Southern Gospel News SGNScoops Digital

2012 GMA Canada Covenant Awards Nominees Announced

BURLINGTON, ON – GMA Canada announced this morning during a press conference at the Crossroads Centre in Burlington, Ontario that The Amundruds are among the nominees for the 2012 GMA Covenant
Awards.

The Amundruds are nominated in the categories:
Group of the Year – The Amundruds
Country/Bluegrass Album of the Year: The Amundruds – At The Crossroad
Country/Bluegrass Song of the Year: The Amundruds – Catch Every Tear
Southern Gospel Song of the Year: The Amundruds – I Wanna Go

The Covenant Awards will be broadcast on CTS TV this November. Watch for times and local listing announcements to be made soon. The Amundruds are also scheduled to perform on the Awards Show
alongside artists: Starfield, Downhere, NewWorldSon, High Valley, Ben Cantelon, Greg Sczebel and the Toronto Mass Choir. Watch for more artist announcements coming soon! Visit GMACanada.ca for tickets and additional information.

Make plans now to join us in Ontario for GMA Week 2012!

Group Of The Year
The Amundruds
Downhere
High Valley
Newworldson
Starfield

Country/Bluegrass Album Of The Year
The Amundruds – At The Crossroad
Canada’s Double Portion – Classics
Gary French – Sweetest Thing
High Valley – Love Is A Long Road
Kelly Manu – Believe

Country/Bluegrass Song Of The Year
The Amundruds – Catch Every Tear
High Valley – Have I Told You I Love You Lately
High Valley – Let It Be Me
Mike R. Schuster – Sunday
Rob Berg – Hammer Fall

Southern Gospel Song Of The Year
The Amundruds – I Wanna Go
Jassette Haughton – Once You Have Tasted
Blake Paul – Be Near Me
Torchmen Quartet – We Sing About a Saviour
Valiant – It’s A New Day

CENTRICITY MUSIC REACHES FIVE-YEAR COMPANY LANDMARK IN 2010

 
NEW PROJECTS COMING UP THIS YEAR INCLUDE; ME IN MOTION, SIXTEEN CITIES, HIGH VALLEY, ANDREW PETERSON
AND DOWNHERE
 
Nashville, TN (January 8, 2010) —– One of the most respected labels in the Christian genre, Centricity Music, reaches the landmark of five successful years in 2010.  The prestigious and innovative label was started in October 2005 with one artist, Jaime Jamgochian, and has quickly grown with ten artists on their label that includes; Downhere, Andrew Peterson, Jason Gray, Lanae’ Hale and Matt Papa.
 
“I guess a lot of folks thought we were crazy at the time we started Centricity Music and rightly so,” says John Mays, Vice President, A&R, Centricity Music.  In 2005, in the middle of the worst time in the history of the music business, I think there were times we thought we were crazy too! But God was leading and we did our best to remain faithful in those foundational days. Now, five years later, with the blessing of a staff and roster that I never dreamed we would be able to have, I’m happy we can look back and see that all of our ideas, strategies, successes and failures have all been used by God to help us toward accomplishing our mission, of enabling our artists to create life-changing experiences for the world.”
 
Gearing up for their five-year anniversary, Centricity will be introducing three new artists, Me In Motion, Sixteen Cities and High Valley, while releasing new projects from Andrew Peterson and Downhere this year. 
 
Me In Motion – releases their first self-titled Centricity album March 23rd and their current single, “Losers,” is already at #28 and climbing on the CHR chart.  The song is a banner for anyone who has felt rejected by their peers and was immediately embraced by audiences on the Newsboys fall tour, which featured Me In Motion.  The group is now gearing up to hit the road with Red Pillar later this month.  Me In Motion played an incredible 165-dates in 2009.
 
Sixteen Cities – a popular northwest band, Sixteen Cities releases their debut self-titled CD April 20th and their song “Sing Along,” will be playing  nationally in several name-brand stores, including Gucci, Nike, Prada, Hollister & AE early this year.  The group’s ministry focuses on the unchurched in public high schools and the band was formed while they were still in high school.  This means they have become tour veterans in their early twenties and they have been on the road with such acts as Kutless, Building 429, Fireflight and Sanctus Real.
 
High Valley – this trio of Canadian brothers has already generated quite a buzz after their performance in the Centricity suite during GMA last year.  Known for their three-part harmony, high-energy stage performances and combining the best of the contemporary Country sound with faith based lyrics, High Valley has already demonstrated a strong mass appeal.   They have played with such high-profile artists as Michael W. Smith and Carrie Underwood, and made their debut performance on the CCMA Awards show in the fall with Country singer/songwriter, Paul Brandt.  Their self-titled debut full-length project releases May 18th. 
 
Andrew Peterson – one of the most respected singer/songwriters in the business will release his second album on Centricity Music, July 27th.  His critically acclaimed first CD on the label, Resurrection Letters, Volume II, received a 4 ½ stars review from Christian Single magazine and JesusFreakHideOut.com says, “….he is never miserly when it comes to producing quality albums that are honest, poignant, and relatable.”  The CD resulted in a Top 20 hit with, “The Good Confession,” and, “Invisible God,” has just been released and is climbing the charts.  We can expect more vibrant music arrangements and thought-provoking lyrics on the new forthcoming album from one of Christian music’s favorites.
 
Downhere – Last year proved a significant time for this well-respected group.  They dominated the charts with their hits, “Hope Is Rising,” “My Last Amen,” and the ever popular, “How Many Kings.”  They also released their first Christmas project, How Many Kings: Songs For Christmas, that the Tennessean said, “…the album shines with the thoughtful touches of a band that refused to make a sing-by-numbers holiday disc.” The band also added NINE CCMA Awards, out of ELEVEN nominations, to their accolades.  Downhere will head back into the studio this spring and will release their fourth CD on Centricity Music this winter.
 
The popular singer/songwriter, Jason Gray, had his CD, Everything Sad Is Coming Untrue, listed as the #8 best faith-based album for 2009 on the Top Ten critic’s list for CCM Magazine.  Matt Conner said, Most unheralded songwriter in the entire industry shines again.  Gray spent most of the year on the road supporting the project, as he played 150-dates across the country with such acts as Sanctus Real.  He also visited thirty-three radio stations in the latter half of last year promoting of his new single, “More Like Falling In Love.”  Jason will join WAY-FM’s and World Vision’s Speaking Louder Than Before 2010 Tour with Jeremy Camp, The Afters and Chasen on January 20th in Charleston, South Carolina. 
 
Lanae’ Hale closed out 2009 being selected as the #7 best faith-based album for 2009 on CCM Magazine’s Top Critic list.  Andrew Greer said, Creative production. Unique voice. Stellar songs. Loads of talent. The best new artist debut of the year by far.  Hale’s talent shined on the recent Bethlehem Skyline Tour with Downhere and Jason Gray.  She introduced a new Christmas song, “Starving Artist Christmas,” that delighted fans on the fifteen-date tour.  Misconception that musicians have money ‘cause I’ve got two jobs and a full-time honey/I can’t even feed a cat because my husband doesn’t even have an ounce of fat.  Hale remains one of the most unique female artists in the Christian genre and new exciting announcements will be coming later this year.
 
Matt Papa released his debut project on Centricity Music, Your Kingdom Come, last summer and currently his single, “Open Hands,” is New & Active on the CHR chart and #2 on the national radio outlet, Air1.  The unique talent of Papa generated great reviews and appearances on Daystar’s, Celebration and Soundcheck. On Course Magazine said, “Surprisingly, Matt brings purity and edginess to his music that I found instantly appealing yet familiar. This guy has talent.”  After playing 120-dates last year, Papa will be touring the southeast in the first quarter of this year.
 
For more information on all Centricity Music artists please visit, www.centricitymusic.com. 
 
Centricity Music is an independent recording and publishing company based in Bellevue, Washington and Nashville, Tennessee.  The company’s mission is to enable our artists to create
life-changing experiences for the world. Centricity Music’s artist roster includes Jaime Jamgochian, Downhere, Jason Gray, Daniel Kirkley, Lanae’ Hale, Andrew Peterson, High Valley, Matt Papa,
Sixteen Cities and Me In Motion.
###