel music biz prepares for awards, conference

By Deborah Evans Price

NASHVILLE (Billboard) - Artists and industry personnel representing all facets of the Christian/gospel music community will gather April 19-23 in Nashville for GMA Music Week, the Gospel Music Assn.'s annual gathering.

The highlight of GMA Music Week is the 39th annual GMA Dove Awards on April 23. The show will be telecast live from the Grand Ole Opry on the Gospel Music Channel, marking the first time the awards have been broadcast live since 2002. (In recent years, the program has aired in syndication.)

For the first time, representatives from various labels, booking agencies and other companies have banded together to create a task force to promote the show.

"The industry has really gotten behind the Doves from a marketing standpoint," Gospel Music Assn. president/CEO John Styll says. "There's going to be a lot of marketing to drive viewers to the show. So more people are going to be aware of it and likely to watch it this year than ever before."

The marketing task force has created e-mail blasts that key companies and artists are sending to their databases as well as a videoclip that artists can use on tour to promote the Doves.

"You'll see Web site banners on our site, radio station sites and other Web sites," Styll says. "You're going to see visibility at retail both physically and online."

The Doves will conclude four days of seminars, showcases and workshops. Among the high-profile speakers are management guru Ken Blanchard and evangelist Louie Giglio, founder of the college-themed Passion conferences.

Nightly concerts will spotlight all the diverse styles under the gospel music umbrella, including pop, rock, rap, Southern gospel, urban gospel and Latin music. A worship service scheduled for April 20 at Nashville's historic Ryman Auditorium will be hosted by Michael W. Smith, Mandisa, Fred Hammond and Israel & New Breed.

Reuters/Billboard