[Mickey]

(Nashville, TN - January 23, 2002 ) Essential Records' Third Day was the first band in 20 years to capture both Artist and Group of the Year in the same year, and the band could make history again this year by repeating that achievement. Third Day's first-ever DVD/VHS, Third Day Live in Concert - The Offerings Experience, garnered the group its first nomination for Long Form Video of the Year.

In addition to nominations for Artist and Group of the Year, the band has three nominations stemming from its latest release, Come Together, in the Rock Album and Rock Recorded Song ("Come Together") categories, as artist and songwriters. Lead singer Mac Powell also received a repeat nod as a nominee for Male Vocalist.

Label-mates, multi-Dove and GRAMMY Award-winning artists Jars of Clay, received a nomination for "Can't Erase It" from their project, If I Left the Zoo, in the Modern Rock/Alternative Recorded Song category. Jars' band member Stephen Mason is also a nominee in Special Event Album of the Year for his participation on the Soul Lift project.

Pop vocal group FFH's most recent album, Have I Ever Told You, received a nomination for Pop/Contemporary Album, and the seven-member band Caedmon's Call received its first-ever nomination in the Praise & Worship category for In the Company of Angels - A Call to Worship as artist and producer. In the Company is also nominated in the Recorded Music Packaging category (Provident nominees are Cliff Young, Jordyn Thomas, Ron Roark and Tim Parker).

Reunion Records' teen vocal sensation Joy Williams is the sole Provident artist nominated in the New Artist of the Year category. NewSong's holiday album, The Christmas Shoes, is up for Inspirational Album (NewSong member Michael O'Brien is nominated as a producer), and brother-sister duo LaRue is nominated for Special Event Album for its part in the album Soul Lift.

Reunion's Michael W. Smith is among this year's leading nominees with seven nods. In addition to Artist of the Year (which he won three years ago) and Male Vocalist of the Year, Smith has nominations as artist and producer on both his instrumental album Freedom and his newest project Worship in the Instrumental and Praise & Worship Album categories respectively. His seventh nomination is for the song "Above All" from Worship. Freedom also received a nomination for Recorded Music Packaging of the Year (Provident nominee is Tim Parker).

Diadem Music artist Helen Baylor received a nomination for her inclusion on Traditional Gospel Recorded Song nominee, "Stand."

Provident-distributed labels Gospo Centric, Verity Records, Here to Him, Cedarmont Kids, One Voice, Fervent, New Haven and Harborwood were also among the list of nominees.

Gospo Centric artist Kirk Franklin drew in five nominations. Franklin is nominated for Producer of the Year, as well as Urban Recorded Song for his duet with Mary Mary on "Thank You." Kingdom Come, The Soundtrack is also nominated for Special Event Album, where Franklin served as producer and artist.


Other Gospo Centric artists nominated are Natalie Wilson and SOP, Trin-i-tee 5:7 and Kurt Carr for their participation in Kingdom Come, The Soundtrack.Verity Records' Fred Hammond and Richard Smallwood lead the way for the label with four nominations each.

Hammond's Christmas album, Just Remember Christmas, received a nomination for Urban Album (artist/producer) and his compilation album, In Case You Missed It...And Then Some, which he produced and was a featured artist with members of Radical for Christ, is up for Special Event Album.

Richard Smallwood has four nominations as artist, songwriter and producer in the Traditional Gospel Recorded Song ["My Everything (Praise Waiteth)"] and Traditional Gospel Album (Persuaded Live in DC) categories.

Female vocal trio Virtue has two nominations in Urban Recorded Song and Urban Album for its song "He's Been Good" and album Virtuosity!

Other Verity artists receiving nominations for their work on various projects are Donnie McClurkin (songwriter on Traditional Gospel Recorded Song, "Stand"), John P. Kee (featured artist on Traditional Gospel Album, Doug and Melvin Williams Duets), Daryl Coley (artist on Traditional Gospel Recorded Song, "Stand") and Tonex (producer on Urban Album, Virtuosity!).

New label Fervent Records' first signing, By the Tree, received three nods for Dove Awards including Modern Rock/Alternative Recorded Song ("Invade My Soul") and Modern Rock/Alternative Album (Invade My Soul). (Provident nominee is Bob Wohler, producer.)

Harborwood makes the list under Traditional Gospel Recorded Song ("Stand") and Contemporary Gospel Album (Worship in His Presence). New Haven also appears twice on the list of nominations with Glory Mountain in Southern Gospel Album and My Gospel Hymnal in Country Album. Latin label One Voice has seven nominations: Freddie Colloca's song "Dance El Ritmo" in Rap/Hip Hop/Dance Recorded Song and Ileana Garces's album El Amor Tiene Un Valor in Spanish Language Album. Here to Him is nominated for He Chose the Nails in the Musical and Long Form Video categories. Cedarmont Kids' Baby Bible Songs received a nomination for Children's Music Album of the Year.

Jive Recording artist R. Kelly garnered two nominations as a songwriter. "I Believe I Can Fly," recorded by Yolanda Adams, is up for Urban Recorded Song, and "The Storm Is Over," recorded by Bishop T.D. Jakes and the Potter's House Mass Choir, is up for Contemporary Gospel Recorded Song.

Brentwood-Benson Music Publishing and Brentwood Kids Music were also recognized among this year's nominees. All I Want for Christmas and We Are United (Brentwood Kids Music) are nominees for Youth/Children's Musical. God of Wonders and Offer Up This Praise (Brentwood-Benson) are nominees for Choral Collection.