Covenant Awards head west
GMA Canada
stages awards in Alberta
Calgary, AB – Calgary is playing host to the first-ever Canadian
Gospel Music Week.
Converging on the city from October 25-27 are many of the
country’s premiere Christian artists including Brian Doerksen,
Starfield, downhere, Carolyn Arends, Ali Matthews and Connie
Scott.
The
focal point is the 28th Annual Covenant Awards at the 2400-seat
Centre Street Church on Friday, October 27. It represents the
first time the Gospel Music Association Canada will be staging
its award show outside of Ontario.
With a record 133 artists submitting for awards, GMA Canada
President Gary Dix said the time was ripe to begin moving the
show around the country.
“We
all agreed that it would be the perfect location,” Dix said of
Calgary.
Pivotal to this, Dix explained, was the opportunity to piggyback
the event with the two-day Canada Christian Music Conference.
Organized by Calgary producer and promoter, Leroy Harder, the
extensive array of workshops are being led by an impressive
line-up of Canadian artists and industry professionals along
with veteran Nashville record company executive and songwriter,
John Mays.
The
festivities begin with Doerksen leading a worship night on
Wednesday at Centre Street Church, followed by artist showcases
throughout the city on Thursday evening.
Dix
and Harder are excited about the prospect of offering artists
traveling here more than just an awards show, but intensive
training, networking and showcasing opportunities. Several
performers are expected to stay over the weekend and minister to
local congregations.
“Momentum is definitely building,” Harder said. “We are seeing
both the major artists, as well as those just starting out,
signing up and committing to be in Calgary.”
The
list of 2006 Covenant Award nominees was unveiled at Blessings
Christian Marketplace stores in Calgary and Hamilton on
September 12.
Emerging with by far the largest number of nominations was
Ontario’s Ali Matthews with 11. The singer/songwriter is vying
for a plethora of honors including the overall Album of the Year
award for Window Of Light and Song of the Year for You Knew My
Name.
In
second place, with six nominations each are BC’s Chris Janz and
the Nashville-based band, downhere, that originated on the
campus of Briercrest Bible College in Saskatchewan. Janz is up
for Male Vocalist of the Year and New Artist of the Year, while
downhere has made the short list for Group of the Year and
Artist of the Year.
Coming in with five nominations each were Manitoba’s Starfield
and Steve Bell, BC’s Carolyn Arends, Ontario rapper N.I.F.T.Y.
and The Silent from New Brunswick. Close behind with four
nominations were Albertan Craig Learmont with Three Hills-based
Paramedic as well as BC artists Brian Doerksen and Ron Ennig.
From
the local area, country gospel artist Grace Jacobsen of High
River became teary-eyed after learning she received three
nominations.
“That was an awesome shock,” Jacobsen said.
Gospel Road radio host Larry Heather led those gathered at the
nomination announcement in prayer for Jacobsen who is facing a
recurrence of cancer.
Moved by the camaraderie among the artists in the room, Jacobsen
said, “It’s beautiful how we can share the love of the Lord with
each other through our music.”
Calgary’s Holy Trinity Anglican Church garnered two nominations
from their Christmas Presence album. Receiving a single
nomination each were Calgary-area artists Andrew Bartley, Ann
Duval, Claudia Domingo, Jerry Proppe, Elnora Pittman, Lost and
Found and The Joyriders. Executive producer Peter Fleck’s
multi-artist Good News Celebration CD also generated a
nomination.
More
information is available at
www.gmacanada.ca
