December 2008 Archives

The Gospel Music Channel recently announced the winners of their Video Music Awards, and rockers Flyleaf took home the top honors for Video of the Year and Best Rock Video of the Year for their "All Around Me."

Other winners included:
Switchfoot "This Is Home," Best Contemporary Video of the Year
Rascal Flatts "Every Day," Best Country Video of the Year
Lecrae "Prayin For You," Best Hip Hop Video of the Year
Funky & Alex Campos "No Vuelvo Pa'tras," Best Latin Video of the Year
SONSOFDAY "This Place," Best Pop Video of the Year
Marvin Sapp "Never Would Have Made It," Best Soul Video of the Year

The video awards will rerun on the Gospel Music Channel on Friday, January 2. The show is hosted by Atlanta media personality Elle Duncan.

Check out the Gospel Soundcheck's "Christian Music Year In Review," a look back at the stories you were talking about on the Gospel Soundcheck blog.

I can't believe it's the last day of 2008. Where did the year go?

I'm not good at keeping New Year's Resolutions, but last year I made a resolution to read the entire Bible in 2008. And with one more entry to go, I'm going to complete my resolution.

And I learned something very important in my reading. Of all the things God talks about, the one thing He repeats over and over and over and over and over and over: above all, He wants us to act justly, show mercy, and walk humbly with our God. Justice, mercy, compassion, humility, righteousness. THESE are the things the Bible stresses, over sacrifice and songs and worship, because when we're executing justice, feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, and showing mercy and compassion, we are worshipping God.

So in 2009, my goal is to live as much as possible executing justice, showing mercy, and walking humbly with God, loving Him with all of my heart, soul and mind, and loving my neighbor.

Did you make a New Years Resolution? Are any of you heading to Times Square for New Years? (Do tell us about it!)

What are some of your favorite Christian music artists resolving to do in 2009? Brian Mayes, at the Nashville Publicity Group, sent over a list from some of the artists they work with. I thought maybe you'd like to see their New Year's Resolutions!

BET is once again giving aspiring gospel singers a chance to show off their vocal abilities when "Sunday Best" returns to BET in March '09.

This nationwide talent search will again travel to cities across the country to audition hundreds of hopefuls. Singers from storefronts to mega churches will compete as BET finds the best undiscovered singers in America.

The show is currently holding casting calls in January in Atlanta, Chicago and Washington, DC. For more information, visit the "Sunday Best" website and blog.

My friend Kim Jones, who is the Christian Music guide over at About.com, gave me the head's up today about a band that she's in love with: Kingsfall.

The Dallas-based band recently was named the December winners in the Famecast.com contest, earning them a chance to compete for $20,000 and a feature in SPIN magazine.

From the video above, I can see why she likes them so much. I put them on the "Artists to Watch in 2009" list! For more about Kingsfall, visit their MySpace page.

CJ, a columnist with the Minneapolis Star Tribune, reported that pop legend Prince's sister Tyka Nelson has released a Gospel CD called A Brand New Me. Nelson tells CJ, "Every song is about God. It's all about Jesus. It's a gospel CD, everything leads back to God."

Prince is a Jehovah's Witness and while Nelson attends a Pentacostal church, she tells CJ she's not any religion, adding, "I still study with Jehovah's Witnesses, so I say I'm Apostolic Pentecostal Jehovah's Witness Seventh-Day Adventist Jew."

I think that's a joke. Or maybe not.

Listening to the song clips at CDBaby.com, the music is dancey, it's pop, it's ... well, it's kinda Prince. You can also hear songs at Tyka Nelson's MySpace page.

You can read CJ's entire piece about Prince's sister Tyka at StarTribune.com.