MusicScribe BLOG

Daniel Mount has posted an article today regarding the Singing News Fan Awards eligibility period and how it affects potential nominations in the Song category. Specifically, the song “I Can Pray” by the Dove Brothers was the overall top charting song of the year in 2007 and was the only song to spend two months in the number one position last year. The song isn’t eligible for a 2008 Fan Award, though, because it was initially released to radio in January 2007.

A point Daniel fails to raise is that “I Can Pray” WAS eligible for nomination in 2007. I realize it didn’t peak on the national Singing News chart until the summer, but radio stations were playing the song before the initial voting took place. In fact, the March 2007 issue of Singing News (the same one that had the initial ballot) lists the song as the number one New Release for the month (on page 103). This point also must have been missed by Crossroads in 2007. If you happen to have a copy of that March 2007 issue, open it up to page 20 where Crossroads ran an ad listing all their suggested nominees. “I Can Pray” isn’t listed there.

Like ‘em or not, the rules are the same for everyone. In an email, Mickey Gamble raised the point that one song on the  list of 2008 Top Ten finalists is from an album that has been out for several years. It’s a matter of when the song was released as a single for radio, though…not when the album was released.

Now, should Crossroads have delayed the release of “I Can Pray” until April 1, 2007, so it would have been in a better time frame for an award? I don’t think so. The business side of the equation says it makes more sense to generate anticipation for a new CD release by going ahead and getting one of the songs out there before people are able to buy it. There’s also the ministry element of this song in particular. You wouldn’t want to delay the release of a song like this for several months on the chance that it might win an award 21 months later…no matter how prestigious that award.

That being said, I agree with Daniel Mount that a rules change would be helpful in the future. Fundamentally, it isn’t right that “I Can Pray” fell between the cracks in this fashion. There’s little doubt it was one the top songs in the twelve month calendar year of 2007. If it were up to me, I would word next year’s rule to read, “Song must be released nationally to Southern Gospel radio during the period between April 2008 and March 2009. Songs appearing in the Top 20 of a recognized national chart during this period are also eligible regardless of the actual release date.”

(And yes, for astute readers, I would leave out the requirement limiting eligibility to songs recorded by “full-time” Southern Gospel Music groups/artists. If Southern Gospel radio is playing an Oak Ridge Boys song or a Doyle Lawson song, then that song ought to be eligible for recognition in the Fan Awards.)

Given the Top Ten nominations for 2008, here’s who I’d like to see win this year:
Favorite Artist of the Year – Triumphant Qt
Mixed Group – Isaacs
Male Quartet – Dove Brothers
Trio – Booth Brothers
Soloist – Mark Lowry
Male Singer – Arthur Rice
Female Singer – Lauren Talley
Horizon Individual – Jeremy Lile
Horizon Group – Tribute Qt
Young Artist – Devin McGlamery
Tenor – Jerry Martin
Lead – Arthur Rice
Baritone – Scott Inman
Bass – Eric Bennett
Soprano – Lauren Talley
Alto – Debra Talley
Musician – Jeff Stice
Songwriter – Kyla Rowland
Album – True To The Call
Song – The Great I Am Still Is

(By the way, I’m already back online again…yea! I didn’t expect the cable internet repairman to come before Monday, but he came out this morning.)