Pop songstress Kerrie Roberts celebrates her first career nominations today for the 42nd Annual GMA Dove Awards, with honors in the two high-profile categories of New Artist of the Year and Female Vocalist of the Year. Nominees were announced today in Atlanta, Ga., at the historic Fox Theatre.
After receiving the news this morning, Roberts said, “I’m just so thankful for the opportunities and experiences I’ve had this year that have led up to today’s announcement.” She adds, “I couldn’t be more proud of my fellow nominees in both categories, and am truly honored to be associated with them.”
Roberts released her soulful-pop, self-titled debut album Aug. 24, 2010, on Reunion Records. The project’s lead single, “No Matter What,” performed as a multi-format Top 5 hit on Billboard’s Christian AC and CHR radio charts, receiving 115 million cumulative listener impressions to date. The album’s second single “Outcast” remains a Top 5 hit on the CHR radio chart this week, and the new single, “Take You Away,” is currently adding to Christian AC stations around the country.
The album’s track “Unstoppable” has also been featured on the FOX network in broadcast promos for the current 10th season of “American Idol.” With proven strong radio support, the emotive singer’s huge, soaring vocals and transparent songwriting poise her to be the next breakthrough voice in Christian music.
As stated last year, Mike Prendergast, Director of Programming for KLTY in Dallas, predicted Kerrie Roberts as “New Artist of the Year” saying, “She’s one of the best new acts I’ve heard in a while.”
Roberts wrapped a 10-city run with Building 429 this month as part of the Food For The Hungry Winter Blast 2011 tour, following a busy 2010, opening for Casting Crowns on several show dates, and appearing on the Very Merry Christmas Tour with Newsong and Newsboys.
The south Florida native’s first performance came at the age of five years old. Growing up a pastor’s daughter, she was the youngest member of the church choir and would stand on top of a milk crate to see over the choir’s partition. After learning to play piano, Roberts wrote her first songs in high school and began performing in churches and local venues.
For more information on Kerrie Roberts, with performance videos and more, please visit: www.kerrieroberts.com and www.twitter.com/Kerrie_Roberts.
New music from pop songstress Kerrie Roberts is creating national excitement this week as her anthemic track “Unstoppable” is currently a featured theme song in the first TV promos for the 10th season of “American Idol.” The promos were revealed Saturday on Fox during Game 3 of the MLB World Series.
The “Unstoppable”-themed, 30-second “Idol” promo highlights winners of the last nine seasons of the show. “Unstoppable” appears on Kerrie Roberts’ recent self-titled debut album. “Idol” returns
January 2011.
Ryan Seacrest posted the new video on his YouTube channel. Watch here: http://www.youtube.com/user/ryanseacrest#p/u/1/dvmbHUyRQ5k.
GRAMMY Award-nominated and Dove Award-winning recording artist NewSong will ring in the holiday season with “NewSong’s Very Merry Christmas Tour,” featuring renowned Christian pop-rockers Newsboys and special guest, debut artist Kerrie Roberts. The tour launches Nov. 27 in Whiteville, N.C. and is slated to hit 19 cities, including stops in Frederick, Md.; St. Cloud, Minn.; Quincy, Ill.; Destin, Fla.; and Beaumont, Texas, before concluding Dec. 19 in Fort Pierce, Florida.
NewSong will perform selections from their best-selling recordings The Christmas Shoes and The Christmas Hope, including the group’s emotion-packed #1 mainstream radio hit, “The Christmas Shoes,” which has become the biggest song of their career and one of America’s most beloved Christmas standards. “The Christmas Shoes” also spawned a series of New York Times best-selling novels by Donna VanLiere and two top-rated CBS television movies based on the books and featuring music from NewSong (CBS’ “The Christmas Blessing” was television’s most-watched movie in 2005).
Capping off a momentous year which included the release of a top-selling new album (Born Again) featuring new lead vocalist Michael Tait, the Newsboys join "NewSong’s Very Merry Christmas Tour" on the heels of their very first Christmas release, Christmas! A Newsboys Holiday (Oct. 12, Inpop Records). Newsboys will perform favorites from their six-song CD, which includes holiday classics like “Winter Wonderland,” “Jingle Bell Rock,” “O Holy Night,” “The Christmas Song” and more.
New Reunion Records songstress Kerrie Roberts also joins the tour following the release of her self-titled debut album (Aug. 24), which includes the hit radio single, “No Matter What.” A southern Florida native, Roberts has been performing since the age of 5, developing her huge, soulful-pop voice while growing up in church choirs and studying music at the University of Miami before landing a record deal a few years later.
Tickets for "NewSong’s Very Merry Christmas Tour" are available now. For more information, visit www.newsongonline.com.
NEWSONG’S VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS TOUR
* All dates are subject to change without notice.
Nov. 27 - Whiteville, NC - Northwood Assembly of God
Nov. 28 - Kinston, NC - Kinston High Performing Arts Center
Nov. 29 - Frederick, MD - Weinburg Center for the Performing Arts
Dec. 2 - Norfolk, NE - DeVent Center
Dec. 3 - Schofield, WI - Mount Olive Lutheran Church
Dec. 4 - St. Cloud, MN - Calvary Community Church
Dec. 5 - Brookings, SD - Swiftel Center
Dec. 6 - Quincy, IL - Morrison Theater
Dec. 7 - Portage, MI - Kalamazoo First Assembly
Dec. 8 - Valparaiso, IN - Valparaiso Nazarene Church
Dec. 9-10 - Marion, IL - Marion Civic and Cultural Center
Dec. 11 - Franklin, NC - Smokey Mountain Center for the Performing Arts
Dec. 12 - Destin, FL - Village Baptist Church
Dec. 14 - Beaumont, TX - Montagne Center
Dec. 15 - Bentonville, AR - First Baptist Church
Dec. 16 - Athens, AL - Clements Baptist Church
Dec. 17 - Pascagoula, MS - First Baptist Church
Dec. 18 - Albany, GA - Life Christian Center International
Dec. 19 - Fort Pierce, FL - Westside Baptist Church
Provident Label Group’s Reunion Records introduces new artist Kerrie Roberts with a stunning debut at radio as 35 stations across the country jump on the single “No Matter What” by its first-week out. In addition to seven stations adding “No Matter What” prior to the official 5/21 add date, the song garners the “Most-Added” title at both Christian AC and CHR formats, with 21 AC Monitored adds, and seven at CHR this week. Top markets spinning the song include Houston, Tampa, Atlanta, Charlotte, Riverside, Grand Rapids and the No. 1 Christian radio station in America, KLTY in Dallas, with a 900,000 weekly audience listenership.
Mike Prendergast, Director of Programming for KLTY in Dallas said in a note to Provident, “I was thoroughly impressed with Kerrie Roberts. I honestly think you guys may have the next ‘New Artist of the Year.’ She’s one of the best new acts I’ve heard in a while. Her music is amazing. Looking forward to spending more time with the single and the rest of the album.”
Dwayne Harrison, Program of Director for WRCM in Charlotte, N.C., says, “Hesitant about adding another new artist? I was, but Kerrie’s got the talent and the songs to become one of my listeners’ favorites. There’s a lot more on this album that could earn her a place on WRCM for quite
a while.”
About the single, Harrison adds, “The sovereignty of God and a definition of true faith in a 3 ½ minute pop song? Yes! ‘No Matter What’ is the perfect response to the question, ‘Why would God allow this to happen?’”
“No Matter What” is produced by veteran Dan Muckala (The Afters, Brandon Heath) and Chuck Butler. The standout lead single lyrically addresses the suffering experienced in an authentic life of faith, purpose amidst pain, and the promise that a breakthrough is coming.
“God has the power to save and protect you from all the pain that comes into your life, but sometimes He chooses not to,” says Kerrie who also has writing credits on the song. “No Matter What’ is a declaration to serve God because He saved you from your sin, not because He’s saving you from the pain of this life.”
“No Matter What” is now streaming at www.kerrieroberts.com.
The uniquely emotive, soulful singer and songwriter hails from Florida, and spent her childhood behind the scenes in full-time ministry. “My father is a pastor, so my whole family has been shaped by the church,” explains Kerrie. “Growing up, I saw my parents on call 24/7 as a support in times of grief, despair and other unexpected turns. They consistently taught me to reach out to the broken and to those who need encouragement and hope. That’s something that resonates in me and that I love
being a part of.”
Her passion for offering hope and purpose to the lost and broken permeates her songwriting, informing every topic, and displays as much heart and intellect as breathtaking talent. The pianist’s dynamic vocal range and power was first displayed when she joined the church choir and performed her first solo at the age of 5.
“I was so small, they had me stand on a milk crate so the congregation could see me,” she laughs. Roberts spent the rest of her childhood and teen years singing, playing piano and leading worship in church, while performing oldies and musicals on a regular basis in school. She began writing her first songs in high school, performing one during her own graduation.
In 2001, this unassuming girl with the big voice made the choice to get her degree in studio music and jazz vocal performance at the University of Miami, instead of moving forward with the making-of-the-band reality show “POPSTARS.” She become a Top 10 finalist on the the WB network’s hit series, and then, in front of a national audience, turned down a record deal the moment the show’s producers offered it. America heard her explain, “I’ve prayed about it, and I’ve decided not to do it. I have total peace about this decision.”
After graduation, Roberts took a desk job in the Big Apple, moved into a tiny apartment with almost no furniture, and stayed for year. Working as an accountant during the day, she pursued her music dream at night. She signed with Provident in 2009, and will release her self-titled debut album fall 2010.
