When nominations were announced last week for the 41st Annual GMA Dove Awards, Integrity Music’s signed and distributed artists and songwriters received an impressive 18 nods.
 
With one of the most successful CDs by a debut artist in recent years and the top-selling new artist album of 2009, Kari Jobe was nominated as New Artist of the Year.  The artist/songwriter/worship leader earned a total of three nominations.  Her additional nods were for Spanish Language Album for the Spanish version of her debut record and for Special Event Album of the Year for her participation on the Glory Revealed II: The Word of God In Worship.
 
 

“I am so excited to be up for these nominations!  It’s a dream come true and such an honor.  I’m having more fun meeting other artists that I’ve looked up to over the years and the newer ones who I am running alongside now in ministry and life.  It’s so fun, and I cannot wait for April 21st and the Dove Awards show,” a joyful Jobe responded after not only receiving the three nominations but also participating in the press conference in Nashville to make the Dove Awards announcement.  Before the Dove Awards in April, Jobe will be performing on tour with Desperation Band and leading worship at churches across the country.
 
"Revelation Song," which is featured on Jobe's debut album and was a radio hit for Phillips, Craig & Dean, was nominated for two songwriter awards - Song of the Year and Worship Song of the Year - for Jennie Lee Riddle, a Gateway Create/Integrity Praise Music songwriter
 
Mary Mary, whose recent album The Sound has won for the sister duo both Stellar Awards and a GRAMMY Award, was honored with their first nomination in the Dove Award’s top category – Artist of the Year.  The sister duo who records on Columbia Records and is distributed by Integrity Music, is currently featured prominently in the 25th anniversary recording of “We Are the World,” the multi-artist Haiti benefit song and video.
 

Fresh from his GRAMMY Award win last month, Israel Houghton earned four nominations, including three nominations for songs from his GRAMMY Award-winning album The Power of One.  “Just Wanna Say” was nominated for Urban Recorded Song of the Year while “Every Prayer” and “The Power of One” share nominations in the Contemporary Gospel Recorded Song of the Year.  Houghton received a fourth nomination for Special Event Album for his contributions to CompassionArt: Creating Freedom From Poverty.
 
Also nominated for the CompassionArt project was Paul Baloche.  Baloche earned a second nomination for Worship Song of the Year for “Hosanna.”
 
Hillsong’s Brooke Fraser penned a worship song also called “Hosanna,” and that modern hymn was nominated for Inspirational Song of the Year from Selah’s album You Deliver Me.  Hillsong was also recognized with a Dove Award nomination for Long Form Video of the Year for “Faith + Hope + Love.”
 
Integrity’s other album nominations include Country music superstar Collin Raye’s first solo Dove Award nomination for his TimeLife/Integrity Music CD Never Going Back.  Integrity Music Latin’s Julissa was nominated in the Spanish Language Album category for Adorandote and in the Children’s Music Album category, Shout Praises Kids – Today is the Day was recognized.  Finally, Integrity’s Choral division earned a nod for Youth/Children’s Music of the Year for “Get To The Manager” by Jeff Sandstrom.
 
(For the second year in a row, fans will be able to cast their votes online for Artist of the Year and New Artist of the Year.  Fans can vote for Jobe as New Artist and Mary Mary for Artist starting the first week of March at www.gmclife.com.)
 
The GMA Dove Awards is Christian/Gospel music’s biggest night of the year, where top artists from every style of gospel music come together for a night of music and celebration as the GMA bestows the industry's highest honor -- the Dove Award.  The 41st Annual Dove Awards will be held on Wednesday, April 21, 2010 at Nashville’s famed Grand Ole Opry House and televised nationwide on gmc (http://www.gmclife.com), Sunday, April 25, 2010 from 8 p.m. - 10 p.m. EST. gmc is the fastest-growing network in television and can be seen in 46 million homes on various cable systems around the country, on DIRECTV on channel 338 and on Verizon FiOS on channel 224.
 

Baloche will be singing the title track to Glorious, his acclaimed new modern worship album released last month on Integrity Music, on the TBN Christmas Special.  He will also sing his song “Offering” featured on Worship and Adore: A Christmas Offering, also from Integrity Music.  

In addition to Baloche and McClurkin, the TBN special will feature FOX News anchor Kelly Wright, actress Sherri Sheppard and artists Ayiesha Woods and Sherri Jones Moffett.  The special is scheduled to debut Dec. 19 at 5:00 pm ET / 2:00 pm PT. (Schedule subject to change, check your local listings.)

Baloche’s peers, including Michael W. Smith, Israel Houghton and Martin Smith (Delirious?/CompassionArt), as well as Worship Leader, Christianity Today, New Release Tuesday and others, continue to share their enthusiasm for Baloche and Glorious:

“Filled with songs of hope, praise and adoration, Glorious affirms Baloche's legacy as one of today's premiere worship artists and songwriters.” – Charisma

“…congregational worship in pop/rock form with direct lyrics of devotion to God that enrich the believer as they uplift the name of Christ.” – Worship Musician

“Paul Baloche is one of today’s most influential worship songwriters. He has written songs that are shaping worship services all over the world…Paul has crafted some of the most inspiring songs in church culture today.” – Amazon.com

“Glorious contains songs of faith, hope, commitment, trust, and praise that will encourage your church, be a joy to listen to, and stir up a love for the risen Savior who came to purchase our forgiveness and rescue us from our sins.” – WorshipMatters.com

“This songwriter, musician, and worship leader has helped define the sound that has come to represent the mainstream of worship music in recent years.” – Soul-Audio.com


For more information on Paul Baloche’s Glorious, check out the e-card at www.integritymusic.com/ecard/glorious.

Additional information can be found at www.paulbaloche.com, www.leadworship.com and www.integritymusic.com.

Two-time Dove Award winning Paul Baloche releases his eighth collection of new worship songs, Glorious, today (Nov. 3) on Integrity Music amidst critical and peer acclaim.  In addition to the CD, worship resources for Glorious include a print and digital songbook, CD trax and more.

Baloche’s peers, including Michael W. Smith, Israel Houghton and Martin Smith (Delirious?/CompassionArt), share their enthusiasm for Baloche and his new album as Worship Leader, Christianity Today, New Release Tuesday and other media offer critical acclaim:

“Paul Baloche is one of the most gifted writers I know,” says Michael W. Smith, who co-wrote with Baloche this year’s Dove Award winning song, “A New Hallelujah,” featured on Glorious. “He is an absolute joy to be with and his talent is immense.  I’ve heard his songs performed literally all over the world. But most of all, I have been so blessed beyond measure to have been led by Paul in worship. Maybe one word to sum it up to describe my dear friend? – ‘Authenticity,’ which I believe the church and the world are starving for.”

“Paul Baloche has long been the standard by which other writers of worship music like myself strive to reach,” says Israel Houghton.  “His ability to be profound yet accessible is unlike any other. This new project is loaded with those kind of songs.”

“Paul is the real deal. I’ve had the pleasure of working, writing and recording with him and his heart is made of pure gold,” says Martin Smith, Delirious? frontman and CompassionArt founder.

“Paul Baloche has done more than release a CD, he has fitted the Church with a full set list of prayers that will musically form the hearts of congregations for years to come…Baloche’s uniqueness has always flowed from an innate ability to speak the language of the heart and the language of heaven simultaneously.” – Worship Leader

“Widely recognized as one of worship music’s finest wordsmiths, Baloche should also become famous for his fine-tuned artistry. These songs are poised for church-wide acceptance and his artist career should benefit from Glorious’ A+ production and songs.” – Christianity Today Music.

“If you’ve liked past hit songs by Paul Baloche including ‘Open The Eyes Of My Heart,’ ‘Offering’ and ‘Your Name,’ then you’ll really enjoy Glorious…you need to add Glorious to your worship music collection.” – NewReleaseTuesday.com (Newreleasetuesday.com is also offering a free music download of the title track, “Glorious,” at this link.)
 
With an overall theme of intimacy with the Living God being reflected in Glorious, the album features songs co-written with Michael W. Smith, Brenton Brown, Meredith Andrews, Jason Ingram, Ben Gowell and Rita Baloche.  Produced by Baloche and Gowell, the album also features the radio single, “Just To Be With You,” which is already garnering acclaim from radio programmers across the country.

Having served as the Worship Pastor at Community Christian Fellowship in Lindale, TX for 20 consecutive years, Baloche is regarded as one of the preeminent worship writers of the contemporary Church.  He has written some of this generation’s most compelling worship songs, including “Open The Eyes of My Heart,” “Hosanna,” “Your Name,” “Above All,” “Offering,” “All The Earth Will Sing Your Praises,” “Our God Saves” and “Because of Your Love.”  With 19 CCLI current Top 500 songs to his credit, his songs are literally sung by millions of people each week in churches around the world.   

In addition to writing, recording, touring and serving as a worship pastor, Baloche has created a variety of instructional DVDs for worship leaders and musicians and has written a book, God Songs –How to Write and Select Songs for Worship.  He is a contributing writer for both Worship Leader and Worship Musician magazines and a popular conference speaker, most recently serving as an instructor for Integrity Music’s “Deeper: The Worship Sessions” national seminars.  Baloche is also a writer/artist for CompassionArt, a charity dedicated to seeing works of art generate income for the relief of suffering around the planet.

Nashville, Tenn., October 1, 2009 – Two-time Dove Award winning Paul Baloche is one of today’s most influential worship leaders and songwriters. Glorious, his eighth collection of new worship songs, releases Nov. 3 on Integrity Music and features co-writes with Michael W. Smith, Brenton Brown, Meredith Andrews, Jason Ingram, Ben Gowell and Rita Baloche. In addition to the CD, worship resources for Glorious include a print and digital songbook, CD trax and more.
 
Having served as the Worship Pastor at Community Christian Fellowship in Lindale, TX for 20 consecutive years, Baloche is regarded as one of the preeminent worship writers of the contemporary Church.  He has written some of this generation’s most compelling worship songs, including “Open The Eyes of My Heart,” “Hosanna,” “Your Name,” “Above All,” “Offering,” “All The Earth Will Sing Your Praises,” “Our God Saves” and “Because of Your Love.”  With several No. 1 radio hits and 19 CCLI current Top 500 songs to his credit, his songs are literally sung by millions of people each week in churches around the world.
 
But the success and accolades are not what drive this faithful songwriter.  “I don’t want to rely on clichés or crank out Christian jingles,” says Baloche. “I’ve tried to wipe the etch-a-sketch clean for this record and force myself to go deeper in this season of my life, wrestling with the words and music that will help congregations connect with God to help strengthen their relationships, families, and communities.  For better or worse, the songs we are singing in our services are going down deep into the core of our hearts and forming our theology.  For this reason, I want every song on this record to matter, to be biblical, have relevance and carry spiritual weight.”
 
With an overall theme of intimacy with the Living God being reflected in Glorious, the title track, co-written with Brenton Brown, points people beyond the cross, pushing them to look further inside the mystery of the gospel.  
 
“God is a living Savior; He is Glorious.  Sometimes we lose this… the adventure of being led by a living, active God and having an expectant heart,” reflects Baloche. “My pastor says that when we sing ‘Glorious,’ it feels like the answer to the longing in ‘Open the Eyes of My Heart’.” (“Open the Eyes of My Heart” is Baloche’s most widely sung and well-known song, currently at No. 6 on the CCLI chart.)
 
Look inside the mystery
See the empty cross
See the risen Savior
Victorious and strong
…Glorious my eyes have seen the glory of the Lord
 
Produced by Baloche and band member Ben Gowell, who co-wrote “You Saved Us” on the album, Glorious also features additional production by Michael Rossback and Jason Ingram (Bebo Norman, Rush Of Fools, Tenth Avenue North, Jim Brickman).  Baloche further co-wrote the first radio single, “Just To Be With You,” with Ingram.  The single is already garnering acclaim from radio programmers across the country.
 
“With so much uncertainty all around us, it can be so easy to lose sight of what we really need - just to be with Him,” says Joe Buchanan, Network Music Director, New Life Media.  “I can’t wait to encourage our listeners with this great song!  Thanks, Paul, for another well written song with an incredible and timely message!”
 
Baloche shares the songwriting responsibilities with several other writers on this album, including his wife Rita.  Together, they co-wrote the song “Wonderful God,” and Rita wrote the song “Shaken.”  Glorious also features a duet with Meredith Andrews on “How Great is The Love,” written by Baloche and Andrews.  Notably, this year’s Dove Award winning song, “A New Hallelujah,” was co-written with Michael W. Smith.  Known in Christian music circles for cultivating a sense of community among writers, Baloche is also a writer/artist for CompassionArt, a charity dedicated to seeing works of art generate income for the relief of suffering around the planet.
 
Playing the new songs from Glorious on the road, Baloche was the featured worship leader at the annual NRB Convention, the annual Southern Baptist Convention and the Saddleback Worship Conference.
 
In addition to writing, recording, touring and serving as a worship pastor, Baloche has created a variety of instructional DVDs for worship leaders and musicians and has written a book, God Songs –How to Write and Select Songs for Worship.  He is a contributing writer for both Worship Leader and Worship Musician magazines and a popular conference speaker, most recently serving as an instructor for Integrity Music’s “Deeper: The Worship Sessions” national seminars.  For more information on Paul Baloche, go to www.paulbaloche.com, www.leadworship.com and www.integritymusic.com.
 
Glorious Track listing:
1.    Glorious
2.    You Have Saved Us
3.    Just To Be With You
4.    Wonderful God
5.    How Great Is The Love
6.    To The Cross
7.    Today Is The Day
8.    Shaken
9.    We Will Hold On
10.    Almighty
11.    A New Hallelujah
 

OurGodSaves.com is launching in conjunction with the September 18 release of Our God Saves, the upcoming album and current radio single from award-winning Integrity Music recording artist/worship leader Paul Baloche. Inspired by the lyrics of “Our God Saves,” co-written by Baloche and Brenton Brown, the site provides an online Christian community where visitors can encourage and uplift others by sharing their testimonies.

Paul Baloche is one of the foremost worship writers of our time. His songs, including “Open The Eyes Of My Heart,” “Above All,” “Hosanna” and “All The Earth Will Sing Your Praises,” are sung by millions around the globe. “Above All” garnered a Dove Award in 2002 for Inspirational Recorded Song of the Year, and Baloche received nominations in 2007 for Inspirational Album of the Year (A Greater Song) and Special Event Album (Arise – A New Celebration of Worship). In addition to leading worship for congregations across the country and overseas, Baloche serves as an instructor for Seminars4Worship and other conferences, where he trains and mentors worship leaders, songwriters and musicians.