During the Grammy’s Premiere Show Grammy Awards were awarded to the following Contemporary Christian and Gospel music artists for their great songs. This award is a new category in the annual Grammy Awards ceremony from 2012. Previously, the Recording Academy did not make a distinction between Contemporary Christian Music (CCM) and Gospel music but in its drastic overhaul of Grammy Awards categories from 2012, announced on April 6, 2011, it said that “it was determined that there are two distinct wings to the gospel house: Contemporary Christian Music (CCM) and Urban or Soul Gospel, and these two groups share in their overall mission”. It continued: “Additionally, it was determined that the word “Gospel” tends to conjure up the images and sounds of traditional soul gospel and not CCM. With this in mind, it was decided not only to rename each of the categories, but also the entire field. It was determined that album and songwriting categories are of highest importance; Gospel and CCM each now have one category for each”.
As a result, the Best Gospel Song category was split into a category for “old-style” gospel music (still named Best Gospel Song) and a category for Contemporary Christian Music. From 2015, due to a restructuring of the Gospel/Contemporary Christian Music category field, this category will merge with the Best Gospel/Contemporary Christian Music Performance category to create the new Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song category, which will recognize both performers and songwriters of Contemporary Christian Music songs. According to the Grammy committee, “changes to the field were made in the interest of clarifying the criteria, representing the current culture and creative DNA of the gospel and Contemporary Christian Music communities, and better reflecting the diversity and authenticity of today’s gospel music industry”.
This year’s winners are as follows:
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Best Roots Gospel Album: ‘Hymns’ Joey + Rory
Watch the moving acceptance speech below:
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Best Gospel Album: ‘Losing My Religion’- Kirk Franklin
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Best Gospel Performance/Song: “God Provides”- Tamela Mann
Hillary Scoot and The Scott Family won two!
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Best Contemporary Christian Album: Hillary Scott and The Scott Family
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Best Contemporary Christian Song Performance: Hillary Scott and The Scott Family
Preceding the 59th Annual GRAMMY Awards telecast, the Premiere Ceremony was hosted by current GRAMMY nominee Margaret Cho and featured performances by current nominees Judy Collins, Ravi Coltrane, Ziggy Marley, Carla Morrison, Northern Cree, O’Connor Band With Mark O’Connor, and Third Coast Percussion. Presenting the first GRAMMY Awards of the day in approximately 70 categories will be five-time GRAMMY winner Jimmy Jam and current nominees Lauren Daigle, For King & Country, Sarah Jarosz, René Marie, Mýa, and Brendon Urie from Panic! At The Disco.